Related Ads

Id	Active	Status	Created	Modified	Created Epoch	Modified Epoch	Notes	Scrape Result Id	Original Ad Id	Adarchiveid	Collationcount	Collationid	Currency	Enddate	Entitytype	Fevinfo	Gatedtype	Hasuserreported	Hiddensafetydata	Hidedatastatus	Impressionstext	Impressionsindex	Isaaaeligible	Isactive	Isprofilepage	Pageid	Pageinfo	Pageisdeleted	Pagename	Reachestimate	Reportcount	Ad Creative Id	Byline	Caption	Cta Text	Dynamic Versions	Effective Authorization Category	Display Format	Title	Link Description	Link Url	Page Welcome Message	Creation Time	Page Id	Page Name	Page Profile Picture Url	Page Entity Type	Page Is Profile Page	Instagram Actor Name	Instagram Profile Pic Url	Instagram Url	Instagram Handle	Is Reshared	Version	Body	Branded Content	Current Page Name	Disclaimer Label	Page Like Count	Page Profile Uri	Page Is Deleted	Root Reshared Post	Cta Type	Additional Info	Ec Certificates	Country Iso Code	Instagram Branded Content	Spend	Startdate	Statemediarunlabel	Actions
1244968	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198931	1734921993		532		917119977086341		1.6202811287861E+15		1712646000	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	106150158487461		1	Gelson no mundo da moda			120206616613280576		chao83.store	Learn more		NONE	video	Tap the "Learn more" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://chao83.store/DS01/		1712644128	1.0615015848746E+14	Gelson no mundo da moda	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436467566_976775207392795_7701869380637336592_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Q7Co1hsSWA8Ab4lXvcE&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBfbLnrgB7jgvPfOnQvTwHKE_OpJfP0mbSe3cUbCH3xIg&oe=6623407C	regular_page	0	Gelson no mundo da moda	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436358083_1655250051916333_3341570637120461401_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9Gaa9gLb6V4Ab6z0PUa&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDoS5Dh8d0zPjuLmd4VQICjiqdQT8PpUrpNW9ZpYpbopA&oe=66233D12			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway,				0		0		LEARN_MORE						1712646000		View Edit Delete
1244971	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198932	1734921994		532		744937957750661	7	1.6202811287861E+15		1712646000	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	106150158487461		1	Gelson no mundo da moda			120206616613280576		chao83.store	Learn more		NONE	video	Tap the "Learn more" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://chao83.store/DS01/		1712644128	1.0615015848746E+14	Gelson no mundo da moda	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436467566_976775207392795_7701869380637336592_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Q7Co1hsSWA8Ab5rgEy6&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCSPqRbx9aaKa60xSXn3ovIHpBY4K6sG1tN_ac3leYb8A&oe=6623407C	regular_page	0	Gelson no mundo da moda	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436358083_1655250051916333_3341570637120461401_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9Gaa9gLb6V4Ab6tRBEp&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfA7zeP80OEQo12vLVnJcyWcm2VfSjpfV24hWuZDbnkwJA&oe=66233D12			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway,				0		0		LEARN_MORE						1712646000		View Edit Delete
1245120	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198964	1734922004		532		295445310247997	2	2.4636338971607E+15		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	100365976129594		0	Puzzles & Chaos			120207063846150257		play.google.com	Play game		NONE	video	How good is your math?		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.global.pnck		1712056476	1.0036597612959E+14	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434460491_920801806508294_3768811704536577079_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=IJuguiNKSsIAb57VuDc&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAAra89ilWF_GNXaW2OdJsXWwx3jsE4Evh7fvviPUrTYQ&oe=66233F22	person_profile	0	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433947171_380765588192291_8750844378107480252_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qzyNtyRgHwcAb4OCU82&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBARp8BtHDrybEFsTExIJj_vQz2giC4RkaKN0tj-sRP1g&oe=6623248C			0	3	Every decision matters. 🧮<br /> Try it yourself!		Puzzles & Chaos		11827	https://facebook.com/PuzzlesAndChaos	0		PLAY_GAME						1712041200		View Edit Delete
1245006	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198944	1734922004		532		1359852254732606	1	1.6091383065529E+15		1712818800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	118879321169142		0	Popular Novels			120209419169600155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	image	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712326265	1.1887932116914E+14	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435901947_747557514111695_7269693715248732154_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5kbFoTVnf5sAb406p6V&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCBVE5vz3jv3QVNN-roM3wG2dm2LtT5381gCfuOnLJV1A&oe=6623415E	person_profile	0	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435707686_1711399019675043_5170546078974212691_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pP8lgkquJY0Ab5dElQK&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAJNjY6-dfLDB-zANpfvnp5Vy1mfa0URzgLlyxCz4Yvug&oe=66232C80			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”		Popular Novels		15	https://facebook.com/100091852266052	0		LEARN_MORE						1712300400		View Edit Delete
1244914	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	6/1/25, 7:49 AM	1713198913	1748782187		532		1465406747733948	1	1.2739187735646E+15		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	216759984864407		0	Game station			120207565083080077		play.google.com	Play game		NONE	image	Stand and fight! ⚔️	Fantasy adventure MMORPG mobile game	http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gblj.gpgat		1713161246	2.1675998486441E+14	Game station	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/438254079_1450874659136743_7060924181308812144_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=59l0djMpV_0Ab4XIOcg&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfB2cGOgx2X9XIX0-LUodlEKTizwaGkawgVVn2o0SDbSdg&oe=662337FC	person_profile	0	Game station	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437973518_1154025506022026_2012114909656971589_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=s72_146Pw7sAb5T1AY4&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCVth7-oVhfp-q-QWVuKKvqQ3gj6SheeGKYVQpC07g52g&oe=662330E5			0	3	❗❗❗ Immerse yourself in high-quality 3D battles! ⚔️ Embark on an epic RPG adventure now! 👊		Game station		1	https://facebook.com/61557997884676	0		PLAY_GAME						1713164400		View Edit Delete
1244961	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198930	1734922011		532		1375173813143779	1	4.3485246571014E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	105162211758062		0	5ktoys			120207151235520276		5ktoys.com	Learn More		NONE	carousel			http://5ktoys.com/		1712776301	1.0516221175806E+14	5ktoys	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436417861_977343200521964_6134221005321239247_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=CTyna2e7bNQAb7mCn8i&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDRj2RcQI4D1y-iqXvOQCfGLgV9ybbN6Pa3yh0uue3a_g&oe=66230EA1	person_profile	0	5Ktoys.com	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436492213_439709005281862_5978172342120952253_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FgcYkfXzFy4Ab5O8Oyx&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD-DF796IqUk2tXnudtHOlVFTuqYeAWn5EJcmUHikjGkQ&oe=662311AA			0	3			5ktoys		4332	https://facebook.com/5ktoysStore	0		LEARN_MORE						1712732400		View Edit Delete
1245041	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198951	1734922026		532		1426859107917810	4	1.0750287970217E+15		1712991600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206467056180695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712240564	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434887251_3273516259616813_4965928032027185860_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=t3gCYtbwi8UAb62XAyW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCDX2Z6L940JrJM-j2mRBrb3v4a3dv6jqFOo0CeW7ulRw&oe=66231C02	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434948003_814909497119687_9211098532922127326_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=J7sbTzdeCX4Ab5OcIP2&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAzk7YTAiLfHRGDyVnQJiFH1vt9gLgEhRZ1JHfj6x9MhA&oe=66233A53			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712214000		View Edit Delete
1245048	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198953	1734922027		532		1426859107917810	4	1.0750287970217E+15		1712991600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206467056180695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712240564	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434887251_3273516259616813_4965928032027185860_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=t3gCYtbwi8UAb62XAyW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCDX2Z6L940JrJM-j2mRBrb3v4a3dv6jqFOo0CeW7ulRw&oe=66231C02	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434948003_814909497119687_9211098532922127326_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=J7sbTzdeCX4Ab5OcIP2&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAzk7YTAiLfHRGDyVnQJiFH1vt9gLgEhRZ1JHfj6x9MhA&oe=66233A53			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712214000		View Edit Delete
1245094	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198961	1734922028		532		1167149221389159		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869140695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152783	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434592584_972723790858518_3132420980488247753_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_dJFYCvepKsAb5Gs5Mc&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDmxRsp4KjNbqhLw6282rnd8T1aPIC0VY11zOCsTdfICw&oe=66233847	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435408133_1154690705677143_4842117877651758900_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qYUSQBw32X0Ab41lmYa&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBGQ58lOH3p0qasUE5jrDXt11OK2ayWY-ZkhfozsOdDhQ&oe=66232406			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245052	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198953	1734922028		532		1426859107917810	4	1.0750287970217E+15		1712991600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206467056180695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712240564	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434887251_3273516259616813_4965928032027185860_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=t3gCYtbwi8UAb62XAyW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCDX2Z6L940JrJM-j2mRBrb3v4a3dv6jqFOo0CeW7ulRw&oe=66231C02	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434948003_814909497119687_9211098532922127326_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=J7sbTzdeCX4Ab5OcIP2&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAzk7YTAiLfHRGDyVnQJiFH1vt9gLgEhRZ1JHfj6x9MhA&oe=66233A53			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712214000		View Edit Delete
1245067	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198957	1734922031		532		735632815223316		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869110695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152782	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434024287_952429869654829_2914759023618469464_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8f3j20XwwCgAb4TUoc3&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBtmnG1VV8MOZJsaNS4d8W1lUtweX4Rl-iUhgbG4zWUVg&oe=662333C8	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433974065_395778936553743_7822722344626299012_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0Y9sdRF8FpUAb7clpNW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBEjFku5qD4rXLOBOAjl53rv-XXeUmNs-dOLdMlHkt2UA&oe=66231BF6			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245263	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	6/30/25, 11:24 PM	1713199007	1751343881		532		396020093179254		2.6564703992983E+14		1711004400	person_profile		taken-down	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	214429651760593		0	Cassey Edmonds World			120206525373440638		www.dealwbig.top	Learn more		NONE	video	A drop witnesses the rocket ascending – this is the best gift for yourself.🥰❤️		https://www.dealwbig.top/products/dthgfgghfhfgjgjn		1710936772	2.1442965176059E+14	Cassey Edmonds World	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/417548416_3266002030368972_6883147309240755969_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2qePaeaGtWAAb7Q-zWy&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDkVBKtJ4VeewkOPUR-Gd-t9_ycqeddngBbWoYtd7rHjA&oe=66231052	person_profile	0	Cassey Edmonds World	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/418805019_816075713690173_1795458814903266254_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0DMCjWFkoCkAb7acIQx&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBgXXQxBOJ8EHAqDDf5xj7Tpvz3KDd5GKJmBIHqAyaSug&oe=66233638			0	3	A drop witnesses the rocket ascending – this is the best gift for yourself.🥰❤️<br /> Click on the link below to receive your best gift for half price🥰❤️😍<br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dealwbig.top%2Fproducts%2Fdthgfgghfhfgjgjn&amp;h=AT3VNTjGbKMRpIx--w7_Pi1541zNkyhnnEm-GCq387lPbTo4aUMZt3wSsU0q16-OrvgrR6uoMXMi5-0McrmCW7RdsUgvDWheHVy06_lxnJZvddSnDhfa5h3D6hQ8Ribi6TurCAn5bZQko80YRbb8WNtZTg8" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.dealwbig.top/products/dthgfgghfhfgjgjn</a>		Cassey Edmonds World		4	https://facebook.com/61556118337565	0		LEARN_MORE						1710918000		View Edit Delete
1245251	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199006	1734922102		532		438296161953000	1	8.2803631269909E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	100365976129594		0	Puzzles & Chaos			120207118206860601		itunes.apple.com	Play game		NONE	video	A viral mini-game!		http://itunes.apple.com/app/id6446389130		1711018765	1.0036597612959E+14	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/420172947_366378073038774_2662336276572370971_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gwfR8wK8e9kAb6-IfLW&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAuEsDvkYh1OSmLoyrmFyHaO9pKSCPogqt4Pdl2iSIlRg&oe=6623103F	person_profile	0	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431503626_1685418775200001_2752203641323830817_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=EdBVIR39qWcAb4xxhpY&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfB6Lwj5u-fpg79zex9RcEY-GSMpqnftISHe-oC_z0SAGA&oe=66232281			0	3	Are you smart enough?🧠<br /> Make smart decisions!👍		Puzzles & Chaos		11827	https://facebook.com/PuzzlesAndChaos	0		PLAY_GAME						1711004400		View Edit Delete
1245271	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199008	1734922104		532		434447125629496		4.2983514283568E+14		1711004400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	248588431673618		0	Milton Caprisa			120207971632480363		msnddxm.shop	Shop now		NONE	video			http://msnddxm.shop/		1710861005	2.4858843167362E+14	Milton Caprisa	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433635079_1096101411717018_6550811833753633367_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ol6HgoYkrfoAb7Tdk3o&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDcNDxptdIR0FEmBKPBWzRxMUYqt62ytjfuU2XzkGirVA&oe=66233FFF	person_profile	0	Milton Caprisa	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433633631_788231709377223_4605581709458637376_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=N0xlfIn8ljwAb6b34MA&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCrARNMMAVD4n1s9IscG-p-3_x5Wc427rfbTtssmf0iEQ&oe=662326D8			0	3	🏹️The best hunting crossbow comes from generations of hard work developing the most cutting-edge technology to produce the fastest crossbow on the market.		Milton Caprisa		5	https://facebook.com/61557439433681	0		SHOP_NOW						1710918000		View Edit Delete
1245278	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199009	1734922105		532		856986122897477		4.2983514283568E+14		1710918000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	248588431673618		0	Milton Caprisa			120208576158080248		msnddxm.shop	Shop now		NONE	video			http://msnddxm.shop/		1710857316	2.4858843167362E+14	Milton Caprisa	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431483769_1510810329482993_7874851508335088205_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ql3d6QE1dqYAb4zZZsr&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDeSGRo-egM9dcUDn6lH1UqnT2kfP5u0-Ru_GVYKwaytQ&oe=66231C89	person_profile	0	Milton Caprisa	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431588055_877677194112368_6039286581553767856_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=seGoiDgDHK0Ab4Xo6N8&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDoLziXjPgt5zlU9qtF-xU4I7Ctb49e0rN6KtdoDyvkXw&oe=66233750			0	3	🏹️The best hunting crossbow comes from generations of hard work developing the most cutting-edge technology to produce the fastest crossbow on the market.		Milton Caprisa		5	https://facebook.com/61557439433681	0		SHOP_NOW						1710831600		View Edit Delete
1245280	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199009	1734922105		532		1404886703469453		4.2983514283568E+14		1710918000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	248588431673618		0	Milton Caprisa			120208576158080248		msnddxm.shop	Shop now		NONE	video			http://msnddxm.shop/		1710857316	2.4858843167362E+14	Milton Caprisa	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431483769_1510810329482993_7874851508335088205_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ql3d6QE1dqYAb4zZZsr&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDeSGRo-egM9dcUDn6lH1UqnT2kfP5u0-Ru_GVYKwaytQ&oe=66231C89	person_profile	0	Milton Caprisa	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431588055_877677194112368_6039286581553767856_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=seGoiDgDHK0Ab4Xo6N8&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDoLziXjPgt5zlU9qtF-xU4I7Ctb49e0rN6KtdoDyvkXw&oe=66233750			0	3	🏹️The best hunting crossbow comes from generations of hard work developing the most cutting-edge technology to produce the fastest crossbow on the market.		Milton Caprisa		5	https://facebook.com/61557439433681	0		SHOP_NOW						1710831600		View Edit Delete
1245282	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199009	1734922106		532		7368910813156866		4.2983514283568E+14		1711090800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	248588431673618		0	Milton Caprisa			120208576158080248		msnddxm.shop	Shop now		NONE	video			http://msnddxm.shop/		1710857316	2.4858843167362E+14	Milton Caprisa	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431483769_1510810329482993_7874851508335088205_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ql3d6QE1dqYAb4zZZsr&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDeSGRo-egM9dcUDn6lH1UqnT2kfP5u0-Ru_GVYKwaytQ&oe=66231C89	person_profile	0	Milton Caprisa	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431588055_877677194112368_6039286581553767856_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=seGoiDgDHK0Ab4Xo6N8&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDoLziXjPgt5zlU9qtF-xU4I7Ctb49e0rN6KtdoDyvkXw&oe=66233750			0	3	🏹️The best hunting crossbow comes from generations of hard work developing the most cutting-edge technology to produce the fastest crossbow on the market.		Milton Caprisa		5	https://facebook.com/61557439433681	0		SHOP_NOW						1710831600		View Edit Delete
1245283	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199009	1734922106		532		348459721513914		4.2983514283568E+14		1710918000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	248588431673618		0	Milton Caprisa			120208576158080248		msnddxm.shop	Shop now		NONE	video			http://msnddxm.shop/		1710857316	2.4858843167362E+14	Milton Caprisa	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431483769_1510810329482993_7874851508335088205_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ql3d6QE1dqYAb4zZZsr&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDeSGRo-egM9dcUDn6lH1UqnT2kfP5u0-Ru_GVYKwaytQ&oe=66231C89	person_profile	0	Milton Caprisa	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431588055_877677194112368_6039286581553767856_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=seGoiDgDHK0Ab4Xo6N8&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDoLziXjPgt5zlU9qtF-xU4I7Ctb49e0rN6KtdoDyvkXw&oe=66233750			0	3	🏹️The best hunting crossbow comes from generations of hard work developing the most cutting-edge technology to produce the fastest crossbow on the market.		Milton Caprisa		5	https://facebook.com/61557439433681	0		SHOP_NOW						1710831600		View Edit Delete
1245286	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199009	1734922106		532		954366192372958	1	1.5399546432051E+15		1711436400	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	106204742218142		0	gregbridgesart			6560936327149		instagram.com	Visit Instagram Profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/gregbridgesart		1710884494	1.0620474221814E+14	gregbridgesart	https://scontent-bos5-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/363895122_621162433473069_7198498876232514127_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=3fd06f&_nc_ohc=FSY_4hlJgtUAb4BBYGS&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfBR02qPa8leFu0Efmf4HYeeTdRuaZflAJf2mEcnAEMFZA&oe=66231185	ig_ads_identity	1	Greg Bridges	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433263480_1078521833439170_8004495767132722397_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=s0bUQcbCUcMAb5y3z7V&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBDoc8HpFG9h5UjP3EuIv5eoc7H53TPGzS7R2zrGPZXYA&oe=66231D98			0	3			gregbridgesart		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/gregbridgesart	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1710831600		View Edit Delete
1245292	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199010	1734922106		532		799392625336886	3	1.1941545053017E+15		1710745200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	109973985488101		0	Onlinehol			120206321853200276		onlinehol.com	Shop now		NONE	image	onlinehol.com	bull Bored of standard dice rolling This unique crossbow is a functional dice roller It s compartment can hold up to 1 set of standard sized polyhedral dices bull The loading mechanism allows you to lock the catch with 1 swift motion Use the trigger to release the dice bull It is recommended to aim....	https://www.onlinehol.com/products/crossbow-dice-roller---holder?variant=11511987		1710755547	1.099739854881E+14	Onlinehol	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432480783_386568457557643_6630097744534941123_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZZqNmoJ6Ge8Ab6ZS4GG&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfA2B8DZ2l-6VxjpvUHKTMMGsGKbLEL-cEqdKiZf8_R28Q&oe=66233FDA	person_profile	0	Onlinehol	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433707923_762394725830768_1975096833700717518_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=E9GuLBM6aXUAb4NmvmX&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCqhj0WsiD-DEEY9f4cH_cuTzg3KmCVG5qhVh8DbTKFcw&oe=662319F1			0	3	🎯Bored of standard dice rolling? This unique crossbow is a functional dice roller. It&#039;s compartment can hold up to 1 set of standard sized polyhedral dices.		Onlinehol		31	https://facebook.com/100094200711519	0		SHOP_NOW						1710745200		View Edit Delete
1245298	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199013	1734922108		532		760824599313941		9.0017423519105E+14		1710831600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	107089802492332		0	Dauos			120206129586570072		thedauos.com	Shop now		NONE	video	🔥 Limited Time Offer		https://thedauos.com/products/dauos-sling-hook		1710542805	1.0708980249233E+14	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432348114_953749055705768_7741503024840269884_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bk6nOpqoJb4Ab64yKGM&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfDFVONKrY8ygeHiqSuOaZb2ezulKOYfqxeafPMPnjQFJg&oe=66233A3E	person_profile	0	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432422514_2198116267202335_1943750760541878506_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lsYbR5-rL20Ab5I-vY3&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfDqtMkMjdSZDaBnEnXX6iF3ZB1-2PnG-HOl3hBnmP0YJA&oe=662314FA			0	3	🌿 Unleash Your Hunting Potential with the Dauos Sling Hook! 🦌<br /> <br /> Say goodbye to restrictions and hello to freedom with our revolutionary sling catch! Designed for hunters, adventurers, and outdoor enthusiasts, the Dauos Sling Hook ensures your gear stays secure and your hands remain free for the thrill of the hunt.<br /> <br /> ✅ Secure Your Gear: Keep your rifle, bow, crossbow, or camera readily accessible while hiking rugged terrain or crossing streams with ease.<br /> <br /> ✅ Unmatched Versatility: Compatible with any sling up to 5/8&quot; thick and adaptable to any pack strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is the ultimate solution for hunters of all disciplines.<br /> <br /> ✅ Quick and Easy Installation: No assembly required - simply attach to your favorite pack shoulder strap, trim to fit, and you&#039;re ready for action.<br /> <br /> ✅ Comfort and Reliability: Engineered for maximum comfort with specialized features to ensure a secure grip on your shoulder strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is your trusted companion on every adventure.<br /> <br /> Experience the difference today! Order your Dauos Sling Hook and elevate your hunting experience to new heights. 🌟<br /> <br /> Get Yours Now and Embrace the Freedom of Unrestricted Exploration! 🔥<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fthedauos.com%2Fslinghook&amp;h=AT0fA7aMLH1g2Q460XziZ0jrk9S7dVb6Pg3RPzqwdLA7DkDdfALbN9G5hsNNR0CBEdxWUUw59F92tYOHDiW-2nUm6FaIsakf9VAroMnRhGYsC-_tUQrLf8ze-T0yyPGNrOWmyfliefxJs1vEj8O1aRgFhC-SvswWIvfGpaRIkU4" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://thedauos.com/slinghook</a>		Dauos		298	https://facebook.com/61550049947721	0		SHOP_NOW						1710486000		View Edit Delete
1245302	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199014	1734922109		532		1050386772719278		9.0017423519105E+14		1710918000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	107089802492332		0	Dauos			120206129598230072		thedauos.com	Shop now		NONE	video	🔥 Limited Time Offer		https://thedauos.com/products/dauos-sling-hook		1710542824	1.0708980249233E+14	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432705501_444048057957190_1879430047611828550_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VEU06JF0F8wAb4AdPPi&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfD5IB9kQ0sUwuQO1aUK_B5tIHK62kwcPqACCwyf68IZWg&oe=66233B71	person_profile	0	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432708932_1601956777223015_7384676479127184015_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Uh-q-7oUM6UAb7WsDen&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfD5uM-LNY0IZiVUiMQDnB5lUf8W88SolwiZ535RxElxmQ&oe=66230E13			0	3	🌿 Unleash Your Hunting Potential with the Dauos Sling Hook! 🦌<br /> <br /> Say goodbye to restrictions and hello to freedom with our revolutionary sling catch! Designed for hunters, adventurers, and outdoor enthusiasts, the Dauos Sling Hook ensures your gear stays secure and your hands remain free for the thrill of the hunt.<br /> <br /> ✅ Secure Your Gear: Keep your rifle, bow, crossbow, or camera readily accessible while hiking rugged terrain or crossing streams with ease.<br /> <br /> ✅ Unmatched Versatility: Compatible with any sling up to 5/8&quot; thick and adaptable to any pack strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is the ultimate solution for hunters of all disciplines.<br /> <br /> ✅ Quick and Easy Installation: No assembly required - simply attach to your favorite pack shoulder strap, trim to fit, and you&#039;re ready for action.<br /> <br /> ✅ Comfort and Reliability: Engineered for maximum comfort with specialized features to ensure a secure grip on your shoulder strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is your trusted companion on every adventure.<br /> <br /> Experience the difference today! Order your Dauos Sling Hook and elevate your hunting experience to new heights. 🌟<br /> <br /> Get Yours Now and Embrace the Freedom of Unrestricted Exploration! 🔥<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fthedauos.com%2Fslinghook&amp;h=AT2Q_FT8DvIRYtkNDoDP6oBhrRVk8cSr6Z5nirlNU1jKWvAkejuzH73tJAXZTpmz9BwyqK8YK16b7t_WEPd9RGLnt-vbFT_ZO5WlyDsggUt5IwYViBgxu9pSNSrwwnIpCev4cAYSXoXJVj332p3nOXULLdY8mZ-trSzq9TBaWp4" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://thedauos.com/slinghook</a>		Dauos		298	https://facebook.com/61550049947721	0		SHOP_NOW						1710486000		View Edit Delete
1245318	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199017	1734922109		532		461304269570077		3.6457520324106E+15		1710918000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	107089802492332		0	Dauos			120206129586530072		thedauos.com	Shop now		NONE	video	🔥 Limited Time Offer		https://thedauos.com/products/dauos-sling-hook		1710542807	1.0708980249233E+14	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432397013_708333988163126_1866695117248052536_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2RsCyL0tmSYAb5PXSPy&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfCMF503LKrLHV3C6e9ZySTnYXqXDJgCCYwtwvr7o4BYOA&oe=66230D0C	person_profile	0	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432447920_3629071277333995_4548284713454927828_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gD6zzBWHVP4Ab68x9bw&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfAxEDS120C6_U5SahSLmJ5Y9rj-ITU28NUZUFd9Rs3-WA&oe=66233757			0	3	🌿 Unleash Your Hunting Potential with the Dauos Sling Hook! 🦌<br /> <br /> Say goodbye to restrictions and hello to freedom with our revolutionary sling catch! Designed for hunters, adventurers, and outdoor enthusiasts, the Dauos Sling Hook ensures your gear stays secure and your hands remain free for the thrill of the hunt.<br /> <br /> ✅ Secure Your Gear: Keep your rifle, bow, crossbow, or camera readily accessible while hiking rugged terrain or crossing streams with ease.<br /> <br /> ✅ Unmatched Versatility: Compatible with any sling up to 5/8&quot; thick and adaptable to any pack strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is the ultimate solution for hunters of all disciplines.<br /> <br /> ✅ Quick and Easy Installation: No assembly required - simply attach to your favorite pack shoulder strap, trim to fit, and you&#039;re ready for action.<br /> <br /> ✅ Comfort and Reliability: Engineered for maximum comfort with specialized features to ensure a secure grip on your shoulder strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is your trusted companion on every adventure.<br /> <br /> Experience the difference today! Order your Dauos Sling Hook and elevate your hunting experience to new heights. 🌟<br /> <br /> Get Yours Now and Embrace the Freedom of Unrestricted Exploration! 🔥<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fthedauos.com%2Fslinghook&amp;h=AT31OGLRzecHigVLzCVsGgS-3VL9jsurtK_o6lumdT5jJ8C1rBV6ubcxAbbfkRMXlXjFGhv9JBwAeWVc04Mj2JFySwIpY4VBY641oCaLaRm5LGMasxPs8QJGL5hl1ueUFywBlhv59b-8lSh6rB3enO1kQAmm29MGAKMRlCGYgnc" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://thedauos.com/slinghook</a>		Dauos		298	https://facebook.com/61550049947721	0		SHOP_NOW						1710486000		View Edit Delete
1245337	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199023	1734922112		532		1099767001366094		3.9029571028666E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	2296094330467325		0	R2Games			120206332283720727		do.r2games.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Free RPG game. Play NOW	Dark Odyssey, an epic online rpg game that contains AUTOMATIC UPGRADING, endless CHALLENGES, massive BOSS FIGHTS, orc INVASIONS, and CHARACTER CUSTOMIZATION. Get ready to embark on a dark and thrilling journey, increase your power, team up with other players and save the world!	https://www.r2games.com/link.php?id=1010828		1710237759	2.2960943304673E+15	R2Games	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432347969_770157925034025_4217088264527251935_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PYjHyK8G26cAb44puro&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDtNpelcnkGevPIB2a-V5k2JFyp3v4PzWQW07ERsal-aw&oe=662310EF	person_profile	0					0	3	Welcome to the world of Dark Odyssey! ⚔⚔<br /> The world is full of danger, don&#039;t go alone<br /> 💥💥		R2Games		8533	https://facebook.com/R2GamesNew	0		LEARN_MORE						1710226800		View Edit Delete
1245346	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199024	1734922113		532		414885104382572	4	1.0638365847142E+15		1711004400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205648360290695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1710416895	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432357478_1211314323177880_4325783941413280995_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TjF6S0bX73QAb5zyxKh&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA2WuW3WpWb8mQ6zXDtq1VDUf1hGo33MmBkHUJIuXM8FQ&oe=66234308	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432450562_343076725398444_2192709193264445098_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=A0ADsCnxjh0Ab4N1cuq&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDWKqR76fnBfaFaBlnDcelYGlZvg20rW_pj0ER5vB-y_w&oe=66230C9B			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1710399600		View Edit Delete
1245347	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199024	1734922113		532		414885104382572	4	1.0638365847142E+15		1711004400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205648360290695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1710416895	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432357478_1211314323177880_4325783941413280995_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TjF6S0bX73QAb5zyxKh&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA2WuW3WpWb8mQ6zXDtq1VDUf1hGo33MmBkHUJIuXM8FQ&oe=66234308	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432450562_343076725398444_2192709193264445098_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=A0ADsCnxjh0Ab4N1cuq&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDWKqR76fnBfaFaBlnDcelYGlZvg20rW_pj0ER5vB-y_w&oe=66230C9B			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1710399600		View Edit Delete
1245367	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199026	1734922114		532		3304682006491041	1	4.4284611817342E+14		1710486000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	217316998627741		0	Frost & Flame：King of Avalon			120206853852240751		itunes.apple.com	Play game		NONE	video	Play for FREE!		http://itunes.apple.com/app/id1084930849		1709891274	2.1731699862774E+14	Frost & Flame：King of Avalon	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/429581234_1099310164730363_1086504078742655591_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=sCh5o56jo-wAb54zkuG&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCayBOvFXqRp3Pi-2-5SWM64GbrfKiX05YQurvYZbMrwA&oe=66234221	person_profile	0	King of Avalon	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/428698205_1132546604423467_736375551921548533_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xQe1wBELnp8Ab6SxESy&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAD-AHtuw4u17XDVAU5AEiBLtU0hN89d8_AzQFZkYlF5w&oe=66233240			0	3	How many kingdoms can you conquer?		Frost & Flame：King of Avalon		1212636	https://facebook.com/koadw	0		PLAY_GAME						1709884800		View Edit Delete
1245348	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199024	1734922114		532		414885104382572	4	1.0638365847142E+15		1711004400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205648360290695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1710416895	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432357478_1211314323177880_4325783941413280995_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TjF6S0bX73QAb5zyxKh&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA2WuW3WpWb8mQ6zXDtq1VDUf1hGo33MmBkHUJIuXM8FQ&oe=66234308	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432450562_343076725398444_2192709193264445098_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=A0ADsCnxjh0Ab4N1cuq&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDWKqR76fnBfaFaBlnDcelYGlZvg20rW_pj0ER5vB-y_w&oe=66230C9B			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1710399600		View Edit Delete
1245355	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199025	1734922114		532		414885104382572	4	1.0638365847142E+15		1711004400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205648360290695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1710416895	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432357478_1211314323177880_4325783941413280995_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TjF6S0bX73QAb5zyxKh&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA2WuW3WpWb8mQ6zXDtq1VDUf1hGo33MmBkHUJIuXM8FQ&oe=66234308	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432450562_343076725398444_2192709193264445098_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=A0ADsCnxjh0Ab4N1cuq&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDWKqR76fnBfaFaBlnDcelYGlZvg20rW_pj0ER5vB-y_w&oe=66230C9B			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1710399600		View Edit Delete
1245361	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199025	1734922115		532		777039987681074	1	7.1501487745946E+14		1710313200	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	233433179859296		1	Prize 2024			120206837214400417		overwarily.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://overwarily.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=LmGIlvLgDqQVBFoTKqGg&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&fbclid=%7B%7Bfbclid%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&id=KIUYv2sx		1709969620	2.334331798593E+14	Prize 2024	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431095151_345650688432460_7969959328879594147_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=N2smchoqSgQAb6f-Wc0&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDWyrAfUccA9yYx6XyEswERBchACcm7nDuqI2WJD1qpeA&oe=66230C45	regular_page	0	Prize 2024	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431042925_1261676111455938_8312925769507360434_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cpKvrZgtILUAb7tdWAv&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCh3J68ckRbSnN7D1LtmVpqNG0R30XkweNmlFmeGxnUlA&oe=66231382			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱 Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the 2,957 lucky people who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $9.97 in our spring giveaway 🥳				0		0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1709971200		View Edit Delete
1245363	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199026	1734922115		532		1452702805352971	1	4.0010601264153E+14		1710745200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	148034835056966		0	Titan Revenge			120207576048030127		gamehollywood.com	Play Game		NONE	dco	Welcome to Titan Revenge!	{{product.description}}	https://www.gamehollywood.com/ldp/cEEx.action?gameId=239&lp=tr14&cno=TitanRevenge_GHG_FB_T1		1709956430	1.4803483505697E+14	Titan Revenge	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/428712680_418826437305195_5858516169441456784_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_F3QAYgW1U0Ab6SGfgA&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAEztqESTNGkpaqikbaHR-5Fkkh_ElGLiX0JDffYOCw8A&oe=66232F6A	person_profile	0					0	3	Join Titan Revenge for Epic RPG Action Battle, come discover and challenge! 💥💥		Titan Revenge		10266	https://facebook.com/TitanRevenge	0		PLAY_GAME						1709884800		View Edit Delete
1245375	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199028	1734922117		532		1591682571585046	1	1.0016626147379E+15		1710313200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108124922119098		0	Eternal Hunt: Dark Ancients			120206777282770285		itunes.apple.com	Install Now		NONE	dco	Get 777 Free Draws🎉	{{product.description}}	http://itunes.apple.com/app/id1664335636		1709534957	1.081249221191E+14	Eternal Hunt: Dark Ancients	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/428702953_1294895474745022_271974139990118811_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JRp3D13OGIEAb5VNtrX&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBT4oO9SCAkkdWywDjnFxQubKVa8YZFF1oY7j1sQB5frA&oe=66232E60	person_profile	0	Eternal Hunt: Dark Ancients	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/428710853_1568509233982901_1797576216710430314_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=BZHmZYKVLBwAb7X-p81&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBGUtQgrhtNSCWRcECRtERaR0ZgwbCt0iOZprWNBHMZ6g&oe=66232F56			0	3	The Dungeon's door has opened🎉Forge Your Own Hero's Journey📲		Eternal Hunt: Dark Ancients		1744	https://facebook.com/100088190161207	0		INSTALL_MOBILE_APP						1709452800		View Edit Delete
1245376	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199028	1734922117		532		1591682571585046	1	1.0016626147379E+15		1710313200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108124922119098		0	Eternal Hunt: Dark Ancients			120206777282770285		itunes.apple.com	Install Now		NONE	dco	Get 777 Free Draws🎉	{{product.description}}	http://itunes.apple.com/app/id1664335636		1709534957	1.081249221191E+14	Eternal Hunt: Dark Ancients	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/428702953_1294895474745022_271974139990118811_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JRp3D13OGIEAb5VNtrX&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBT4oO9SCAkkdWywDjnFxQubKVa8YZFF1oY7j1sQB5frA&oe=66232E60	person_profile	0	Eternal Hunt: Dark Ancients	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/428710853_1568509233982901_1797576216710430314_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=BZHmZYKVLBwAb7X-p81&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBGUtQgrhtNSCWRcECRtERaR0ZgwbCt0iOZprWNBHMZ6g&oe=66232F56			0	3	The Dungeon's door has opened🎉Forge Your Own Hero's Journey📲		Eternal Hunt: Dark Ancients		1744	https://facebook.com/100088190161207	0		INSTALL_MOBILE_APP						1709452800		View Edit Delete
1245378	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199029	1734922117		532		428364532985741	2	1.0742673504884E+15		1711090800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	217316998627741		0	Frost & Flame：King of Avalon			120206275532310783		play.google.com	Install now		NONE	video	Play for FREE!		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.funplus.kingofavalon		1709111974	2.1731699862774E+14	Frost & Flame：King of Avalon	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/428706826_714817304158126_6251656658491189222_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9O55lmSTT40Ab6v-Mwr&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBKcC01GiFSs_dl59a_Pazh6iQehF9uLFaMsDNimDZOBQ&oe=66232B40	person_profile	0	King of Avalon	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/422851942_1172920693884605_1919264627967449890_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qjDPfLOzI-MAb4qAHJL&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDvgAmWQkcegRFHFZeB9lhr57aKesAJf46d9k3JqCgkjQ&oe=662326E1			0	3	That Game Everyone&#039;s Playing! Join Now!		Frost & Flame：King of Avalon		1212636	https://facebook.com/koadw	0		INSTALL_MOBILE_APP						1709280000		View Edit Delete
1245264	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	7/4/25, 3:03 PM	1713199007	1751659430		532		283407764791687	5	8.2079270988312E+14		1710918000	person_profile		taken-down	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	229860183539319		0	Mizzy Online			120206257482540426		www.dealwbig.top	Learn more		NONE	video	A drop witnesses the rocket ascending – this is the best gift for yourself.🥰❤️		https://www.dealwbig.top/products/dthgfgghfhfgjgjn		1710936896	2.2986018353932E+14	Mizzy Online	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433622693_1149819412626278_2404317748277757400_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XwX9QLc4tz4Ab4xC0gd&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfD7wXGSmiKNp7KsrfQXTr2lPBd02VxKeHcIHnhrpgWjVQ&oe=6623301B	person_profile	0	Mizzy Online	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433439872_2189025671437261_7075964822197577624_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=GtYlq4jmx-8Ab4OQdf0&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDpoq9dH2oSL_G7pImpFA5B7Cg_oiQzSzITHB0AFvzWCg&oe=6623243B			0	3	A drop witnesses the rocket ascending – this is the best gift for yourself.🥰❤️<br /> Click on the link below to receive your best gift for half price🥰❤️😍<br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dealwbig.top%2Fproducts%2Fdthgfgghfhfgjgjn&amp;h=AT13RKUMRi09MRCk0p3LZ1eDB8Xe8_d9Pt_oHjWQhtPyzf_7X2ExPgfV1eZhzy0FxjKVgJrDtwTinVusU1A5Aw3cV97JMlH6aXI7sEkFrAbAn4XfXQmK5SGdfbRQLYH8USAYBsIY_M52FmlEXl_HBUEwCjQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.dealwbig.top/products/dthgfgghfhfgjgjn</a>		Mizzy Online		13	https://facebook.com/61555921441914	0		LEARN_MORE						1710918000		View Edit Delete
1245107	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	7/5/25, 11:24 PM	1713198962	1751775864		532		958765922528730	1	1.3660010874506E+15		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	315313810789		0	Redemption Chapel			6560306898708		redemptionchapel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Men's Conference Promo		https://redemptionchapel.com/2021/01/mens-conference/	{"type":"VISUAL_EDITOR","version":2,"landing_screen_type":"welcome_message","media_type":"text","text_format":{"customer_action_type":"ice_breakers","message":{"ice_breakers":[{"title":"Can I learn more about your business?","response":""},{"title":"Can you tell me more about your ad?","response":""},{"title":"Is anyone available to chat?","response":""}],"text":"Hi {{user_first_name}}! Please let us know how we can help you."}},"user_edit":false,"autofill_message_edited":false,"ice_breakers_edited":false,"welcome_message_edited":false,"surface":"boosted_post"}	1712101595	315313810789	Redemption Chapel	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434481716_440992144960926_5565572218355484139_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hn31UUW-PkoAb68fTm9&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCEGMZ_juOyKkW_muRygX8nFOSpOet7M-lEQQHtqa4-Ew&oe=66231B80	person_profile	0	Redemption Chapel	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434752639_3623636037849331_7939856082781245240_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TgdA56yLQVEAb700DQ0&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDCCCq2QYhv5GKE6ov9tg9B1NQiUX5YJRk87JCwQVM_gw&oe=66230C94			0	3	Our annual Men&#039;s Conference is happening later this month! Watch this video from Pastor Austin as he shares more about this event and why men need to make sure and be there. The conference is on April 26-27 but the registration deadline is April 21. You can register here: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F4acSxpj&amp;h=AT2C7PxoiMEeZ26QWvZ5rBIgyVoQemlHdjVdtPXHwNbQiD4kS2gzxDYHMf48fCjhysZ5MSgkrjTB8GvVQyNU5zDmFvG8xutp3OM6eNSXSkAGlkpDpQtN29Pl1ZYkPQLjKYLzsvVZJ9SWBonJCfal" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://bit.ly/4acSxpj</a>.		Redemption Chapel		3920	https://facebook.com/RedemptionChapl	0		LEARN_MORE						1712041200		View Edit Delete
1245259	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	7/7/25, 11:51 PM	1713199007	1751950277		532		983386476547788	5	2.6564703992983E+14		1710918000	person_profile		taken-down	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	214429651760593		0	Cassey Edmonds World			120206525817020638		www.dealwbig.top	Learn more		NONE	video	A drop witnesses the rocket ascending – this is the best gift for yourself.🥰❤️		https://www.dealwbig.top/products/dthgfgghfhfgjgjn		1710937039	2.1442965176059E+14	Cassey Edmonds World	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434061840_298553116589258_3849041646729052766_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=m5txe_UhrQYAb4K6nrB&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAr8X9AGSjsBZvJ7xplEB6PvurRqAgow3eyxLssQ4keuw&oe=66233266	person_profile	0	Cassey Edmonds World	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433648115_1087994055783712_5916866709637000879_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Zj5vi1oV76oAb6v7Jdo&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCxNGfjt5UY4Wcd61th8zyDAg_s7NVqp5V3-2_zOQi0gw&oe=66230F3D			0	3	A drop witnesses the rocket ascending – this is the best gift for yourself.🥰❤️<br /> Click on the link below to receive your best gift for half price🥰❤️😍<br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dealwbig.top%2Fproducts%2Fdthgfgghfhfgjgjn&amp;h=AT3SBvWWtdu_1bUXrxrN4AzurqxntfbpT978udKMNptF7xzMdeqqrXTHt3z0e4074VYokcUvFoPpcQVSsdJ8NbfRBrZyR3oSLe-97phTDn2HpZx-UPqbo6IpM10ZMAN_nigPBdU7oLOg_hezqdFXTvVsPtbjC3UdWTdbDw" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.dealwbig.top/products/dthgfgghfhfgjgjn</a>		Cassey Edmonds World		4	https://facebook.com/61556118337565	0		LEARN_MORE						1710918000		View Edit Delete
1245138	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/31/24, 2:03 PM	1713198967	1735653784		532		1148796649895706	1	1.1672077580207E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	107089802492332		0	Dauos			120210526848470311		thedauos.com	Shop now		NONE	video	Satisfied Customers ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐		https://thedauos.com/products/dauos-mount		1711680628	1.0708980249233E+14	Dauos	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433105670_237260529408116_4453193951390437117_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=jALpEB5a3o8Ab5fnGti&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAlRifGz93DQfPPeLTEKczsDOIKYYlDC7Hkiw-zJS_RBQ&oe=662320D4	person_profile	0	Dauos	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433245875_963960865231390_3822452704612978330_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YeHNjB16fNcAb4Gk6Xf&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDVdVHy6ah77sYSiWhnL7u_WXYj87u_utI21y2eoFrwFQ&oe=66232F5C			0	3	Upgrade Your Hunting Game! 🌳 Mount your smartphone on any rifle or crossbow and record stunning videos. Stay connected in the wilderness, grab yours today! <br /> <br /> Hurry, grab your set today! 👉 <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fthedauos.com%2Fdauos_mount&amp;h=AT0wBj670IFRcpYcWf8_zoxff-Wy3C_ALWsuwKM9OKwbdGkUWxO5iUAwDUOaL9LYM-cq2zURkPD2UJwJ_6tbsCZbmpDIloCtQThzYmVS69LgEV6ORYGDsFEBgsGXpuSMn4UxitGxc5ajOGqCJQ7mJHwAVnXH5Juq8MShOQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://thedauos.com/dauos_mount</a>		Dauos		298	https://facebook.com/61550049947721	0		SHOP_NOW						1711609200		View Edit Delete
1245073	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198959	1734922032		532		735632815223316		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869110695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152782	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434024287_952429869654829_2914759023618469464_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8f3j20XwwCgAb4TUoc3&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBtmnG1VV8MOZJsaNS4d8W1lUtweX4Rl-iUhgbG4zWUVg&oe=662333C8	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433974065_395778936553743_7822722344626299012_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0Y9sdRF8FpUAb7clpNW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBEjFku5qD4rXLOBOAjl53rv-XXeUmNs-dOLdMlHkt2UA&oe=66231BF6			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245079	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198959	1734922032		532		735632815223316		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869110695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152782	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434024287_952429869654829_2914759023618469464_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8f3j20XwwCgAb4TUoc3&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBtmnG1VV8MOZJsaNS4d8W1lUtweX4Rl-iUhgbG4zWUVg&oe=662333C8	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433974065_395778936553743_7822722344626299012_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0Y9sdRF8FpUAb7clpNW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBEjFku5qD4rXLOBOAjl53rv-XXeUmNs-dOLdMlHkt2UA&oe=66231BF6			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245074	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198959	1734922032		532		735632815223316		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869110695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152782	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434024287_952429869654829_2914759023618469464_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8f3j20XwwCgAb4TUoc3&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBtmnG1VV8MOZJsaNS4d8W1lUtweX4Rl-iUhgbG4zWUVg&oe=662333C8	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433974065_395778936553743_7822722344626299012_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0Y9sdRF8FpUAb7clpNW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBEjFku5qD4rXLOBOAjl53rv-XXeUmNs-dOLdMlHkt2UA&oe=66231BF6			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245075	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198959	1734922032		532		735632815223316		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869110695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152782	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434024287_952429869654829_2914759023618469464_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8f3j20XwwCgAb4TUoc3&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBtmnG1VV8MOZJsaNS4d8W1lUtweX4Rl-iUhgbG4zWUVg&oe=662333C8	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433974065_395778936553743_7822722344626299012_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0Y9sdRF8FpUAb7clpNW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBEjFku5qD4rXLOBOAjl53rv-XXeUmNs-dOLdMlHkt2UA&oe=66231BF6			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245076	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198959	1734922033		532		735632815223316		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869110695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152782	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434024287_952429869654829_2914759023618469464_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8f3j20XwwCgAb4TUoc3&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBtmnG1VV8MOZJsaNS4d8W1lUtweX4Rl-iUhgbG4zWUVg&oe=662333C8	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433974065_395778936553743_7822722344626299012_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0Y9sdRF8FpUAb7clpNW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBEjFku5qD4rXLOBOAjl53rv-XXeUmNs-dOLdMlHkt2UA&oe=66231BF6			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245244	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713199004	1734922034		532		941592097212361		9.2576296927736E+14		1711522800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	191241347560220		0	H2o stačí přidat vodu			120209881264530749		tunnelstudent.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://tunnelstudent.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=Q6Vie1kawk47OYN1xo0W&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&fbpxl=%7B%7Bfbpxl%7D%7D		1711116245	1.9124134756022E+14	H2o stačí přidat vodu	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432771439_970856200536898_8486300302891753378_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9TtqzkElrD4Ab6z80bZ&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfArdxcP4yw9_L0XFpLlww-N_sV5SbsrIQjQ9q1K4nQ-bw&oe=66233FFF	person_profile	0	H2o stačí přidat vodu	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432860807_7265609473474129_964835319265282821_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=O9H5TfV2nWQAb6SProb&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBZB14EDWBiOCC9qJFwYqZkkNpr20bLGd0gZ0kvf3RMDA&oe=6623281F			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳		H2o stačí přidat vodu		37	https://facebook.com/100069736283298	0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245245	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713199004	1734922034		532		2983683885124066		9.2576296927736E+14		1711522800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	191241347560220		0	H2o stačí přidat vodu			120207480796430396		tunnelstudent.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://tunnelstudent.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=Q6Vie1kawk47OYN1xo0W&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&fbpxl=%7B%7Bfbpxl%7D%7D		1711116017	1.9124134756022E+14	H2o stačí přidat vodu	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434198571_963153398850887_1861562335423915782_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SKaNgvBhXKIAb58Dqn5&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDcDQdFvEy8oL7xEIDczLCfE7dT6BI6HpdLTDLF7EqE5w&oe=66231693	person_profile	0	H2o stačí přidat vodu	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434054279_1626074304794340_4027070549641753749_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=CRfnj8wlcAgAb7O5FUn&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAT6Ea3dlggPQ6hgfeRComOxUiDxoP7RfoNsNHNZdPspA&oe=66230E42			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳		H2o stačí přidat vodu		37	https://facebook.com/100069736283298	0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245246	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713199005	1734922035		532		371198485751970	3	1.1675727312844E+15		1711609200	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	402966003129638		1	I love A.B. - andy biersack			120205827360180094		tunnelstudent.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://tunnelstudent.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=Q6Vie1kawk47OYN1xo0W&ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign_name={{campaign.name}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}&adset_name={{adset.name}}&placement={{placement}}&site_source_name={{site_source_name}}&fbpxl={{fbpxl}}		1711052695	4.0296600312964E+14	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433472717_1440266560233429_5535436332879559108_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lx7Zb5KTlkcAb6llphI&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDZWkd5HU9PC8PJUVh7U_wuRJPt-WRGWTnf2e46ZTZr-g&oe=66231491	regular_page	0	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433497725_679105454228630_2261889898361998518_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=kkKHfKIkbGEAb6jHdbZ&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBs7jXxer-8-3wC_dEjgyDhbgiTgU1RACj3rzH7iqU9tg&oe=6623131A			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳				0		0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1711004400		View Edit Delete
1245256	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713199007	1734922035		532		312262724866894	2	2.4636338971607E+15		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	100365976129594		0	Puzzles & Chaos			120206549331750257		play.google.com	Play game		NONE	video	How good is your math?		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.global.pnck		1711009573	1.0036597612959E+14	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433754060_2502048926647147_4044600079487018602_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=i7Z8ptrBVZYAb4oi37S&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCKjC1RGeUnoy-NCmicxxD7usEhphVQ-Fvw5iGxMWun0g&oe=66231080	person_profile	0	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433695924_1516161695612463_3675449276895505751_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Sv2jqMhix-sAb5QrG0V&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBO50Qhb3vTyGKvmnjHKc3M0pQ-pQaWJZMqMGPW1YSeLQ&oe=6623282D			0	3	Every decision matters. 🧮<br /> Try it yourself!		Puzzles & Chaos		11827	https://facebook.com/PuzzlesAndChaos	0		PLAY_GAME						1711004400		View Edit Delete
1245247	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713199005	1734922035		532		781714413431194		1.1675727312844E+15		1711609200	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	402966003129638		1	I love A.B. - andy biersack			120205827360120094		tunnelstudent.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://tunnelstudent.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=Q6Vie1kawk47OYN1xo0W&ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign_name={{campaign.name}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}&adset_name={{adset.name}}&placement={{placement}}&site_source_name={{site_source_name}}&fbpxl={{fbpxl}}		1711052695	4.0296600312964E+14	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433117307_7572090266167119_9217316847081160493_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=EX4yH56fvfgAb564uqP&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB8QRHvYaHXiqJZuFzeQQf00jKCBXL0qv5fIiMve35yUA&oe=66232BBB	regular_page	0	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433194166_741203684521112_2766114556521172485_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YE1--UD99xoAb40DSVo&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCU9qvXw70yl55wM3-fYLVZleuqtXBzGEZWaHpe8DD1OQ&oe=66231DFC			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳				0		0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1711004400		View Edit Delete
1245248	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713199005	1734922035		532		906430834502521	1	1.0504552060488E+15		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	101166636054585		0	Triggers_UA			120209221101320116		emergclutch.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://emergclutch.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=3mmVUnZu9O6vIo7UVx8l&ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign_name={{campaign.name}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}&adset_name={{adset.name}}&placement={{placement}}&site_source_name={{site_source_name}}&fbpxl={{fbpxl}}		1711052392	1.0116663605458E+14	Triggers_UA	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433614817_297284293382214_4891023767669287820_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hi0pjCw3DBkAb613AR4&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCLs9gHe9fXeIxDnG4gfqJWz2UK9JBjAj-ocoIyAd80lA&oe=66233199	person_profile	0	Triggers_UA	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433468861_2751937698297092_568552068867725651_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Mn69kVSrucQAb641eTf&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBvc5vCkoCSCIQL7jkhrDW1EgKU75nTkifHC55AX_toBg&oe=662328C8			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway,		Triggers_UA		1	https://facebook.com/100084706275426	0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245106	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198962	1734922036		532		927383769392303	1	4.0254251918329E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	100895368495588		0	Facdds			120207819090670606		jordanalien.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Claim it now! (Ends tonight)		https://jordanalien.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=KUNLLHopuZEw0DbnSi2A&ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign_name={{campaign.name}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}&adset_name={{adset.name}}&placement={{placement}}&fbclid={{fbclid}}&site_source_name={{site_source_name}}		1712150012	1.0089536849559E+14	Facdds	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434652665_732910122366772_3829245798095412694_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Au21OaRldCsAb5QwvhL&_nc_oc=AdjV9yqn7FmblGIZBcJdsU4RauT6pQhNzPJfSWsAucPK3LMIVvWxKbJIbjPIufpcldo&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBqdduAzPqGiV5qLGkK41IsyiGla8FaZqZ5ybygfxCYJw&oe=662313CA	person_profile	0	Facdds	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434649389_985536943131302_526649781273424739_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nAxzh3gLw9kAb6HF5yq&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfClrDIBOMeM4lyodSeYDdoe0Xhr2rm5BTGqZYZKdCXw6g&oe=66230CBB			0	3	If you are reading this, CONGRATULATIONS! 🤩. You are 1 of the 1.000 lucky people who have secured a NEW R29X Crossbow for $10 in our special offer 🗣🗣.		Facdds		873	https://facebook.com/100066319796707	0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1244956	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198930	1734921989		532		1375173813143779	1	4.3485246571014E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	105162211758062		0	5ktoys			120207151235520276		5ktoys.com	Learn More		NONE	carousel			http://5ktoys.com/		1712776301	1.0516221175806E+14	5ktoys	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436417861_977343200521964_6134221005321239247_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=CTyna2e7bNQAb7mCn8i&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDRj2RcQI4D1y-iqXvOQCfGLgV9ybbN6Pa3yh0uue3a_g&oe=66230EA1	person_profile	0	5Ktoys.com	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436492213_439709005281862_5978172342120952253_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FgcYkfXzFy4Ab5O8Oyx&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD-DF796IqUk2tXnudtHOlVFTuqYeAWn5EJcmUHikjGkQ&oe=662311AA			0	3			5ktoys		4332	https://facebook.com/5ktoysStore	0		LEARN_MORE						1712732400		View Edit Delete
1244957	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198930	1734921990		532		1375173813143779	1	4.3485246571014E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	105162211758062		0	5ktoys			120207151235520276		5ktoys.com	Learn More		NONE	carousel			http://5ktoys.com/		1712776301	1.0516221175806E+14	5ktoys	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436417861_977343200521964_6134221005321239247_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=CTyna2e7bNQAb7mCn8i&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDRj2RcQI4D1y-iqXvOQCfGLgV9ybbN6Pa3yh0uue3a_g&oe=66230EA1	person_profile	0	5Ktoys.com	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436492213_439709005281862_5978172342120952253_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FgcYkfXzFy4Ab5O8Oyx&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD-DF796IqUk2tXnudtHOlVFTuqYeAWn5EJcmUHikjGkQ&oe=662311AA			0	3			5ktoys		4332	https://facebook.com/5ktoysStore	0		LEARN_MORE						1712732400		View Edit Delete
1245108	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198962	1734922036		532		1094744755156866	1	4.3182502925614E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	104291478710		0	Holley			120210600636960260					NONE	video	How-To Install ADS Direct Fit Shocks For 2021-2024 Ford Bronco				1712081182	104291478710	Holley	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435297975_1346232846056114_6867024247983408753_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=m8wVtZnUFvQAb4WlphL&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBXHZBJcmBHAhmL7bSW6jc-wyO83hxgQbCvhvxdYptKuQ&oe=66230FCE	person_profile	0	Holley	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435225852_1621341678684131_4147912304808299904_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vzuL5HcZrIgAb4vSzKB&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCfQXgNz7tghQ5D4ojIVdkquUnhV_FUontGhFjt0fs_-A&oe=66233B82			0	3	<a href="https://www.facebook.com/ADSShocks">ADS Racing Shocks</a> now offers true bolt-on shock upgrades for your 2021-2024 Ford Bronco. We have coil-over kits to outfit 2 and 4 door models equipped with 4WD. Vehicle specific spring rates maintain your vehicle balance and ride characteristics, while the increased suspension travel allows clearance for larger wheels and tires. Direct Fit shock upgrades from ADS can help you take your late model Bronco’s off-road performance to the next level. <br /> <br /> To prove just how easy a true bolt-on shock upgrade can be, watch as we install a set on our 2023 Badlands Ford Bronco.<br /> <br /> Learn more here: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fholley-social.com%2FADSNewFordBroncoFB&amp;h=AT2iAidPC4VQGagri_wdgQo03GO65l4HoZG5cWYWNvokEJ6D5xJmivjjVfgw7iaLdJ78U5mKla9NAFNhBjv5JGq1B3aZkoIVW3nUblBiOnqqqu3QjVXePN99oRNbNEWITVLzQURLboDy4I_kRr1l" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://holley-social.com/ADSNewFordBroncoFB</a><br /> <br /> #ADSRacingShocks #ArizonaDesertShocks #ADSEquipped #Holley #FordBronco #Bronco		Holley		462131	https://facebook.com/HolleyPerformance	0								1712041200		View Edit Delete
1245019	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198946	1734921990		532		1189481518880927	1	3.3212291612728E+14		1712818800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	118879321169142		0	Popular Novels			120209419168140155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	image	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712326265	1.1887932116914E+14	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435399974_389446827289421_4894376704931443124_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wZcQj485rFsAb7cTllM&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAHSKZO4lVNNMFKgbdU14IrKiaOdn8YQZLk7-Mh436HXg&oe=66233D10	person_profile	0	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434649174_956834922622676_8234365415258112171_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zoMSQCQTUu0Ab4jEKUV&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD2EUxd-65fFB0D9Y7zv_-_tM24xx5YEBbKQtuC4iHkLg&oe=662316B3			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”		Popular Novels		15	https://facebook.com/100091852266052	0		LEARN_MORE						1712300400		View Edit Delete
1245016	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198946	1734921991		532		389315900695178	1	9.6297964197587E+14		1712818800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	118879321169142		0	Popular Novels			120209419167610155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	image	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712326262	1.1887932116914E+14	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435922861_277392808749491_6542146539746627498_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WOloJP55PbcAb6L7mVl&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDHYjqrJcxdcPqEyu-onB7DCJiHd0t9QCTs3tjOONSqZg&oe=66232DCF	person_profile	0	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435921489_776715980765308_5585685040265305441_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=IhDHY47N4goAb6M3Q2D&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDfhbw_PejrFvsYODXdSdWAmJxc37_IFsWe6U9NA-ts6w&oe=66233954			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”		Popular Novels		15	https://facebook.com/100091852266052	0		LEARN_MORE						1712300400		View Edit Delete
1245020	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198946	1734921991		532		2086904768348601	1	4.4352668813328E+14		1712818800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	118879321169142		0	Popular Novels			120209419167550155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	image	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712326262	1.1887932116914E+14	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435900502_956709476099084_5195021621820317599_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2-SLEY2DK3sAb5HXzIw&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCrTgY19Rxz4DqC_uQCYuPIan3yyGqUVrkLsD6Av9HTjA&oe=6623244D	person_profile	0	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434834477_1082659989476078_874111066070811343_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lGQkzT1390IAb7N98xt&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAJrcWeZZ8g29RXx2iNXcNMAS_te6hTk5SnUzz8LvmoCg&oe=662335B8			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”		Popular Novels		15	https://facebook.com/100091852266052	0		LEARN_MORE						1712300400		View Edit Delete
1245017	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198946	1734921991		532		736388861942581	1	1.534399537106E+15		1712818800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	118879321169142		0	Popular Novels			120209419167690155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	image	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712326263	1.1887932116914E+14	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434652630_407012708629221_7469306964724001722_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WcMJk_pR46AAb4sIH0H&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAiV9X82wrWaejNms7cd0SjtQnQWM7XPLoFIN9y_C1HHw&oe=6623251D	person_profile	0	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435407444_446806734371888_6124742060077081622_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=RUYtlED4_egAb6ohue5&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB_UPqILI432wdsO9nz_cO9j5lMw4IctOrH-fLbfJyOdw&oe=66230EB4			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”		Popular Novels		15	https://facebook.com/100091852266052	0		LEARN_MORE						1712300400		View Edit Delete
1245149	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198976	1734921991		532		762839158896609	4	1.1317853814759E+15		1711695600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	102319128528352		0	522 Records			6610660599670		www.whoshwqw.shop	Learn more		NONE	video			https://www.whoshwqw.shop/products/manba?campaign_id=%7B%7Bcampaign.id%7D%7D&adset_id=%7B%7Badset.id%7D%7D&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D		1711634664	1.0231912852835E+14	522 Records	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434385781_754750006429048_9077005728782961464_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4D3wRt4YEsAAb70voCt&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD3IXdzOgfMqwO9bqcsgSE_mXhZ7wdgPo7MrTsujxAipQ&oe=66232835	person_profile	0					0	3			522 Records		163	https://facebook.com/522Records	0		LEARN_MORE						1711609200		View Edit Delete
1244958	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198930	1734921991		532		1375173813143779	1	4.3485246571014E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	105162211758062		0	5ktoys			120207151235520276		5ktoys.com	Learn More		NONE	carousel			http://5ktoys.com/		1712776301	1.0516221175806E+14	5ktoys	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436417861_977343200521964_6134221005321239247_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=CTyna2e7bNQAb7mCn8i&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDRj2RcQI4D1y-iqXvOQCfGLgV9ybbN6Pa3yh0uue3a_g&oe=66230EA1	person_profile	0	5Ktoys.com	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436492213_439709005281862_5978172342120952253_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FgcYkfXzFy4Ab5O8Oyx&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD-DF796IqUk2tXnudtHOlVFTuqYeAWn5EJcmUHikjGkQ&oe=662311AA			0	3			5ktoys		4332	https://facebook.com/5ktoysStore	0		LEARN_MORE						1712732400		View Edit Delete
1244959	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198930	1734921991		532		1375173813143779	1	4.3485246571014E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	105162211758062		0	5ktoys			120207151235520276		5ktoys.com	Learn More		NONE	carousel			http://5ktoys.com/		1712776301	1.0516221175806E+14	5ktoys	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436417861_977343200521964_6134221005321239247_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=CTyna2e7bNQAb7mCn8i&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDRj2RcQI4D1y-iqXvOQCfGLgV9ybbN6Pa3yh0uue3a_g&oe=66230EA1	person_profile	0	5Ktoys.com	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436492213_439709005281862_5978172342120952253_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FgcYkfXzFy4Ab5O8Oyx&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD-DF796IqUk2tXnudtHOlVFTuqYeAWn5EJcmUHikjGkQ&oe=662311AA			0	3			5ktoys		4332	https://facebook.com/5ktoysStore	0		LEARN_MORE						1712732400		View Edit Delete
1244964	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198931	1734921992		532		2919472624860907	1	1.6147526559268E+15		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	110292305669809		0	The Great Plains Renaissance Festival			120207595767250336					NONE	image	The Great Plains Renaissance Festival	The Great Plains Renaissance Festival - KEEPING THE RENAISSANCE IN WICHITA! GreatPlainsRenFest.com	https://facebook.com/GreatPlainsRenFest		1712681669	1.1029230566981E+14	The Great Plains Renaissance Festival	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436431693_2202649366756542_1375112822044687700_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3CvMKrOE1SsAb58s03X&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBAv2xqg3bZoiFOD1OepQ-D7-AsTetEcg0aFmEEi0RrAw&oe=6623212D	person_profile	0	Great Plains Renaissance Festival	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436429994_417957874192517_8684224915702300194_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SoI323Jyzm0Ab6rmmwm&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD9yPFiSsFYtaMYJnmVmAthfWXlzxVmAgv1mqJsCUziqw&oe=66231B10			0	3	Medieval War Machines! A Great Plains Renaissance Festival tradition since our very first year. We&#039;re featuring a Siege Engine Contest this spring that brings two medieval you’ve seen many times in movies and TV to life on field of battle at The Great Plains Renaissance Festival! The ballista constructed by MakeICT, noted for it’s “crossbow” like appearance, dates back to the Greeks and remained in use through the Roman Empire and into the beginning of the Middle Ages. Facing off with the ballista will be a siege engine called an onager constructed by The Kansas Authors’ Pavilion / Midnight Ryder Technologies. The onager was a Roman torsion powered siege engine. It is commonly depicted as a catapult with a bowl, bucket, or sling at the end of its throwing arm. Let loose the dogs of war, the ballista will face off against the onager in a head to head competition for speed and accuracy on the Joust field on Saturday and Sunday! It&#039;s a duel of epic proportions! Don’t miss this unique event! Be sure to stop by both groups tents to find out more about the construction and history of these weapons of war.<br /> <br /> The Great Plains Renaissance and Scottish Festival is THE place to be April 20th and 21st! Aye, there&#039;ll be jousts and jests, fairies and pirates, Vikings and vagabonds, minstrels and magicians, fire breathers and falconry, kings and queens, dancers and daredevils, turkey legs and always great family fun.<br /> <br /> SAVE UP TO $8.00 ONLINE! Tickets are now on sale for the 19th Annual Spring Great Plains Renaissance Festival. We are offering a special price of $11.95 for advance adult tickets (over $3 off the regular ticket price) and $22 for weekend adult passes. You will also receive a FREE kid&#039;s pass for every adult ticket purchased ($5 value). Great family fun! Advance tickets will be delivered digitally for expedited entry to the event. NO NEED TO STAND IN THE TICKET LINE! Get your advance tickets delivered to your mobile device, skip the line and walk directly to the front gate for easy, quick entry.<br /> Prepare thy self for savings and click the link below:<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.greatplainsrenfest.com%2Fonlinetickets%2F&amp;h=AT3shUJUZ3fqXEPXHP7esIyQ9yWR87qNufLKSASmOmR4zbwJLY2Aa6U1W8dRj_DPqPODz2iBHDfgK4W_41LADBB499lBc_t8kQD1mti-siU9PmUGOJbCMTyKA-6oUmbrM3kp25tMgl1Fo0i_vfk8n7EOnps" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.greatplainsrenfest.com/onlinetickets/</a><br /> <br /> Make your own great memories with us at the 19th Annual Spring Great Plains Renaissance Festival! See you there!<br /> <br /> 19th Annual Spring Great Plains Renaissance and Scottish Festival<br /> <br /> April 20th and 21st<br /> <br /> 10am - 6pm both days<br /> <br /> Sedgwick County Park<br /> Wichita, Kansas<br /> <br /> Come one, come all! Huzzah!		The Great Plains Renaissance Festival		13335	https://facebook.com/GreatPlainsRenFest	0								1712646000		View Edit Delete
1244965	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198931	1734921992		532		916079433605599	1	1.1143663165137E+15		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	251401854980899		0	Smith Point Archery			6577183910901		instagram.com	Send message		NONE	video			http://instagram.com/smith_point_archery		1712678521	2.514018549809E+14	Smith Point Archery	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435491302_366037326434997_3433433469754482953_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hB_wB1bl8uEAb7q2O2K&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAPsBtRZElTO3xCQ6wCBUOHYKwE4TbQTFSakLTZ10EedQ&oe=66231705	person_profile	0	Smith Point Archery	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435466641_1101460821116265_2536240454128553254_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9B_tVNvaYdMAb53VK_4&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCgeM6bisV38N7OP5TSnINM2N_U9UZKidwrod1WDsDuqw&oe=66231991			0	3	Smith Point Archery		Smith Point Archery		4391	https://facebook.com/SmithPointArchery	0		INSTAGRAM_MESSAGE						1712646000		View Edit Delete
1244966	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198931	1734921992		532		256127894162715	1	3.3632343609176E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	100365976129594		0	Puzzles & Chaos			120209031934280763		play.google.com	Play game		NONE	video	Play anytime, anywhere!		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.global.pnck		1712659080	1.0036597612959E+14	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435488832_884466623433958_4041171191335207110_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=S-lkwP2Kz8YAb4dd18z&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfA2lfR1HsdlR9dbecc-6krTYVGI7BUpncCn9FNblFhZCg&oe=66232E4C	person_profile	0	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436258074_926384472556099_3892439537597052420_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=g83oN54A0yAAb69--wF&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCEymqw3edN9XVAsvBYHxMeoZYmaFHddFg6Qp4ntZPKbA&oe=662325B3			0	3	Turn the tables with one tap!🕹️		Puzzles & Chaos		11827	https://facebook.com/PuzzlesAndChaos	0		PLAY_GAME						1712646000		View Edit Delete
1244967	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198931	1734921993		532		435306052442413	7	1.6202811287861E+15		1712646000	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	106150158487461		1	Gelson no mundo da moda			120206616613280576		chao83.store	Learn more		NONE	video	Tap the "Learn more" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://chao83.store/DS01/		1712644128	1.0615015848746E+14	Gelson no mundo da moda	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436467566_976775207392795_7701869380637336592_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Q7Co1hsSWA8Ab4lXvcE&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBfbLnrgB7jgvPfOnQvTwHKE_OpJfP0mbSe3cUbCH3xIg&oe=6623407C	regular_page	0	Gelson no mundo da moda	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436358083_1655250051916333_3341570637120461401_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9Gaa9gLb6V4Ab6z0PUa&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDoS5Dh8d0zPjuLmd4VQICjiqdQT8PpUrpNW9ZpYpbopA&oe=66233D12			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway,				0		0		LEARN_MORE						1712646000		View Edit Delete
1244969	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198931	1734921994		532		1623005265182080		1.6202811287861E+15		1712646000	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	106150158487461		1	Gelson no mundo da moda			120206616613280576		chao83.store	Learn more		NONE	video	Tap the "Learn more" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://chao83.store/DS01/		1712644128	1.0615015848746E+14	Gelson no mundo da moda	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436467566_976775207392795_7701869380637336592_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Q7Co1hsSWA8Ab4lXvcE&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBfbLnrgB7jgvPfOnQvTwHKE_OpJfP0mbSe3cUbCH3xIg&oe=6623407C	regular_page	0	Gelson no mundo da moda	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436358083_1655250051916333_3341570637120461401_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9Gaa9gLb6V4Ab6z0PUa&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDoS5Dh8d0zPjuLmd4VQICjiqdQT8PpUrpNW9ZpYpbopA&oe=66233D12			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway,				0		0		LEARN_MORE						1712646000		View Edit Delete
1244972	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198932	1734921994		532		3593184714229638		1.6202811287861E+15		1712646000	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	106150158487461		1	Gelson no mundo da moda			120206616613280576		chao83.store	Learn more		NONE	video	Tap the "Learn more" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://chao83.store/DS01/		1712644128	1.0615015848746E+14	Gelson no mundo da moda	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436467566_976775207392795_7701869380637336592_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Q7Co1hsSWA8Ab5rgEy6&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCSPqRbx9aaKa60xSXn3ovIHpBY4K6sG1tN_ac3leYb8A&oe=6623407C	regular_page	0	Gelson no mundo da moda	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436358083_1655250051916333_3341570637120461401_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9Gaa9gLb6V4Ab6tRBEp&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfA7zeP80OEQo12vLVnJcyWcm2VfSjpfV24hWuZDbnkwJA&oe=66233D12			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway,				0		0		LEARN_MORE						1712646000		View Edit Delete
1244973	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198932	1734921994		532		1402654293958220		1.6202811287861E+15		1712646000	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	106150158487461		1	Gelson no mundo da moda			120206616613280576		chao83.store	Learn more		NONE	video	Tap the "Learn more" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://chao83.store/DS01/		1712644128	1.0615015848746E+14	Gelson no mundo da moda	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436467566_976775207392795_7701869380637336592_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Q7Co1hsSWA8Ab5rgEy6&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCSPqRbx9aaKa60xSXn3ovIHpBY4K6sG1tN_ac3leYb8A&oe=6623407C	regular_page	0	Gelson no mundo da moda	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436358083_1655250051916333_3341570637120461401_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9Gaa9gLb6V4Ab6tRBEp&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfA7zeP80OEQo12vLVnJcyWcm2VfSjpfV24hWuZDbnkwJA&oe=66233D12			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway,				0		0		LEARN_MORE						1712646000		View Edit Delete
1244974	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198932	1734921994		532		1649528329118174	1	1.106328603937E+15		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	100365976129594		0	Puzzles & Chaos			120208218320170421		play.google.com	Play game		NONE	video	How good is your math?		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.global.pnck		1712643087	1.0036597612959E+14	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435397968_3191081427853921_2397072788843834232_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mieF0GW7g8sAb7XxFrS&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAwjYXNccFGOoDyUDN-OySLI-Jkw3ckgCGfw6S-KAj7-g&oe=66233765	person_profile	0	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435476090_7346970662065546_3931788180614947646_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=rohhybAAHFUAb4xDTsh&_nc_oc=AdjkoBR0eZI9MLWJ27ochOZTX3zt2H1sHsnI5TJoYOuqRjTTAUAYwPwST7mPfd1ko1_2CLo1rLJ4LpFEsQ2lKtCJ&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDnm3t-DxC5bgxLIlnnotST6Hra7R3krFRSZkMPtFKL_w&oe=66233AD0			0	3	Every decision matters. 🧮<br /> Try it yourself!		Puzzles & Chaos		11827	https://facebook.com/PuzzlesAndChaos	0		PLAY_GAME						1712559600		View Edit Delete
1244975	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198932	1734921995		532		800705148616654	4	1.1131363398129E+15		1712646000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	2431395337147093		0	Nexnovo MN			120206961690490258		mgznztnbojmsndusar.com	Learn more		NONE	video			https://mgznztnbojmsndusar.com/Salespromotion?utm_source={{adset.id}}		1712538851	2.4313953371471E+15	Nexnovo MN	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434598789_3247983745511495_1668968783691152729_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=uycGgOhDnO0Ab63mgQt&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD5TKdcPOnRJSEFRdc_0itd0gproF2x-WS3jd-_8T5Z7g&oe=66232858	person_profile	0	Nexnovo MN	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435493883_1150718732585489_8783477404365331709_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YC8DUo8yv9gAb7MVtBd&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAmymfkaSn1dGfiH44u5MDU97og5zh6hktdEOZFFagcSA&oe=66233BE2			0	3	Feel the raw passion of the hunt! Get your limited FREE recurve bow now and unleash your inner hero!		Nexnovo MN		40	https://facebook.com/nexnovo.mn	0		LEARN_MORE						1712559600		View Edit Delete
1244976	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198932	1734921995		532		958307082668855		1.1131363398129E+15		1712646000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	2431395337147093		0	Nexnovo MN			120206961690370258		mgznztnbojmsndusar.com	Learn more		NONE	video			https://mgznztnbojmsndusar.com/Salespromotion?utm_source={{adset.id}}		1712538849	2.4313953371471E+15	Nexnovo MN	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435885831_389394163859989_8332919234726817465_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qrq-GCVprgEAb7mYWnk&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC01PaWpt6pP1a2G3mtdzVwMNd39nKSdo2Ev28Q9N-ihA&oe=6623393D	person_profile	0	Nexnovo MN	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435474112_1215988766040621_1259087384905477371_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AuLf2vEhrEYAb5djEoa&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCeHJjKl8ZK1X0aqvuu1GxEF4efJ4iWG2gvfvHFjtur4Q&oe=662330B5			0	3	Feel the raw passion of the hunt! Get your limited FREE recurve bow now and unleash your inner hero!		Nexnovo MN		40	https://facebook.com/nexnovo.mn	0		LEARN_MORE						1712559600		View Edit Delete
1244977	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198932	1734921995		532		860903449177278		1.1131363398129E+15		1712646000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	2431395337147093		0	Nexnovo MN			120206961689210258		mgznztnbojmsndusar.com	Learn more		NONE	video			https://mgznztnbojmsndusar.com/Salespromotion?utm_source={{adset.id}}		1712538848	2.4313953371471E+15	Nexnovo MN	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436407136_439477488577261_4408707752160258096_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nBVpEgrg_y8Ab5IfcVD&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCjoKRYxR8SKwIXhuZifu8jHlZqXBE45h8xTzXIZjK1lw&oe=66230DEE	person_profile	0	Nexnovo MN	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435430210_1065961518035077_955283141255979176_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lt7ovy9nsGEAb6bbQJN&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCpUdQhfkgPuQD7GUjMpSLt2iUf5ZWYoHqJcGTf5n16XA&oe=662314C2			0	3	Feel the raw passion of the hunt! Get your limited FREE recurve bow now and unleash your inner hero!		Nexnovo MN		40	https://facebook.com/nexnovo.mn	0		LEARN_MORE						1712559600		View Edit Delete
1244978	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198932	1734921995		532		318402100955368		1.1131363398129E+15		1712646000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	2431395337147093		0	Nexnovo MN			120206961689240258		mgznztnbojmsndusar.com	Learn more		NONE	video			https://mgznztnbojmsndusar.com/Salespromotion?utm_source={{adset.id}}		1712538849	2.4313953371471E+15	Nexnovo MN	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435467152_1127859858351563_1936753914787219508_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2u30WlkZ8DwAb59-TOJ&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBuBL_5YBkI-NTObgvl_wPNVzH06xmLIYbTlKZRb8a2KA&oe=662326C0	person_profile	0	Nexnovo MN	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434568021_1180066123370399_8309823781091947891_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cKK4-OPP3uoAb5u-cl9&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCtiuHohoKkwy3e91yJrGqVaK05p-FJhDeNPqz_i_DY7g&oe=6623112A			0	3	Feel the raw passion of the hunt! Get your limited FREE recurve bow now and unleash your inner hero!		Nexnovo MN		40	https://facebook.com/nexnovo.mn	0		LEARN_MORE						1712559600		View Edit Delete
1244979	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198932	1734921995		532		696794832423960	3	1.1012572776166E+15		1712646000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	100770758404573		0	Happy Paletas y postres			120210360280820602		mgznztnbojmsndusar.com	Learn more		NONE	video			https://mgznztnbojmsndusar.com/PreventiveHealthcare?utm_source={{adset.id}}		1712538849	1.0077075840457E+14	Happy Paletas y postres	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434939253_261762993674644_5733727112051867446_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0z9ZRIfHxPgAb6Eyyzz&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD94D0EyDE6gcA6jrmmwOQWBTXwtodE_madseuLX4Ppjw&oe=6623307D	person_profile	0	Happy Postres y paletas	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434952583_722948706693972_5890243320916739604_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=EqtLzdSdsJAAb5Zpgv5&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBOsXSItrDlkqMHa1Tg8SCXiuxDGfquneM1cRjezE0TIw&oe=662314DF			0	3	Feel the raw passion of the hunt! Get your limited FREE recurve bow now and unleash your inner hero!		Happy Paletas y postres		277	https://facebook.com/happypaletasartesanales	0		LEARN_MORE						1712559600		View Edit Delete
1244980	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198933	1734921996		532		958267809091532		1.1012572776166E+15		1712646000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	100770758404573		0	Happy Paletas y postres			120210360280280602		mgznztnbojmsndusar.com	Learn more		NONE	video			https://mgznztnbojmsndusar.com/PreventiveHealthcare?utm_source={{adset.id}}		1712538850	1.0077075840457E+14	Happy Paletas y postres	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/423715086_446544211180827_1761802229156079918_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Y_FgCEKKFlgAb64DLvl&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC_XEg82oIylynnrUa_dkjB-R7CzuOiWKlZypkaS9OZig&oe=66230E40	person_profile	0	Happy Postres y paletas	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434565623_7849995255010797_7648260672108156330_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VmHYsrmcIjYAb5Wtb1U&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfA0yFN8wz_0I3MVo7IOZ2KXZPfoJm43iMhRcozofyhb5A&oe=66232423			0	3	Feel the raw passion of the hunt! Get your limited FREE recurve bow now and unleash your inner hero!		Happy Paletas y postres		277	https://facebook.com/happypaletasartesanales	0		LEARN_MORE						1712559600		View Edit Delete
1244981	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198933	1734921996		532		1482892572639836		1.1012572776166E+15		1712646000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	100770758404573		0	Happy Paletas y postres			120210360280310602		mgznztnbojmsndusar.com	Learn more		NONE	video			https://mgznztnbojmsndusar.com/PreventiveHealthcare?utm_source={{adset.id}}		1712538848	1.0077075840457E+14	Happy Paletas y postres	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435391090_321555767285472_1086086678177462033_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cBQio5t1LgAAb6ynfo6&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDwxkplyHOscwHmvEOlC4-adVlI7-NS01Od5iZ9g9ho2w&oe=6623160A	person_profile	0	Happy Postres y paletas	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435469686_403736325720479_4748434363899118910_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XcurvbhhgSsAb6GSQgm&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCfO1d0DbbfhXDfddf_fE1daDzSg3dsLUj4TdiCH9Xp5Q&oe=66232234			0	3	Feel the raw passion of the hunt! Get your limited FREE recurve bow now and unleash your inner hero!		Happy Paletas y postres		277	https://facebook.com/happypaletasartesanales	0		LEARN_MORE						1712559600		View Edit Delete
1244982	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198933	1734921996		532		924379122501052	1	9.8506914332696E+14		1712818800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	118879321169142		0	Popular Novels			120209495234320155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712488795	1.1887932116914E+14	Popular Novels	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435756834_1100704034514755_8927988907118565585_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=P2aYLqchiDgAb5ZAZfB&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAAzAeB2oIvwF7fLhlzditYo9AWU7nh_x4RyuyK0OF7nw&oe=66233341	person_profile	0	Popular Novels	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436317475_396625543167632_4850598482548573393_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6w4yJ9pYPZkAb78Hu7z&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC3mxmsRQlz-8r0iGBxnhHNBHG-wiLmXu2IM_-2PtueRQ&oe=66233BEE			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”		Popular Novels		15	https://facebook.com/100091852266052	0		LEARN_MORE						1712473200		View Edit Delete
1244983	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198934	1734921996		532		985653822929445	1	1.458966541373E+15		1712818800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	127476320437895		0	Joylit Novel			120209495234210155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712488767	1.274763204379E+14	Joylit Novel	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436447050_353054793823580_1725770958331990521_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4mXkohMEBEsAb7FHb5a&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD0SBXSRME-WNHW-LWyfKiIEq6tPciVyDXWZNjCs8uXSw&oe=66231347	person_profile	0	Joylit Novel	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436378824_950134930121106_6978267147722748193_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lD2IDpQ6qG4Ab4BNE9n&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDWnD2hI810Ni3kPE84Scd5WgNxKoAY3PytoZP6Cb6GLg&oe=66231B1B			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”		Joylit Novel		142	https://facebook.com/61550512629703	0		LEARN_MORE						1712473200		View Edit Delete
1244984	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198934	1734921997		532		2143215356017195	1	9.3227103859781E+14		1712818800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	118879321169142		0	Popular Novels			120209495233590155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712488821	1.1887932116914E+14	Popular Novels	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435489466_435182998917069_7873664016896123895_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TRpaBHemNVgAb5LTTdv&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAUs85zPEDZaUm_7SMn8GQ6MkIQNksplvmANHBCppMNWg&oe=66232DA8	person_profile	0	Popular Novels	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435489716_392724340197188_6363041643725959294_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KmAlBuyPPZMAb7VPNBM&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBYdcRe1sfIgzXwQCL3t3mwwPh6OH9QiEaUwbCIhS0JGw&oe=662311EC			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”		Popular Novels		15	https://facebook.com/100091852266052	0		LEARN_MORE						1712473200		View Edit Delete
1245109	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198962	1734922036		532		777034797412062	1	8.3085824886508E+14		1713078000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	104585012734764		0	Fly-X-Treme			120210074916090230		amazon.com	Shop now		NONE	image	Fly-X-Treme		https://www.amazon.com/Bug-Gun-Hunting-Crossbow-Fly-X-Treme/dp/B0BRSCQXRL		1712074943	1.0458501273476E+14	Fly-X-Treme	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434658383_779273704157771_1017928527428056867_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=RhHZekeAz8oAb7o5mJB&_nc_oc=AdigmEKYwd6W73Y6uB-l8J7Z-ZmdnF4KNVbVUprLgQH-Z9xscpGgkYd-yaL0vnvUHpc&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBFx2SXFtrAxpRPoBHri_ROlWC1KAJn_0d3r8OUP5Gjzw&oe=66230C23	person_profile	0	Fly X-Treme	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434757941_1336269613737071_3889460656451262129_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=deqn4CIlVVgAb7unvsz&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD5P0IG1fLGSuN__PRbdX2iPr2gM2ieUl3kNVTDoChmhA&oe=662311F0			0	3	Get your bug-shooting game on point with our Crossbow 🎯 Improve your bug-shooting skills with our Crossbow Bug Pistol, which is ideal for both target practice and hunting. ⚡ <br /> Don&#039;t wait to purchase yours; it will elevate your shooting experience to unprecedented heights!		Fly-X-Treme		426	https://facebook.com/100095261450512	0		SHOP_NOW						1712041200		View Edit Delete
1245115	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198963	1734922037		532		792487446140927		9.6861256126721E+14		1713078000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	43242573742		0	Merrithew			6544361314990		merrithew.com	Shop Now		NONE	dco	20% Off Reformer Workout DVD Videos	Develop a greater mind-body connection, correct movement, breath patterns and alignment	https://www.merrithew.com/shop/sale/202404_20-off-pilates-workout-dvds		1711658442	43242573742	Merrithew	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434662352_876476201156701_7344978477308764482_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YgnlSM9zgFUAb4Tw6nw&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCoPHje7RgqDdoI85JkAcMAPdMI67Y_u0zgXP2FKU6gPw&oe=66232AF1	person_profile	0	Merritthew ® | Pilates	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433133979_385322664287267_6569994210055647604_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hD2NEl7g_WAAb6ydl8k&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDjtTkeN2GlnXZYclIeqBJwgn6spAiPcATfwSxhGkfinA&oe=66231649			0	3	Get Started on the Reformer or Advance your Pilates practice with the Reformer Workout Videos taught by Pilates Instructors.		Merrithew		138221	https://facebook.com/merrithew	0		SHOP_NOW						1712041200		View Edit Delete
1244985	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198934	1734921997		532		3639566659638725	1	7.4001440492928E+14		1712818800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	118879321169142		0	Popular Novels			120209495233560155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712488713	1.1887932116914E+14	Popular Novels	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434430231_2851278625011842_6083822264475891880_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WRg3QNO-RrkAb57LpoL&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD7ZKUBWDvuu133nEknZEiWFQj3arxq1i8xvSm_JRHgpw&oe=66232819	person_profile	0	Popular Novels	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434420659_1122103208916028_8474788516124323439_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=uaxQlHIzB_gAb4HZmhW&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCieBv638d9Xr93xTg41DKPZgv9r4tbtvuzF-BPcbBB1Q&oe=662342CA			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”		Popular Novels		15	https://facebook.com/100091852266052	0		LEARN_MORE						1712473200		View Edit Delete
1244986	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198934	1734921997		532		270909652654045	1	3.8574777761516E+14		1712818800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	118879321169142		0	Popular Novels			120209495233020155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712488791	1.1887932116914E+14	Popular Novels	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436270720_957515095786467_875208830111518690_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yWP8WGzjrnYAb5P7Wa_&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC6nnfg89S2hYz2-Wh1W91GEKiePUmeMNCcJkdblBr1ZQ&oe=66231CE1	person_profile	0	Popular Novels	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436769217_736416918685784_4702726399574719986_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Fb3U8OrD9XQAb4_PnqY&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfALtGDK-9roV8nvr_QuiBsW8mQOdwwh1JUgRoaMg7qd1w&oe=662338FD			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”		Popular Novels		15	https://facebook.com/100091852266052	0		LEARN_MORE						1712473200		View Edit Delete
1245142	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198969	1734921997		532		444428331381098	1	1.1133600500083E+15		1711782000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	217316998627741		0	Frost & Flame：King of Avalon			120207741420890751		itunes.apple.com	Install now		NONE	video	Play for FREE!		http://itunes.apple.com/app/id1084930849		1711625600	2.1731699862774E+14	Frost & Flame：King of Avalon	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433465642_441333268235000_1045342548688800526_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=LvDbzJgce7EAb5JrGZM&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCn4KZEWt-LaTM5VrA9uVCa2olVkmHrzMO1hEwaGjngoA&oe=662316B2	person_profile	0	King of Avalon	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433001707_388964577225473_6529973119484621965_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XyncQ_e3VtwAb64WRp-&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAgHileB8sxWVDnJxfrl0fAGr46qOqsmU4rjHnA8UYjLQ&oe=66232831			0	3	That Game Everyone&#039;s Playing! Join Now!		Frost & Flame：King of Avalon		1212952	https://facebook.com/koadw	0		INSTALL_MOBILE_APP						1711609200		View Edit Delete
1244987	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198934	1734921998		532		352207010583266	1	1.2728151603028E+15		1712818800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	118879321169142		0	Popular Novels			120209495233050155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712488795	1.1887932116914E+14	Popular Novels	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436358471_806009891384209_2684266132372405924_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NwLp48ZacDEAb6GXzER&_nc_oc=Adgt1au7spal5bazjfMfaRejFna6QLd48_-rS8fyIsB_L86ny2IH-Nr_RXz8XActbcq7Qsci0RPxiEULyYPgWk8y&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCFauC6hCubz5MLYAJrF_f3z6uxD-6iZAYvUD5YjFTXLw&oe=662336FB	person_profile	0	Popular Novels	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436105833_1140365634066366_3952715177158861981_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=S9ab71eYfZoAb4cTfy7&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBggjfSSm-plM3-FV5VgXPKztaORI3Jw22ibnqvZ2tJxQ&oe=66230BCA			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”		Popular Novels		15	https://facebook.com/100091852266052	0		LEARN_MORE						1712473200		View Edit Delete
1244988	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198935	1734921998		532		886468940136315	1	9.089222775831E+14		1712646000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	106001611760967		0	Random TD			120208585996900594		play.google.com	Play game		NONE	video	Crash your enemy now!		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.feelingtouch.rtd		1712479438	1.0600161176097E+14	Random TD	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/421929950_2643971322444033_796049117069429445_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=noVc8bg8KOsAb7VKufV&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAKnZJSjAdlTz6VgQozKUSvvXYy9DsKDb9LGPD-3LGN_Q&oe=66232102	person_profile	0	Random TD	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434057396_790986139606511_6933269067585262197_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5H-_empU44MAb5euzmu&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDbHUDM_XAwqGIqX5zOQ7-einyP5EKA655RvjMedDGmzQ&oe=66231419			0	3	Defend your tower! 🚨 Battle anywhere, anytime. Get ready for a thrilling experience now!		Random TD		37654	https://facebook.com/randomtd	0		PLAY_GAME						1712473200		View Edit Delete
1245110	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198963	1734922037		532		909040110703424	2	9.6861256126721E+14		1712991600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	43242573742		0	Merrithew			6544361314990		merrithew.com	Shop Now		NONE	dco	20% Off Reformer Workout DVD Videos	Develop a greater mind-body connection, correct movement, breath patterns and alignment	https://www.merrithew.com/shop/sale/202404_20-off-pilates-workout-dvds		1711658442	43242573742	Merrithew	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434662352_876476201156701_7344978477308764482_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YgnlSM9zgFUAb4Tw6nw&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCoPHje7RgqDdoI85JkAcMAPdMI67Y_u0zgXP2FKU6gPw&oe=66232AF1	person_profile	0	Merritthew ® | Pilates	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433133979_385322664287267_6569994210055647604_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hD2NEl7g_WAAb6ydl8k&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDjtTkeN2GlnXZYclIeqBJwgn6spAiPcATfwSxhGkfinA&oe=66231649			0	3	Get Started on the Reformer or Advance your Pilates practice with the Reformer Workout Videos taught by Pilates Instructors.		Merrithew		138221	https://facebook.com/merrithew	0		SHOP_NOW						1712041200		View Edit Delete
1244989	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198936	1734921998		532		1457509878189896	1	7.8969874926093E+14		1712559600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	641086812686708		0	Alimentation Bali			120208097327150412		swishairtime.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://swishairtime.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=BvP7v5dDKPCoGKFg8VfI&ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign_name={{campaign.name}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}&adset_name={{adset.name}}&placement={{placement}}&site_source_name={{site_source_name}}&fbpxl={{fbpxl}}		1712450428	6.4108681268671E+14	Alimentation Bali	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436837051_1327744661225377_1026041806726927697_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=eSdQA0k_cWUAb5ObmaJ&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAZHpng_EXn2_vUkEvWgbh-v--jihVJOO805JyFX2mYDg&oe=66232A54	person_profile	0	Alimentation Bali	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436351481_438017411917667_6727360297285479131_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tGiK65gr-yYAb7L38-9&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD35w1xzh82aivSsmEwbTS5vPQBavJAtX7f_map7X5Q0Q&oe=66234023			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a Ravin R29 Crossbow for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳		Alimentation Bali		83	https://facebook.com/100054507427553	0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1712386800		View Edit Delete
1244991	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198937	1734921999		532		966233211571803	3	4.5281481710463E+14		1712473200	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	302043876314524		1	Ted nugent midea 09			120210058073350428		wcmzt.top	Learn more		NONE	video	The offer is only available today, hurry up and click on the link to claim it		https://wcmzt.top/NNNU2?utm_source={{adset.id}}		1712428643	3.0204387631452E+14	Ted nugent midea 09	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435659921_751834753596553_3429714013276453978_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wSfWastuAv8Ab5kxJ9G&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAMdJiANjuO3Mgp5zH5T-3qYYJzRg1t3paYWwuG_nQD1A&oe=662327B2	regular_page	0	Ted nugent midea 09	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435890387_395104856634350_1146640174574935461_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=BBAw7cS-FJAAb5qKmhl&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD-QfD6YWoCpGqhjcYxzAj6_ghSXNsgm04pJ2qoBXGddQ&oe=66232C57			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱 Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a Ravin huntingbow 26 for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳				0		0		LEARN_MORE						1712386800		View Edit Delete
1244992	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198937	1734922000		532		1750629815423318		4.5281481710463E+14		1712473200	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	302043876314524		1	Ted nugent midea 09			120210058073350428		wcmzt.top	Learn more		NONE	video	The offer is only available today, hurry up and click on the link to claim it		https://wcmzt.top/NNNU2?utm_source={{adset.id}}		1712428643	3.0204387631452E+14	Ted nugent midea 09	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435659921_751834753596553_3429714013276453978_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wSfWastuAv8Ab5kxJ9G&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAMdJiANjuO3Mgp5zH5T-3qYYJzRg1t3paYWwuG_nQD1A&oe=662327B2	regular_page	0	Ted nugent midea 09	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435890387_395104856634350_1146640174574935461_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=BBAw7cS-FJAAb5qKmhl&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD-QfD6YWoCpGqhjcYxzAj6_ghSXNsgm04pJ2qoBXGddQ&oe=66232C57			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱 Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a Ravin huntingbow 26 for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳				0		0		LEARN_MORE						1712386800		View Edit Delete
1244993	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198937	1734922000		532		1578170726367806	1	1.4692223073364E+15		1712473200	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	302043876314524		1	Ted nugent midea 09			120210058073350428		wcmzt.top	Learn more		NONE	video	The offer is only available today, hurry up and click on the link to claim it		https://wcmzt.top/NNNU2?utm_source={{adset.id}}		1712428643	3.0204387631452E+14	Ted nugent midea 09	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435659921_751834753596553_3429714013276453978_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wSfWastuAv8Ab5kxJ9G&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAMdJiANjuO3Mgp5zH5T-3qYYJzRg1t3paYWwuG_nQD1A&oe=662327B2	regular_page	0	Ted nugent midea 09	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435890387_395104856634350_1146640174574935461_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=BBAw7cS-FJAAb5qKmhl&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD-QfD6YWoCpGqhjcYxzAj6_ghSXNsgm04pJ2qoBXGddQ&oe=66232C57			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱 Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a Ravin huntingbow 26 for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳				0		0		LEARN_MORE						1712386800		View Edit Delete
1245111	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198963	1734922038		532		909040110703424	2	9.6861256126721E+14		1712991600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	43242573742		0	Merrithew			6544361314990		merrithew.com	Shop Now		NONE	dco	20% Off Reformer Workout DVD Videos	Develop a greater mind-body connection, correct movement, breath patterns and alignment	https://www.merrithew.com/shop/sale/202404_20-off-pilates-workout-dvds		1711658442	43242573742	Merrithew	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434662352_876476201156701_7344978477308764482_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YgnlSM9zgFUAb4Tw6nw&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCoPHje7RgqDdoI85JkAcMAPdMI67Y_u0zgXP2FKU6gPw&oe=66232AF1	person_profile	0	Merritthew ® | Pilates	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433133979_385322664287267_6569994210055647604_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hD2NEl7g_WAAb6ydl8k&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDjtTkeN2GlnXZYclIeqBJwgn6spAiPcATfwSxhGkfinA&oe=66231649			0	3	Get Started on the Reformer or Advance your Pilates practice with the Reformer Workout Videos taught by Pilates Instructors.		Merrithew		138221	https://facebook.com/merrithew	0		SHOP_NOW						1712041200		View Edit Delete
1244994	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198937	1734922000		532		973055781197800	1	9.6484157564880E+14		1712905200	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	105495248925442		0	grottipapi			6600444410667		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	video			http://instagram.com/grottipapi		1712422288	1.0549524892544E+14	grottipapi	https://scontent-atl3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/419503858_899279781573265_3343328293947159112_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=3fd06f&_nc_ohc=MTC8ijQHPwQAb4Ainhz&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfDPpT4Gg81PBw-aLQBcXEOkGfOMZWuujguWLtlFW2CT7A&oe=6623426A	ig_ads_identity	1	GROTTI PAPI	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435293832_1904690629987464_8889798921052522385_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KTmYvDhP4hkAb5rBWVc&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCyqsSPfdFxiqAsFvOY6Sx3Fq2s_ofdslE0lERM3GILog&oe=66232F44			0	3	Cruising around in #LosSantos on #GTAONLINE while blasting bangers 🔊🔊 Nothing like it 🤩🤩 &#064;fariswithadollarsign &#064;lexxcarver #gta5 #gta6 #pontiactransam #newmusic #grandtheftauto #lyricvideo #imponteruiner #weekend #saturday #gamer #gaming #relaxing #peaceful #stressrelief		grottipapi		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/grottipapi	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1712386800		View Edit Delete
1244995	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198938	1734922000		532		412154818218753	1	1.2189695124204E+15		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	100365976129594		0	Puzzles & Chaos			120207232024580257		play.google.com	Play game		NONE	video	How good is your math?		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.global.pnck		1712416202	1.0036597612959E+14	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434866062_1983161965412910_6179217325277698525_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NCOgd4vVRvgAb6GW-Kh&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAxtRm-901usKnRb7qyjkE1m-hB9Zna7GN6CVm7cPwlWg&oe=66232F85	person_profile	0	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434858282_403935295817098_5417337463985912632_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0ngbRjJZ0xAAb6pMS2a&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC4msiCoognJ0o8Il4EhuR2H7pbaI3UoXXJIEolimVH9g&oe=6623130A			0	3	Every decision matters. 🧮<br /> Try it yourself!		Puzzles & Chaos		11827	https://facebook.com/PuzzlesAndChaos	0		PLAY_GAME						1712386800		View Edit Delete
1244996	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198938	1734922001		532		2628684357305841	1	4.1876205078268E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	100365976129594		0	Puzzles & Chaos			120208929451170763		play.google.com	Play game		NONE	video	Match-3 SLG👉		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.global.pnck		1712415765	1.0036597612959E+14	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435901057_384986494376607_5458026624075640632_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vG4Ugxz59ZcAb7gQgU8&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCLeaj9oTiq5smuvPvpsRx_-msjb0ipg9NJwehS-wwLrQ&oe=662315CC	person_profile	0	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436121201_968345394839579_7669395637489847401_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7rueJVeMn5kAb6ABnRh&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBaTzA8VDiCKuRDMEpeyB2U019DyLxEWeb_cIBFF5c9Lw&oe=6623195D			0	3	Only 1% of all players have beaten this level. <br /> Will you give it a try?👍		Puzzles & Chaos		11827	https://facebook.com/PuzzlesAndChaos	0		PLAY_GAME						1712386800		View Edit Delete
1244997	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198939	1734922001		532		25061821513462147	2	4.1456613123646E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	100365976129594		0	Puzzles & Chaos			120208929450740763		play.google.com	Play game		NONE	video	Match-3, Fantasy, Strategy		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.global.pnck		1712415607	1.0036597612959E+14	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435452875_393526556798925_7019041279053933625_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=G2u1nHW0mjwAb5POFWZ&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfA-5Ll552omOiAprdLjILbxrlAZ0Y7kHqXK2pg1ODQ8zg&oe=662314CC	person_profile	0	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434553822_1136075187523805_7869233068368737604_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JXDP_CSoPuwAb4ZokHO&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCbAF2HQ0aB85GAGqzw_aeJO480IZpnvzSTW7GCqAYP6w&oe=66231075			0	3	Elemental magic, all at your fingertips.		Puzzles & Chaos		11827	https://facebook.com/PuzzlesAndChaos	0		PLAY_GAME						1712386800		View Edit Delete
1244998	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198941	1734922001		532		917463013397352	2	9.4823273984871E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	100895368495588		0	Facdds			120208121636730110		jordanalien.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Claim it now! (Ends tonight)		https://jordanalien.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=KUNLLHopuZEw0DbnSi2A&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&fbclid=%7B%7Bfbclid%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D		1712387096	1.0089536849559E+14	Facdds	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435982532_342138252173602_1146676195155388557_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=eWejzWZMM1wAb6QLa2Z&_nc_oc=AdiptcT6aRbxHhJwMw3edRsilDf8O97rT5JF8b5aepdhMJquWxscBIJ7_3RzOpxaPDKKRFh3WwihM2Q39BLgujiA&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDeecDOEghaNj5a2HYnPwbwI1uvt045X3gs1JKEWBbnFg&oe=66232018	person_profile	0	Facdds	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436292577_759109939299497_9061855114597636563_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zU-CyZF761kAb5hdMS4&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAZIq0eAEM6C6XfTSuCjI64BIj8DRD8rg9O-NvLAq2H0w&oe=66231676			0	3	If you are reading this, CONGRATULATIONS! 🤩. You are 1 of the 1.000 lucky people who have secured a NEW R29X Crossbow for $10 in our special offer 🗣🗣.		Facdds		873	https://facebook.com/100066319796707	0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1712386800		View Edit Delete
1244999	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198943	1734922002		532		1444520106156419	1	1.0645529013084E+15		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	238898056196842		0	Gator Raiderz			6571539799040			Send message		NONE	image				{"type":"VISUAL_EDITOR","version":2,"landing_screen_type":"welcome_message","media_type":"text","text_format":{"customer_action_type":"ice_breakers","message":{"ice_breakers":null,"text":"Hi {{user_first_name}}! Please let us know how we can help you."}},"user_edit":true,"autofill_message_edited":false,"ice_breakers_edited":false,"welcome_message_edited":true,"surface":"boosted_post"}	1712374020	2.3889805619684E+14	Gator Raiderz	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/422465790_798196649031033_4823720014229843676_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=O5PH1qzsTZcAb5fh7uj&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAEjSjbqkhDFz00loCMAKRL2DwajIY5EmJWsSIH7YN66g&oe=662340D0	person_profile	0	Capt. Dave	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435181043_1619083838850825_5838791583141411796_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9PvZQ22HvXYAb4ilzaJ&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB--Q3EcNechyWFm6xgAUMnmpnvJ6To3lQcMNChgxTYqw&oe=66232DC5			0	3	Experience the thrill of Gator Raiderz Private Land Gator Hunting!<br /> <br /> Embark on unforgettable year-round expeditions with Florida&#039;s leading outfitter. Our hunts take place on private land across the scenic south Florida region, offering diverse landscapes and thrilling encounters.<br /> <br /> Choose from various types of properties, accessible by foot, buggy, or our iconic airboats. With multiple harvesting methods available, including snatch hook, crossbow, pistol, or harpoon, you&#039;ll have an exhilarating adventure tailored to your preference.<br /> <br /> Whether under the radiant sun or the enchanting night sky, our hunts adapt to weather and seasonal conditions. From land expeditions to thrilling airboat rides, every moment promises excitement and adrenaline.<br /> <br /> Ready for an unforgettable adventure? Contact us today to book your Gator Raiderz experience. And don&#039;t forget to explore our equally thrilling Public Land hunts!<br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gatorraiderz.com%2Fgator-hunting&amp;h=AT3URUiSHFcizlXgqVX_vk4LUueH4Jhw4iElp6Gt1xwFthZwSWD5A6Vmod6ZsCqAemM7unWCBN8wLEkCUUmlzfR_vwjapLuewezERtXnzXyqT-NxEFkFJv6ibMyBxn5D2TcHAeQUUl-egjxQFEF9Ztv9_w4Jsv7oa0z2wntHV8-WGKVxDk8" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="async">www.gatorraiderz.com/gator-hunting</a><br /> #GatorHunting #FloridaOutfitter #AdventureAwaits		Gator Raiderz		2700	https://facebook.com/gatorraiderz	0		MESSAGE_PAGE						1712300400		View Edit Delete
1245000	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198944	1734922002		532		7434829139966600	1	7.3807998513955E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	412249035602001		0	Nail art love			120207402718040143		jordanalien.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Claim it now! (Ends tonight)		https://jordanalien.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=KUNLLHopuZEw0DbnSi2A&ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign_name={{campaign.name}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}&adset_name={{adset.name}}&placement={{placement}}&fbclid={{fbclid}}&site_source_name={{site_source_name}}		1712338830	4.12249035602E+14	Nail art love	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434745851_785748056817044_6626358822012241441_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mnVB8BZKFjEAb6Z3Ayi&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCwIVUOMfpBm9wgrSYIt4lJu4jgEBaf6rs8utvnMMPDtQ&oe=66231AE4	person_profile	0	Nail art love	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434666920_345361734727622_5635245191817044358_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dFG3vAmPwNUAb4r5KVl&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBWzLKFOMT6FHKmv-5wMdfQUznIaoZ9Hj8xAPqj9EN9Hg&oe=662312D6			0	3	If you are reading this, CONGRATULATIONS! 🤩. You are 1 of the 1.000 lucky people who have secured a NEW R29X Crossbow for $10 in our special offer 🗣🗣.		Nail art love		1303	https://facebook.com/61551664676182	0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1712300400		View Edit Delete
1245112	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198963	1734922038		532		909040110703424	2	9.6861256126721E+14		1712991600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	43242573742		0	Merrithew			6544361314990		merrithew.com	Shop Now		NONE	dco	20% Off Reformer Workout DVD Videos	Develop a greater mind-body connection, correct movement, breath patterns and alignment	https://www.merrithew.com/shop/sale/202404_20-off-pilates-workout-dvds		1711658442	43242573742	Merrithew	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434662352_876476201156701_7344978477308764482_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YgnlSM9zgFUAb4Tw6nw&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCoPHje7RgqDdoI85JkAcMAPdMI67Y_u0zgXP2FKU6gPw&oe=66232AF1	person_profile	0	Merritthew ® | Pilates	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433133979_385322664287267_6569994210055647604_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hD2NEl7g_WAAb6ydl8k&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDjtTkeN2GlnXZYclIeqBJwgn6spAiPcATfwSxhGkfinA&oe=66231649			0	3	Get Started on the Reformer or Advance your Pilates practice with the Reformer Workout Videos taught by Pilates Instructors.		Merrithew		138221	https://facebook.com/merrithew	0		SHOP_NOW						1712041200		View Edit Delete
1245001	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198944	1734922003		532		899110698569459	1	7.2547447579548E+15		1712473200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	118879321169142		0	Popular Novels			120209419169640155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712326282	1.1887932116914E+14	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436035257_901841738407194_7711667380692730888_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2mX2BplyHuwAb7mrfra&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBn4unahBlSeGcXxEw2M8z5zMsfA10qOI1Z5IeHhkQyzA&oe=6623102C	person_profile	0	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435922235_1900721430365697_1554284382112412190_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=CRNvjbThe4YAb775SRV&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDuSSaB4X4nUOwnlAi8Dqb6OFkVw08NI3WlUp335Z9CTQ&oe=6623420A			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”		Popular Novels		15	https://facebook.com/100091852266052	0		LEARN_MORE						1712300400		View Edit Delete
1245119	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198964	1734922003		532		7211722455548997	1	1.4664909439432E+15		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	100365976129594		0	Puzzles & Chaos			120207063848550257		play.google.com	Play game		NONE	video	Match-3 to defeat evil🔥		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.global.pnck		1712056544	1.0036597612959E+14	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434605656_419874240585565_8831728975399670590_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=jF1nN5mCbWQAb4XqSzf&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDCEmJj84FJNVtYqYEPDn4fDjGZE42R3tFaNxEKZ_P5gw&oe=66232E20	person_profile	0	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434565648_329443819746459_6697213341475881961_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ub4dV2RcqpMAb6rzvfC&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD0hPrLBdr8H0npeJjjtkze3fNFN8IAekjgzoscLmIpIA&oe=66233D18			0	3	We&#039;ve brought the trailer to life!💁‍♂️ Do you have strategic skills?😏		Puzzles & Chaos		11827	https://facebook.com/PuzzlesAndChaos	0		PLAY_GAME						1712041200		View Edit Delete
1245113	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198963	1734922038		532		792487446140927		9.6861256126721E+14		1713078000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	43242573742		0	Merrithew			6544361314990		merrithew.com	Shop Now		NONE	dco	20% Off Reformer Workout DVD Videos	Develop a greater mind-body connection, correct movement, breath patterns and alignment	https://www.merrithew.com/shop/sale/202404_20-off-pilates-workout-dvds		1711658442	43242573742	Merrithew	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434662352_876476201156701_7344978477308764482_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YgnlSM9zgFUAb4Tw6nw&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCoPHje7RgqDdoI85JkAcMAPdMI67Y_u0zgXP2FKU6gPw&oe=66232AF1	person_profile	0	Merritthew ® | Pilates	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433133979_385322664287267_6569994210055647604_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hD2NEl7g_WAAb6ydl8k&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDjtTkeN2GlnXZYclIeqBJwgn6spAiPcATfwSxhGkfinA&oe=66231649			0	3	Get Started on the Reformer or Advance your Pilates practice with the Reformer Workout Videos taught by Pilates Instructors.		Merrithew		138221	https://facebook.com/merrithew	0		SHOP_NOW						1712041200		View Edit Delete
1245114	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198963	1734922038		532		792487446140927		9.6861256126721E+14		1713078000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	43242573742		0	Merrithew			6544361314990		merrithew.com	Shop Now		NONE	dco	20% Off Reformer Workout DVD Videos	Develop a greater mind-body connection, correct movement, breath patterns and alignment	https://www.merrithew.com/shop/sale/202404_20-off-pilates-workout-dvds		1711658442	43242573742	Merrithew	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434662352_876476201156701_7344978477308764482_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YgnlSM9zgFUAb4Tw6nw&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCoPHje7RgqDdoI85JkAcMAPdMI67Y_u0zgXP2FKU6gPw&oe=66232AF1	person_profile	0	Merritthew ® | Pilates	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433133979_385322664287267_6569994210055647604_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hD2NEl7g_WAAb6ydl8k&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDjtTkeN2GlnXZYclIeqBJwgn6spAiPcATfwSxhGkfinA&oe=66231649			0	3	Get Started on the Reformer or Advance your Pilates practice with the Reformer Workout Videos taught by Pilates Instructors.		Merrithew		138221	https://facebook.com/merrithew	0		SHOP_NOW						1712041200		View Edit Delete
1245116	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198963	1734922038		532		340889812301167	2	1.688994344959E+15		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	100365976129594		0	Puzzles & Chaos			120207063860930257		play.google.com	Play game		NONE	video	HEAD-ON CONFRONTATION		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.global.pnck		1712056495	1.0036597612959E+14	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434426176_271814722644057_5902529467878334776_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=DiohMoTQ6vEAb6BIA4h&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAHjGiQYFdY-qvhbLGWs9jnCDCR7jEcubDe-wgE4UPCPQ&oe=6623139D	person_profile	0	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434031940_389351653911100_1321867642699559227_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Xu2pFWOXI70Ab4uOSy4&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAhJH82JzYoOl-8V16XqJW5V_Fo0h2vDYiNhoiHsnJitw&oe=66232EFB			0	3	⚠Your allies have called you out! Match pieces to awaken heroes.		Puzzles & Chaos		11827	https://facebook.com/PuzzlesAndChaos	0		PLAY_GAME						1712041200		View Edit Delete
1245123	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198964	1734922038		532		1945445259209297	1	3.4027818570462E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	100309942247444		0	Jim Burnworth Safaris			120207185991680746		jimburnworthsafaris.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Jim Burnworth Safaris		https://www.jimburnworthsafaris.com/welcometoanadventureofalifetime		1712053552	1.0030994224744E+14	Jim Burnworth Safaris	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434341842_779938144061077_9131193161469005253_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=c907Lp9TuuwAb74Mza_&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC_jERlbf3-0Oc6mo9UkgM8NOFemHjSrJ0jYpAXTeN8eA&oe=66233194	person_profile	0	Jim Burnworth Safaris	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433142319_1454677728817430_7827029975555448987_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cq0J6jtDbW8Ab6y5FfR&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCzfp6nAryht4oEy3CPGwkHvD6uXfenMsBvLiXphfPciA&oe=662327D9			0	3	LOOKING 4 BOWHUNTERS.<br /> <br /> 👉 Ready to embark on an unforgettable bowhunting adventure in Africa with the legendary Jim Burnworth? We&#039;re looking for 4 passionate bowhunters to join us this summer, starting June 4th and running through September 6th.<br /> <br /> 🎙️ But here&#039;s the kicker: no matter where you are in your archery journey, Jim will be there to help you grow. Whether you&#039;re a seasoned pro or just starting out, his expert guidance and coaching will ensure you make the most of this incredible experience. Plus, Jim will be hosting exclusive podcast sessions during your stay, sharing his expertise and stories from the field, adding an extra layer of excitement to your adventure.<br /> <br /> 💥 And here&#039;s some exciting news: Jim has seven camps! So if you have that friend who isn&#039;t a bowhunter, we can put a crossbow in his hand or he can bring his rifle along. Everyone is welcome to join the adventure!<br /> <br /> 💰 Packages start at just $5500 for a full 7 days of hunting, including accommodation, meals, personalized instruction from Jim Burnworth himself, access to his podcast sessions, and the option for crossbow or rifle hunting.<br /> Interested? Feel free to PM me or visit our website to leave your contact info. Let&#039;s make memories and share the campfire stories together! <br /> 🏕️ #JimBurnworthSafaris #BowhuntingAdventure #AfricaHunting #LegendaryExperience		Jim Burnworth Safaris		1548	https://facebook.com/jimburnworthsafaris	0		LEARN_MORE						1712041200		View Edit Delete
1245002	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198944	1734922003		532		731699382457630	1	8.5696374311434E+14		1712818800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	118879321169142		0	Popular Novels			120209419169670155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	image	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712326265	1.1887932116914E+14	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436007253_1638961556933014_7854473355218566919_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=RcI5Gh1-B3cAb6ld1TE&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBoK9mMrSrRDvXuA5YEf6jZ4NqQqOVnudZ7r78a4nehGg&oe=662311A9	person_profile	0	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/426274422_382024461412464_6266992584301061851_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZERTgb15A5QAb4KglTt&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAMZlTnrK4rjYDPZnUXysaNqp041EuOOSYUqGplNDOLWw&oe=66233B19			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”		Popular Novels		15	https://facebook.com/100091852266052	0		LEARN_MORE						1712300400		View Edit Delete
1245003	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198944	1734922003		532		936493444846842	1	2.0278664542667E+15		1712473200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	127476320437895		0	Joylit Novel			120209419169720155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712326279	1.274763204379E+14	Joylit Novel	https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436118102_3588457931415580_2197013368018586215_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UyhinvKVvZsAb5Oh4mY&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCwrsCywQVFJvrBqqktrwt_rWRN4MBoFjpw57JDmKTpng&oe=662319EA	person_profile	0	Joylit Novel	https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434841722_374223625585496_8059407283685938333_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ghxHCsoaIEEAb7KeHhq&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBPltgbYhIonvX8QH7L0oxPNUni8434rUBZX3AeBdTtPw&oe=66233A9A			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”		Joylit Novel		142	https://facebook.com/61550512629703	0		LEARN_MORE						1712300400		View Edit Delete
1245004	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198944	1734922003		532		950909703150640	1	7.6794680530618E+14		1712818800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	118879321169142		0	Popular Novels			120209419169410155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	image	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712326265	1.1887932116914E+14	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433975828_1173307743665508_4371549750111183281_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vkIUuoS6iBcAb4RxkSr&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDDR2l0Ekv-QBa90OrncJk1my55hudrPOnD_9mGu3o7lw&oe=66232E7F	person_profile	0	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434425194_1121433329063031_2816806435021019022_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yInAcAh-FgYAb6h2sva&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDGXbjJEZsvh1e1p2A9k0ESpW3gu3ef_RqTF5_j3KQ_EQ&oe=66230C39			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”		Popular Novels		15	https://facebook.com/100091852266052	0		LEARN_MORE						1712300400		View Edit Delete
1245124	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198964	1734922038		532		1799227377245336	1	1.1599801553558E+15		1712646000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	104585012734764		0	Fly-X-Treme			120210028913100230		www.amazon.com	Shop now		NONE	video	Fly-X-Treme		https://www.amazon.com/Bug-Gun-Hunting-Crossbow-Fly-X-Treme/dp/B0BRSCQXRL		1711987807	1.0458501273476E+14	Fly-X-Treme	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434655650_342318988312537_7244442246725306427_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0vVlsV4I-D4Ab65mgX8&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCXXZCfigVuvbvlyQuIx9DdHe5yyfv6V3X6edG0YORrEg&oe=66230F4A	person_profile	0	Fly X-Treme	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434663252_1348622592488168_5547621506637095475_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WXA-If--b7EAb5MBDxq&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA_4XYAowRk3K1RhCjl9ldX1E9m1wHx4u3oYff7XO9_Ng&oe=66232492			0	3	Crossbow Bug Pistol: This bug shooter gun was designed with the purist fly hunter in mind.		Fly-X-Treme		426	https://facebook.com/100095261450512	0		SHOP_NOW						1711954800		View Edit Delete
1245005	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198944	1734922003		532		1331250847569140	1	9.8281082669747E+14		1712818800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	118879321169142		0	Popular Novels			120209419169690155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	image	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712326265	1.1887932116914E+14	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435524241_422218897086320_8935473368581095373_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_dGVipCJHYUAb6-iyYI&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-2.xx&oh=00_AfASC_1N8k7MZl-5l3gy48fGgepMEsH3jNtfShFv4PBUcQ&oe=662332FE	person_profile	0	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435408139_1543505059831104_1171736695421943155_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Luz2INU97cQAb4-Z4-I&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA1I3UCs4KwT177gePq1BBYKqrDcMHg2Z46uWeIKvEk9Q&oe=6623203B			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”		Popular Novels		15	https://facebook.com/100091852266052	0		LEARN_MORE						1712300400		View Edit Delete
1245007	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198945	1734922004		532		7393633064024610	1	3.9857803976518E+14		1712818800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	118879321169142		0	Popular Novels			120209419169350155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	image	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712326265	1.1887932116914E+14	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435460858_1624341025014581_739467339243255239_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9FGRi0uC9AEAb7y6hEz&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDn20xbFSOHQune-0qnLBbc5dfHIvyhMZ0NMc85mqV2tg&oe=66232203	person_profile	0	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435912907_252535554606583_8318534491128381018_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ynMXfUd1VJsAb4HHuui&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAOeRKsVZcaXsmVCAhN76dtT1NtXa_dfGXUhdpZiByCvw&oe=66234252			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”		Popular Novels		15	https://facebook.com/100091852266052	0		LEARN_MORE						1712300400		View Edit Delete
1245125	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198965	1734922038		532		428557703053927	1	9.4327061071042E+14		1712991600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	104585012734764		0	Fly-X-Treme			120210028912940230		amazon.com	Shop now		NONE	image	Fly-X-Treme		https://www.amazon.com/Bug-Gun-Hunting-Crossbow-Fly-X-Treme/dp/B0BRSCQXRL		1711987776	1.0458501273476E+14	Fly-X-Treme	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433938486_1068317747588691_7857533211947872551_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=y-AZ7_uqYBIAb71wD0S&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDRbYqkg5Fi5aiZH3vuR32gcquMNL2DS-1-zC3_M_iEOA&oe=66231C7C	person_profile	0	Fly X-Treme	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433978233_435205528896831_4889863027554401621_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0dQNxjyBDtcAb5Ce9IE&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCuuNV_ik3Qbz1UKcBf0IbA8YescFFOf2ojtSH66pb_Ow&oe=66232465			0	3	Crossbow Bug Pistol: This bug shooter gun was designed with the purist fly hunter in mind.		Fly-X-Treme		426	https://facebook.com/100095261450512	0		SHOP_NOW						1711954800		View Edit Delete
1245126	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198965	1734922038		532		956306979040064	1	1.491373225138E+15		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	104585012734764		0	Fly-X-Treme			120210028912980230		amazon.com	Shop now		NONE	image	Fly-X-Treme		https://www.amazon.com/Bug-Gun-Hunting-Crossbow-Fly-X-Treme/dp/B0BRSCQXRL		1711987776	1.0458501273476E+14	Fly-X-Treme	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433908866_7194219307340711_4650076348565346822_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=eJ5oFXci1WoAb7tvYG1&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBDVLZIQEXrn0jAyjwzvIB6kHwGP1ayvDztAm6V_uyp9w&oe=66230EDD	person_profile	0	Fly X-Treme	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434073197_1793748224440725_7208763574582616426_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=MS0055IqlBgAb7CLNDh&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC7Pz3wD16-M3yFoG5PX4D75js2O5nexWMxsNUVg9BTHw&oe=66231474			0	3	Crossbow Bug Pistol: This bug shooter gun was designed with the purist fly hunter in mind.		Fly-X-Treme		426	https://facebook.com/100095261450512	0		SHOP_NOW						1711954800		View Edit Delete
1245008	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198945	1734922004		532		1353181075371083	1	3.9055685386996E+14		1712818800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	118879321169142		0	Popular Novels			120209419169380155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	image	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712326265	1.1887932116914E+14	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433934090_1199403818105778_5225217072395325789_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2CHtQwWefcsAb6IOr6U&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCt4L3mY2juYTj0uvS3UARSd3k8H9lVvEngfjJyutZj6w&oe=66231DD2	person_profile	0	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434471710_1091956535214019_8823502970257376658_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xPuttSBuEW8Ab7_rJi6&_nc_oc=Adi_RZ2PnGI6wGofmv25g46ZVmg_CmDd3Siapqk5l5cTeosjTK_UwrDm4s-xbyDxMuY&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBUfD3mNH2LHTBcfmDdk6DRDekChPo9wVs17bvAkHS5-g&oe=66233EF0			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”		Popular Novels		15	https://facebook.com/100091852266052	0		LEARN_MORE						1712300400		View Edit Delete
1245009	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198945	1734922004		532		468759688909465	1	1.4557546553711E+15		1712386800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	127476320437895		0	Joylit Novel			120209419168180155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712326279	1.274763204379E+14	Joylit Novel	https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435922076_26020242234241797_2889841262972408798_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=t9baB4jdiS0Ab5XC8pL&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBcRVgVioVSdZA4mjpZ1hMynStKaL682f9eakF_nrbzpQ&oe=662333F6	person_profile	0	Joylit Novel	https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435967927_1066767851049317_1561946203436222314_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=65e-XZoSXK0Ab5LiXSq&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBqmEjE7hghyvj1MU2hdcec0pZ-gifJP4Uzq2zjF4hQ8g&oe=6623308C			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”		Joylit Novel		142	https://facebook.com/61550512629703	0		LEARN_MORE						1712300400		View Edit Delete
1245010	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198945	1734922004		532		958749282411786	1	4.4977597414227E+14		1712473200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	118879321169142		0	Popular Novels			120209419167860155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712326284	1.1887932116914E+14	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434468888_3690261634575632_6401908243475390104_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=D65CNB0OAdIAb4UGh-s&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC9rziGkI5C58Q9GcH8YAyUiRn8xIfuygXjJ3JoCxrj1Q&oe=66231663	person_profile	0	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434020943_779277654154148_2662673391048663058_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=n4mtBNUlLg8Ab5U7krE&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD8R6pBN5oeWqwbeH4r3Pt3iankr4M4A1fZcZ4hs6LG7g&oe=66233E19			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”		Popular Novels		15	https://facebook.com/100091852266052	0		LEARN_MORE						1712300400		View Edit Delete
1245011	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198945	1734922005		532		1069140850840054	1	1.6241020616592E+15		1712473200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	118879321169142		0	Popular Novels			120209419168010155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712326282	1.1887932116914E+14	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435502558_946389883560239_8063324588779684334_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Tjpt-VkY0MEAb40R5bA&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDw8MyChyGveoDeyKdv8DmjcoFsFfl_cAmwmHeKTIkmxw&oe=66232DC8	person_profile	0	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435397278_1606457716805584_6972571707161182820_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=MVyZfOPTanwAb77UW5q&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDij4CseSF--lPy_PmA8CBpA7IKUT9H1K3A63pgSe8tQA&oe=6623224E			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”		Popular Novels		15	https://facebook.com/100091852266052	0		LEARN_MORE						1712300400		View Edit Delete
1245012	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198945	1734922005		532		3647639688884593	1	9.5678975931644E+14		1712473200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	118879321169142		0	Popular Novels			120209419168340155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712326286	1.1887932116914E+14	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435957913_930248478801308_2031386260841533956_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UC4xKjzBQlYAb5SzdnZ&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB7cha962rcivYI69P1Eg90wQKsP6Lg3Z2hXTmpCmOGMQ&oe=66233DCE	person_profile	0	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436120890_339816871956035_1414577630003480584_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Bew4Ppd2YAcAb6pTsy8&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDK9nrab25U89VGNxvjt_0Y7Yhw4fIMT-ZeFkj3mlZvUA&oe=6623350B			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”		Popular Novels		15	https://facebook.com/100091852266052	0		LEARN_MORE						1712300400		View Edit Delete
1245013	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198945	1734922005		532		278986875256956	1	1.457913035109E+15		1712818800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	118879321169142		0	Popular Novels			120209419167580155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	image	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712326263	1.1887932116914E+14	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/423582667_3435600893252216_1589940012388866736_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_4bjLeeP8sEAb5Xib85&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD7Bm3RZIdqI-9sO8rWSyc1xhVxOE1QgtV1Uc2ExiIkdg&oe=6623117A	person_profile	0	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434570372_2550082748498630_5774464899006330546_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=aFgtt9L1GRcAb5AVQQd&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAmGknuNfHQh6QEkT1QkBfePRbxC2er_Sya3e_zEuo08A&oe=662328D7			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”		Popular Novels		15	https://facebook.com/100091852266052	0		LEARN_MORE						1712300400		View Edit Delete
1245143	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198969	1734922005		532		1615672245917077	1	9.3356670827432E+14		1711782000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	217316998627741		0	Frost & Flame：King of Avalon			120207741418360751		itunes.apple.com	Install now		NONE	video	Play for FREE!		http://itunes.apple.com/app/id1084930849		1711625812	2.1731699862774E+14	Frost & Flame：King of Avalon	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433295733_1434885394119069_9210322066019447018_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1q79eOfvZIcAb5e84M6&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB1h07R61WlmERxWR-QRIz44K4oBtBZctTtFuvzWtMZTg&oe=662341CA	person_profile	0	King of Avalon	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182474_1652848275487580_8589992803339791858_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=CnriZA6fVSgAb4Ht5GJ&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDBuRbKbg6lVBRzHHN2M9NlzLlv1_hCeRdoAqza3M32VA&oe=66233019			0	3	That Game Everyone&#039;s Playing! Join Now!		Frost & Flame：King of Avalon		1212952	https://facebook.com/koadw	0		INSTALL_MOBILE_APP						1711609200		View Edit Delete
1245127	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198965	1734922039		532		351935830573467	2	7.6737948164112E+14		1712041200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	107398322268051		0	Magic Prize			120208272738960652		tunnelstudent.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://tunnelstudent.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=Q6Vie1kawk47OYN1xo0W&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&fbpxl=%7B%7Bfbpxl%7D%7D		1711876962	1.0739832226805E+14	Magic Prize	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434394954_742447831020753_3847928089840927389_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=P30VO-r7eagAb5n4HUL&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCf6fZvyTJBXJwq3fY_OmOTDHLnALiIBEyLEWUWxlA14Q&oe=662328D5	person_profile	0	Magic Prize	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434380846_1558295141408983_438997556220937994_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=iG4uw6Ey7YYAb4MchJf&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCSs9aUuJ2A9ChB3zTgDZVKjN7KZ2jqj-gjCNte9BjTLA&oe=66231E43			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳		Magic Prize		329	https://facebook.com/100089754113544	0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1711868400		View Edit Delete
1245141	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198968	1734922039		532		427564996310457	1	4.2971087638131E+14		1711782000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	217316998627741		0	Frost & Flame：King of Avalon			120207741420240751		itunes.apple.com	Install now		NONE	video	Play for FREE!		http://itunes.apple.com/app/id1084930849		1711625634	2.1731699862774E+14	Frost & Flame：King of Avalon	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434465975_909020687669040_1400946644615777548_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JCpigwDJvuEAb61P7k-&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBbtHW_ML3pT2njdCo5R1gOKFiFU6Kiz6eQX_SEIzRt-A&oe=6623189A	person_profile	0	King of Avalon	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434410495_660137172893255_2478199693599053727_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=jtq89Q-w8CAAb7DmVNm&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD8UHXAT3LK9A9p-BNduPEpbH905jivHtkpypg3B313-A&oe=66231233			0	3	That Game Everyone&#039;s Playing! Join Now!		Frost & Flame：King of Avalon		1212952	https://facebook.com/koadw	0		INSTALL_MOBILE_APP						1711609200		View Edit Delete
1245014	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198945	1734922005		532		339897142416421	1	7.6149925262853E+14		1712818800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	127476320437895		0	Joylit Novel			120209419167880155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	image	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712326265	1.274763204379E+14	Joylit Novel	https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435906348_903689698108156_704486821177568529_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ymAwvOJIsMIAb7C8YtQ&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBq6a7uo4T7uZMBVN6Jn6EfGUJRdaQ_vxhhyishZy30jQ&oe=662321F3	person_profile	0	Joylit Novel	https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434831984_751761997041307_4551358567051246058_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NfeL4PDBtfcAb5o0m5-&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAY2cbEHZf56bKqnh9_vBjIWOco43Ya87sGUHY6GeACCA&oe=66231440			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”		Joylit Novel		142	https://facebook.com/61550512629703	0		LEARN_MORE						1712300400		View Edit Delete
1245018	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198946	1734922005		532		971754854280828	1	1.1452442802454E+15		1712818800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	118879321169142		0	Popular Novels			120209419167710155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	image	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712326264	1.1887932116914E+14	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436096764_2055936714788178_2501911458395791645_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=99sI0lZE6OsAb6ZsBrs&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBj56FfQsaxYey1XBwjsE6183hemTi1X6jQFnGSTUV3Gg&oe=66233482	person_profile	0	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435926063_985350402946779_1373285003989104575_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4WsoVjW1qPoAb43XRHM&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCvKL68uu1F8QIFtnBG1r2WEtcW5gd7iRH05Fhyu86sUg&oe=6623245D			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”		Popular Novels		15	https://facebook.com/100091852266052	0		LEARN_MORE						1712300400		View Edit Delete
1245128	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198965	1734922039		532		429449072906702	2	7.6737948164112E+14		1712041200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	107398322268051		0	Magic Prize			120208272738920652		tunnelstudent.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://tunnelstudent.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=Q6Vie1kawk47OYN1xo0W&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&fbpxl=%7B%7Bfbpxl%7D%7D		1711876961	1.0739832226805E+14	Magic Prize	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434740802_1685417662280526_5623805221690856652_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=sX59Y3JXrSUAb5heKLJ&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBqPXOG2N5xrANFEWAptSoAex_1pjiROmcnfMLRL8hSyg&oe=66231E5C	person_profile	0	Magic Prize	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434741579_394204396707439_4338772266305117126_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1qNZOZa1WYkAb51YK2p&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDx5-9nRpSgkYvKtFaC1d6BFebVD0XxDJX3a8VjVWCukA&oe=66232A54			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳		Magic Prize		329	https://facebook.com/100089754113544	0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1711868400		View Edit Delete
1244925	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198917	1734922007		532		1143833703459581	1	9.6716752541011E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	0	423699414390350		0	Hiya toys			120207249585580645		instagram.com	Visit Instagram Profile		NONE	carousel			https://www.instagram.com/_u/hiya_toys		1712918182	4.2369941439035E+14	Hiya toys	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435890169_455637816898997_1400948676440987007_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KhJPCPHH_rgAb4g5hRv&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBxdTSEYsHTVGRkGve304NgRgpFasRNuwNs1JntrwmvFQ&oe=662325C7	person_profile	0	Hiyatoys	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435899196_1161301881532746_9040978709044126875_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=j8o0tyqlhngAb4vl6oy&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfChDCkRQk-Ws0_kAx28LxwHHAy2Jli5BPZ3SQ2HcWYcuA&oe=662338F0			0	3			Hiya toys		19139	https://facebook.com/Hiyatoys	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1712905200		View Edit Delete
1244926	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198917	1734922008		532		1143833703459581	1	9.6716752541011E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	0	423699414390350		0	Hiya toys			120207249585580645		instagram.com	Visit Instagram Profile		NONE	carousel			https://www.instagram.com/_u/hiya_toys		1712918182	4.2369941439035E+14	Hiya toys	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435890169_455637816898997_1400948676440987007_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KhJPCPHH_rgAb4g5hRv&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBxdTSEYsHTVGRkGve304NgRgpFasRNuwNs1JntrwmvFQ&oe=662325C7	person_profile	0	Hiyatoys	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435899196_1161301881532746_9040978709044126875_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=j8o0tyqlhngAb4vl6oy&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfChDCkRQk-Ws0_kAx28LxwHHAy2Jli5BPZ3SQ2HcWYcuA&oe=662338F0			0	3			Hiya toys		19139	https://facebook.com/Hiyatoys	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1712905200		View Edit Delete
1244927	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198917	1734922008		532		1143833703459581	1	9.6716752541011E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	0	423699414390350		0	Hiya toys			120207249585580645		instagram.com	Visit Instagram Profile		NONE	carousel			https://www.instagram.com/_u/hiya_toys		1712918182	4.2369941439035E+14	Hiya toys	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435890169_455637816898997_1400948676440987007_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KhJPCPHH_rgAb4g5hRv&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBxdTSEYsHTVGRkGve304NgRgpFasRNuwNs1JntrwmvFQ&oe=662325C7	person_profile	0	Hiyatoys	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435899196_1161301881532746_9040978709044126875_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=j8o0tyqlhngAb4vl6oy&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfChDCkRQk-Ws0_kAx28LxwHHAy2Jli5BPZ3SQ2HcWYcuA&oe=662338F0			0	3			Hiya toys		19139	https://facebook.com/Hiyatoys	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1712905200		View Edit Delete
1244902	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198903	1734922008		532		743968021245361	1	9.5652665285401E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	1768001686751495		0	Crossbow Telluride			120210866928850779		shopcrossbow.com	Shop Now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}		http://www.shopcrossbow.com/?utm_source={{campaign.name}}		1712949839	1.7680016867515E+15	Crossbow Telluride	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437522016_978495903906280_8757116388477634652_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=989sKi0gq1kAb5d08Qc&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDDCjUc6PAxTi1teUBYfboflg93mklYuq9pTyyXDUjiwA&oe=66231DC1	person_profile	0	Crossbow Telluride	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437366050_2471321913052159_5547764910639120136_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0SmDwxcwAkAAb5hcOQy&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCJzyGpnMvieNRkgoK0DgP9VgMQo8ARIxSALf1kkqK3BQ&oe=662321E6			0	3	15% Off Our Entire Store & Free Shipping On Orders Over $200!		Crossbow Telluride		645	https://facebook.com/crossbowtelluride	0		SHOP_NOW						1712905200		View Edit Delete
1244903	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198905	1734922008		532		743968021245361	1	9.5652665285401E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	1768001686751495		0	Crossbow Telluride			120210866928850779		shopcrossbow.com	Shop Now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}		http://www.shopcrossbow.com/?utm_source={{campaign.name}}		1712949839	1.7680016867515E+15	Crossbow Telluride	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437522016_978495903906280_8757116388477634652_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=989sKi0gq1kAb5d08Qc&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDDCjUc6PAxTi1teUBYfboflg93mklYuq9pTyyXDUjiwA&oe=66231DC1	person_profile	0	Crossbow Telluride	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437366050_2471321913052159_5547764910639120136_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0SmDwxcwAkAAb5hcOQy&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCJzyGpnMvieNRkgoK0DgP9VgMQo8ARIxSALf1kkqK3BQ&oe=662321E6			0	3	15% Off Our Entire Store & Free Shipping On Orders Over $200!		Crossbow Telluride		645	https://facebook.com/crossbowtelluride	0		SHOP_NOW						1712905200		View Edit Delete
1244904	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198905	1734922008		532		743968021245361	1	9.5652665285401E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	1768001686751495		0	Crossbow Telluride			120210866928850779		shopcrossbow.com	Shop Now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}		http://www.shopcrossbow.com/?utm_source={{campaign.name}}		1712949839	1.7680016867515E+15	Crossbow Telluride	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437522016_978495903906280_8757116388477634652_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=989sKi0gq1kAb5d08Qc&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDDCjUc6PAxTi1teUBYfboflg93mklYuq9pTyyXDUjiwA&oe=66231DC1	person_profile	0	Crossbow Telluride	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437366050_2471321913052159_5547764910639120136_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0SmDwxcwAkAAb5hcOQy&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCJzyGpnMvieNRkgoK0DgP9VgMQo8ARIxSALf1kkqK3BQ&oe=662321E6			0	3	15% Off Our Entire Store & Free Shipping On Orders Over $200!		Crossbow Telluride		645	https://facebook.com/crossbowtelluride	0		SHOP_NOW						1712905200		View Edit Delete
1244905	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198906	1734922009		532		743968021245361	1	9.5652665285401E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	1768001686751495		0	Crossbow Telluride			120210866928850779		shopcrossbow.com	Shop Now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}		http://www.shopcrossbow.com/?utm_source={{campaign.name}}		1712949839	1.7680016867515E+15	Crossbow Telluride	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437522016_978495903906280_8757116388477634652_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=989sKi0gq1kAb5d08Qc&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDDCjUc6PAxTi1teUBYfboflg93mklYuq9pTyyXDUjiwA&oe=66231DC1	person_profile	0	Crossbow Telluride	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437366050_2471321913052159_5547764910639120136_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0SmDwxcwAkAAb5hcOQy&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCJzyGpnMvieNRkgoK0DgP9VgMQo8ARIxSALf1kkqK3BQ&oe=662321E6			0	3	15% Off Our Entire Store & Free Shipping On Orders Over $200!		Crossbow Telluride		645	https://facebook.com/crossbowtelluride	0		SHOP_NOW						1712905200		View Edit Delete
1244928	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198918	1734922009		532		1143833703459581	1	9.6716752541011E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	0	423699414390350		0	Hiya toys			120207249585580645		instagram.com	Visit Instagram Profile		NONE	carousel			https://www.instagram.com/_u/hiya_toys		1712918182	4.2369941439035E+14	Hiya toys	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435890169_455637816898997_1400948676440987007_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KhJPCPHH_rgAb4g5hRv&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBxdTSEYsHTVGRkGve304NgRgpFasRNuwNs1JntrwmvFQ&oe=662325C7	person_profile	0	Hiyatoys	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435899196_1161301881532746_9040978709044126875_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=j8o0tyqlhngAb4vl6oy&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfChDCkRQk-Ws0_kAx28LxwHHAy2Jli5BPZ3SQ2HcWYcuA&oe=662338F0			0	3			Hiya toys		19139	https://facebook.com/Hiyatoys	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1712905200		View Edit Delete
1244929	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198918	1734922009		532		1143833703459581	1	9.6716752541011E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	0	423699414390350		0	Hiya toys			120207249585580645		instagram.com	Visit Instagram Profile		NONE	carousel			https://www.instagram.com/_u/hiya_toys		1712918182	4.2369941439035E+14	Hiya toys	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435890169_455637816898997_1400948676440987007_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KhJPCPHH_rgAb4g5hRv&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBxdTSEYsHTVGRkGve304NgRgpFasRNuwNs1JntrwmvFQ&oe=662325C7	person_profile	0	Hiyatoys	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435899196_1161301881532746_9040978709044126875_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=j8o0tyqlhngAb4vl6oy&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfChDCkRQk-Ws0_kAx28LxwHHAy2Jli5BPZ3SQ2HcWYcuA&oe=662338F0			0	3			Hiya toys		19139	https://facebook.com/Hiyatoys	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1712905200		View Edit Delete
1244930	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198918	1734922009		532		1143833703459581	1	9.6716752541011E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	0	423699414390350		0	Hiya toys			120207249585580645		instagram.com	Visit Instagram Profile		NONE	carousel			https://www.instagram.com/_u/hiya_toys		1712918182	4.2369941439035E+14	Hiya toys	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435890169_455637816898997_1400948676440987007_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KhJPCPHH_rgAb4g5hRv&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBxdTSEYsHTVGRkGve304NgRgpFasRNuwNs1JntrwmvFQ&oe=662325C7	person_profile	0	Hiyatoys	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435899196_1161301881532746_9040978709044126875_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=j8o0tyqlhngAb4vl6oy&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfChDCkRQk-Ws0_kAx28LxwHHAy2Jli5BPZ3SQ2HcWYcuA&oe=662338F0			0	3			Hiya toys		19139	https://facebook.com/Hiyatoys	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1712905200		View Edit Delete
1244932	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198921	1734922009		532		1464847257762584	3	3.2845536023858E+14		1713078000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	892588401116730		0	Practice Anywhere			120207328534580376		accubow.com	Shop Now		NONE	carousel	Scope-to-Phone Crosshair Sight		https://accubow.com/		1710617225	8.9258840111673E+14	Practice Anywhere	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431950026_712364067761625_8500033827148086301_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bwC3KujGgZAAb4Rz_8X&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC6GcL3kgzatS_yrEfuNH8yw17N6MCJLqo6ycFNIljwpA&oe=66233E3C	person_profile	0	Official AccuBow®	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431972926_397577752988272_9068572841206466590_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wLaFOY3zg-AAb7ganSd&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAu2JTia59GLCNc7FGdrCi1l8JgCiXmB-CDmQtE6b1LpA&oe=66230D31			0	3			Practice Anywhere		9799	https://facebook.com/practiceanywherenow	0		SHOP_NOW						1712905200		View Edit Delete
1244933	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198922	1734922009		532		1464847257762584	3	3.2845536023858E+14		1713078000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	892588401116730		0	Practice Anywhere			120207328534580376		accubow.com	Shop Now		NONE	carousel	Scope-to-Phone Crosshair Sight		https://accubow.com/		1710617225	8.9258840111673E+14	Practice Anywhere	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431950026_712364067761625_8500033827148086301_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bwC3KujGgZAAb4Rz_8X&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC6GcL3kgzatS_yrEfuNH8yw17N6MCJLqo6ycFNIljwpA&oe=66233E3C	person_profile	0	Official AccuBow®	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431972926_397577752988272_9068572841206466590_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wLaFOY3zg-AAb7ganSd&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAu2JTia59GLCNc7FGdrCi1l8JgCiXmB-CDmQtE6b1LpA&oe=66230D31			0	3			Practice Anywhere		9799	https://facebook.com/practiceanywherenow	0		SHOP_NOW						1712905200		View Edit Delete
1244934	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198922	1734922010		532		1464847257762584	3	3.2845536023858E+14		1713078000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	892588401116730		0	Practice Anywhere			120207328534580376		accubow.com	Shop Now		NONE	carousel	Scope-to-Phone Crosshair Sight		https://accubow.com/		1710617225	8.9258840111673E+14	Practice Anywhere	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431950026_712364067761625_8500033827148086301_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bwC3KujGgZAAb4Rz_8X&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC6GcL3kgzatS_yrEfuNH8yw17N6MCJLqo6ycFNIljwpA&oe=66233E3C	person_profile	0	Official AccuBow®	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431972926_397577752988272_9068572841206466590_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wLaFOY3zg-AAb7ganSd&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAu2JTia59GLCNc7FGdrCi1l8JgCiXmB-CDmQtE6b1LpA&oe=66230D31			0	3			Practice Anywhere		9799	https://facebook.com/practiceanywherenow	0		SHOP_NOW						1712905200		View Edit Delete
1244935	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198922	1734922010		532		1464847257762584	3	3.2845536023858E+14		1713078000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	892588401116730		0	Practice Anywhere			120207328534580376		accubow.com	Shop Now		NONE	carousel	Scope-to-Phone Crosshair Sight		https://accubow.com/		1710617225	8.9258840111673E+14	Practice Anywhere	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431950026_712364067761625_8500033827148086301_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bwC3KujGgZAAb4Rz_8X&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC6GcL3kgzatS_yrEfuNH8yw17N6MCJLqo6ycFNIljwpA&oe=66233E3C	person_profile	0	Official AccuBow®	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431972926_397577752988272_9068572841206466590_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wLaFOY3zg-AAb7ganSd&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAu2JTia59GLCNc7FGdrCi1l8JgCiXmB-CDmQtE6b1LpA&oe=66230D31			0	3			Practice Anywhere		9799	https://facebook.com/practiceanywherenow	0		SHOP_NOW						1712905200		View Edit Delete
1244936	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198922	1734922010		532		1464847257762584	3	3.2845536023858E+14		1713078000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	892588401116730		0	Practice Anywhere			120207328534580376		accubow.com	Shop Now		NONE	carousel	Scope-to-Phone Crosshair Sight		https://accubow.com/		1710617225	8.9258840111673E+14	Practice Anywhere	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431950026_712364067761625_8500033827148086301_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bwC3KujGgZAAb4Rz_8X&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC6GcL3kgzatS_yrEfuNH8yw17N6MCJLqo6ycFNIljwpA&oe=66233E3C	person_profile	0	Official AccuBow®	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431972926_397577752988272_9068572841206466590_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wLaFOY3zg-AAb7ganSd&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAu2JTia59GLCNc7FGdrCi1l8JgCiXmB-CDmQtE6b1LpA&oe=66230D31			0	3			Practice Anywhere		9799	https://facebook.com/practiceanywherenow	0		SHOP_NOW						1712905200		View Edit Delete
1244937	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198922	1734922010		532		762799398924244		3.2845536023858E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	892588401116730		0	Practice Anywhere			120207328534580376		accubow.com	Shop Now		NONE	carousel	Scope-to-Phone Crosshair Sight		https://accubow.com/		1710617225	8.9258840111673E+14	Practice Anywhere	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431950026_712364067761625_8500033827148086301_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bwC3KujGgZAAb4Rz_8X&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC6GcL3kgzatS_yrEfuNH8yw17N6MCJLqo6ycFNIljwpA&oe=66233E3C	person_profile	0	Official AccuBow®	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431972926_397577752988272_9068572841206466590_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wLaFOY3zg-AAb7ganSd&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAu2JTia59GLCNc7FGdrCi1l8JgCiXmB-CDmQtE6b1LpA&oe=66230D31			0	3			Practice Anywhere		9799	https://facebook.com/practiceanywherenow	0		SHOP_NOW						1712905200		View Edit Delete
1244938	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198923	1734922010		532		762799398924244		3.2845536023858E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	892588401116730		0	Practice Anywhere			120207328534580376		accubow.com	Shop Now		NONE	carousel	Scope-to-Phone Crosshair Sight		https://accubow.com/		1710617225	8.9258840111673E+14	Practice Anywhere	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431950026_712364067761625_8500033827148086301_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bwC3KujGgZAAb4Rz_8X&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC6GcL3kgzatS_yrEfuNH8yw17N6MCJLqo6ycFNIljwpA&oe=66233E3C	person_profile	0	Official AccuBow®	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431972926_397577752988272_9068572841206466590_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wLaFOY3zg-AAb7ganSd&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAu2JTia59GLCNc7FGdrCi1l8JgCiXmB-CDmQtE6b1LpA&oe=66230D31			0	3			Practice Anywhere		9799	https://facebook.com/practiceanywherenow	0		SHOP_NOW						1712905200		View Edit Delete
1244939	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198924	1734922010		532		762799398924244		3.2845536023858E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	892588401116730		0	Practice Anywhere			120207328534580376		accubow.com	Shop Now		NONE	carousel	Scope-to-Phone Crosshair Sight		https://accubow.com/		1710617225	8.9258840111673E+14	Practice Anywhere	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431950026_712364067761625_8500033827148086301_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bwC3KujGgZAAb4Rz_8X&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC6GcL3kgzatS_yrEfuNH8yw17N6MCJLqo6ycFNIljwpA&oe=66233E3C	person_profile	0	Official AccuBow®	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431972926_397577752988272_9068572841206466590_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wLaFOY3zg-AAb7ganSd&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAu2JTia59GLCNc7FGdrCi1l8JgCiXmB-CDmQtE6b1LpA&oe=66230D31			0	3			Practice Anywhere		9799	https://facebook.com/practiceanywherenow	0		SHOP_NOW						1712905200		View Edit Delete
1244940	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198924	1734922010		532		762799398924244		3.2845536023858E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	892588401116730		0	Practice Anywhere			120207328534580376		accubow.com	Shop Now		NONE	carousel	Scope-to-Phone Crosshair Sight		https://accubow.com/		1710617225	8.9258840111673E+14	Practice Anywhere	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431950026_712364067761625_8500033827148086301_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bwC3KujGgZAAb4Rz_8X&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC6GcL3kgzatS_yrEfuNH8yw17N6MCJLqo6ycFNIljwpA&oe=66233E3C	person_profile	0	Official AccuBow®	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431972926_397577752988272_9068572841206466590_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wLaFOY3zg-AAb7ganSd&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAu2JTia59GLCNc7FGdrCi1l8JgCiXmB-CDmQtE6b1LpA&oe=66230D31			0	3			Practice Anywhere		9799	https://facebook.com/practiceanywherenow	0		SHOP_NOW						1712905200		View Edit Delete
1244941	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198925	1734922010		532		762799398924244		3.2845536023858E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	892588401116730		0	Practice Anywhere			120207328534580376		accubow.com	Shop Now		NONE	carousel	Scope-to-Phone Crosshair Sight		https://accubow.com/		1710617225	8.9258840111673E+14	Practice Anywhere	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431950026_712364067761625_8500033827148086301_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bwC3KujGgZAAb4Rz_8X&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC6GcL3kgzatS_yrEfuNH8yw17N6MCJLqo6ycFNIljwpA&oe=66233E3C	person_profile	0	Official AccuBow®	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431972926_397577752988272_9068572841206466590_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wLaFOY3zg-AAb7ganSd&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAu2JTia59GLCNc7FGdrCi1l8JgCiXmB-CDmQtE6b1LpA&oe=66230D31			0	3			Practice Anywhere		9799	https://facebook.com/practiceanywherenow	0		SHOP_NOW						1712905200		View Edit Delete
1244942	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198926	1734922010		532		762799398924244		3.2845536023858E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	892588401116730		0	Practice Anywhere			120207328534580376		accubow.com	Shop Now		NONE	carousel	Scope-to-Phone Crosshair Sight		https://accubow.com/		1710617225	8.9258840111673E+14	Practice Anywhere	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431950026_712364067761625_8500033827148086301_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bwC3KujGgZAAb4Rz_8X&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC6GcL3kgzatS_yrEfuNH8yw17N6MCJLqo6ycFNIljwpA&oe=66233E3C	person_profile	0	Official AccuBow®	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431972926_397577752988272_9068572841206466590_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wLaFOY3zg-AAb7ganSd&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAu2JTia59GLCNc7FGdrCi1l8JgCiXmB-CDmQtE6b1LpA&oe=66230D31			0	3			Practice Anywhere		9799	https://facebook.com/practiceanywherenow	0		SHOP_NOW						1712905200		View Edit Delete
1244943	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198927	1734922011		532		740279021611050		3.2845536023858E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	892588401116730		0	Practice Anywhere			120207328534580376		accubow.com	Shop Now		NONE	carousel	Scope-to-Phone Crosshair Sight		https://accubow.com/		1710617225	8.9258840111673E+14	Practice Anywhere	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431950026_712364067761625_8500033827148086301_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bwC3KujGgZAAb4Rz_8X&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC6GcL3kgzatS_yrEfuNH8yw17N6MCJLqo6ycFNIljwpA&oe=66233E3C	person_profile	0	Official AccuBow®	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431972926_397577752988272_9068572841206466590_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wLaFOY3zg-AAb7ganSd&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAu2JTia59GLCNc7FGdrCi1l8JgCiXmB-CDmQtE6b1LpA&oe=66230D31			0	3			Practice Anywhere		9799	https://facebook.com/practiceanywherenow	0		SHOP_NOW						1712905200		View Edit Delete
1244944	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198927	1734922011		532		740279021611050		3.2845536023858E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	892588401116730		0	Practice Anywhere			120207328534580376		accubow.com	Shop Now		NONE	carousel	Scope-to-Phone Crosshair Sight		https://accubow.com/		1710617225	8.9258840111673E+14	Practice Anywhere	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431950026_712364067761625_8500033827148086301_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bwC3KujGgZAAb4Rz_8X&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC6GcL3kgzatS_yrEfuNH8yw17N6MCJLqo6ycFNIljwpA&oe=66233E3C	person_profile	0	Official AccuBow®	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431972926_397577752988272_9068572841206466590_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wLaFOY3zg-AAb7ganSd&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAu2JTia59GLCNc7FGdrCi1l8JgCiXmB-CDmQtE6b1LpA&oe=66230D31			0	3			Practice Anywhere		9799	https://facebook.com/practiceanywherenow	0		SHOP_NOW						1712905200		View Edit Delete
1244945	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198927	1734922011		532		740279021611050		3.2845536023858E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	892588401116730		0	Practice Anywhere			120207328534580376		accubow.com	Shop Now		NONE	carousel	Scope-to-Phone Crosshair Sight		https://accubow.com/		1710617225	8.9258840111673E+14	Practice Anywhere	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431950026_712364067761625_8500033827148086301_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bwC3KujGgZAAb4Rz_8X&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC6GcL3kgzatS_yrEfuNH8yw17N6MCJLqo6ycFNIljwpA&oe=66233E3C	person_profile	0	Official AccuBow®	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431972926_397577752988272_9068572841206466590_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wLaFOY3zg-AAb7ganSd&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAu2JTia59GLCNc7FGdrCi1l8JgCiXmB-CDmQtE6b1LpA&oe=66230D31			0	3			Practice Anywhere		9799	https://facebook.com/practiceanywherenow	0		SHOP_NOW						1712905200		View Edit Delete
1244946	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198928	1734922011		532		740279021611050		3.2845536023858E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	892588401116730		0	Practice Anywhere			120207328534580376		accubow.com	Shop Now		NONE	carousel	Scope-to-Phone Crosshair Sight		https://accubow.com/		1710617225	8.9258840111673E+14	Practice Anywhere	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431950026_712364067761625_8500033827148086301_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bwC3KujGgZAAb4Rz_8X&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC6GcL3kgzatS_yrEfuNH8yw17N6MCJLqo6ycFNIljwpA&oe=66233E3C	person_profile	0	Official AccuBow®	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431972926_397577752988272_9068572841206466590_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wLaFOY3zg-AAb7ganSd&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAu2JTia59GLCNc7FGdrCi1l8JgCiXmB-CDmQtE6b1LpA&oe=66230D31			0	3			Practice Anywhere		9799	https://facebook.com/practiceanywherenow	0		SHOP_NOW						1712905200		View Edit Delete
1244947	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198928	1734922011		532		740279021611050		3.2845536023858E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	892588401116730		0	Practice Anywhere			120207328534580376		accubow.com	Shop Now		NONE	carousel	Scope-to-Phone Crosshair Sight		https://accubow.com/		1710617225	8.9258840111673E+14	Practice Anywhere	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431950026_712364067761625_8500033827148086301_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bwC3KujGgZAAb4Rz_8X&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC6GcL3kgzatS_yrEfuNH8yw17N6MCJLqo6ycFNIljwpA&oe=66233E3C	person_profile	0	Official AccuBow®	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431972926_397577752988272_9068572841206466590_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wLaFOY3zg-AAb7ganSd&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAu2JTia59GLCNc7FGdrCi1l8JgCiXmB-CDmQtE6b1LpA&oe=66230D31			0	3			Practice Anywhere		9799	https://facebook.com/practiceanywherenow	0		SHOP_NOW						1712905200		View Edit Delete
1244948	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198928	1734922011		532		740279021611050		3.2845536023858E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	892588401116730		0	Practice Anywhere			120207328534580376		accubow.com	Shop Now		NONE	carousel	Scope-to-Phone Crosshair Sight		https://accubow.com/		1710617225	8.9258840111673E+14	Practice Anywhere	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431950026_712364067761625_8500033827148086301_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bwC3KujGgZAAb4Rz_8X&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC6GcL3kgzatS_yrEfuNH8yw17N6MCJLqo6ycFNIljwpA&oe=66233E3C	person_profile	0	Official AccuBow®	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431972926_397577752988272_9068572841206466590_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wLaFOY3zg-AAb7ganSd&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAu2JTia59GLCNc7FGdrCi1l8JgCiXmB-CDmQtE6b1LpA&oe=66230D31			0	3			Practice Anywhere		9799	https://facebook.com/practiceanywherenow	0		SHOP_NOW						1712905200		View Edit Delete
1244960	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198930	1734922011		532		1375173813143779	1	4.3485246571014E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	105162211758062		0	5ktoys			120207151235520276		5ktoys.com	Learn More		NONE	carousel			http://5ktoys.com/		1712776301	1.0516221175806E+14	5ktoys	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436417861_977343200521964_6134221005321239247_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=CTyna2e7bNQAb7mCn8i&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDRj2RcQI4D1y-iqXvOQCfGLgV9ybbN6Pa3yh0uue3a_g&oe=66230EA1	person_profile	0	5Ktoys.com	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436492213_439709005281862_5978172342120952253_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FgcYkfXzFy4Ab5O8Oyx&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD-DF796IqUk2tXnudtHOlVFTuqYeAWn5EJcmUHikjGkQ&oe=662311AA			0	3			5ktoys		4332	https://facebook.com/5ktoysStore	0		LEARN_MORE						1712732400		View Edit Delete
1244962	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198930	1734922012		532		1375173813143779	1	4.3485246571014E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	105162211758062		0	5ktoys			120207151235520276		5ktoys.com	Learn More		NONE	carousel			http://5ktoys.com/		1712776301	1.0516221175806E+14	5ktoys	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436417861_977343200521964_6134221005321239247_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=CTyna2e7bNQAb7mCn8i&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDRj2RcQI4D1y-iqXvOQCfGLgV9ybbN6Pa3yh0uue3a_g&oe=66230EA1	person_profile	0	5Ktoys.com	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436492213_439709005281862_5978172342120952253_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FgcYkfXzFy4Ab5O8Oyx&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD-DF796IqUk2tXnudtHOlVFTuqYeAWn5EJcmUHikjGkQ&oe=662311AA			0	3			5ktoys		4332	https://facebook.com/5ktoysStore	0		LEARN_MORE						1712732400		View Edit Delete
1244963	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198930	1734922012		532		1375173813143779	1	4.3485246571014E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	105162211758062		0	5ktoys			120207151235520276		5ktoys.com	Learn More		NONE	carousel			http://5ktoys.com/		1712776301	1.0516221175806E+14	5ktoys	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436417861_977343200521964_6134221005321239247_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=CTyna2e7bNQAb7mCn8i&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDRj2RcQI4D1y-iqXvOQCfGLgV9ybbN6Pa3yh0uue3a_g&oe=66230EA1	person_profile	0	5Ktoys.com	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436492213_439709005281862_5978172342120952253_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FgcYkfXzFy4Ab5O8Oyx&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD-DF796IqUk2tXnudtHOlVFTuqYeAWn5EJcmUHikjGkQ&oe=662311AA			0	3			5ktoys		4332	https://facebook.com/5ktoysStore	0		LEARN_MORE						1712732400		View Edit Delete
1245288	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713199010	1734922012		532		954366192372958	1	1.5399546432051E+15		1711436400	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	106204742218142		0	gregbridgesart			6560936327149		instagram.com	Visit Instagram Profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/gregbridgesart		1710884494	1.0620474221814E+14	gregbridgesart	https://scontent-bos5-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/363895122_621162433473069_7198498876232514127_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=3fd06f&_nc_ohc=FSY_4hlJgtUAb4BBYGS&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfBR02qPa8leFu0Efmf4HYeeTdRuaZflAJf2mEcnAEMFZA&oe=66231185	ig_ads_identity	1	Greg Bridges	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433263480_1078521833439170_8004495767132722397_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=s0bUQcbCUcMAb5y3z7V&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBDoc8HpFG9h5UjP3EuIv5eoc7H53TPGzS7R2zrGPZXYA&oe=66231D98			0	3			gregbridgesart		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/gregbridgesart	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1710831600		View Edit Delete
1245328	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713199021	1734922012		532		790868032886390	1	7.5019393671638E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	100365976129594		0	Puzzles & Chaos			120206871757330601		itunes.apple.com	Play game		NONE	video	Epic Puzzle Game		http://itunes.apple.com/app/id6446389130		1710468891	1.0036597612959E+14	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432743984_1394343881193330_7665965852556619492_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=F2TUkXLkfmAAb7HpeqM&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD8Bs30mo-gQIIghmZqi1iOa_5Xxu5e64TpOMm_bHjmGA&oe=6623128C	person_profile	0	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432773639_308986298517507_4330017547945227324_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ksBe6zlxYEcAb4GMJtV&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfALmppSr502wVoIlRfuHbkOYiYZHCzG1UB-O0hltlMohA&oe=66230C3B			0	3	MAGIC. MONSTERS. MASTERY.		Puzzles & Chaos		11827	https://facebook.com/PuzzlesAndChaos	0		PLAY_GAME						1710572400		View Edit Delete
1245329	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713199021	1734922013		532		1084218616165403	1	7.9666409563182E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	100365976129594		0	Puzzles & Chaos			120206871748630601		itunes.apple.com	Play game		NONE	video	Match-3 SLG👉		http://itunes.apple.com/app/id6446389130		1710468888	1.0036597612959E+14	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432373585_922913695947992_8289229141916300097_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ep9Wb6gJnLsAb7KdX0n&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAofhsqjNqQqyKf2eKmaxjJa0eGunVpf45fKQ47YNdyyQ&oe=66233841	person_profile	0	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431876977_763104358843962_4725808223182110592_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=90qnd599oV0Ab4mLBUA&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDsMAozMnq92l5TN29xsTviNrZyqM4RJ4n-JKaLDMvz_g&oe=66231033			0	3	Recuit legendry heroes!🧙‍♂️		Puzzles & Chaos		11827	https://facebook.com/PuzzlesAndChaos	0		PLAY_GAME						1710572400		View Edit Delete
1245331	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713199022	1734922013		532		703565471992985	1	1.4885603653396E+15		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	100365976129594		0	Puzzles & Chaos			120206871716970601		itunes.apple.com	Play game		NONE	video	Make smart decisions!		http://itunes.apple.com/app/id6446389130		1710468838	1.0036597612959E+14	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432444776_372738965577835_5030082489331704739_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qlqR2jV-Ce4Ab6xwDn6&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfATKSqwbSZZSN3mgBUvzMYgiDXG2w-jL84RfgEqgS0T-g&oe=66232603	person_profile	0	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432398130_950653769440556_6991683737075570762_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hHoJoTdcRb8Ab4CpkkF&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAZSdFCmfxPBkuKru65u2QQe4frru6a4twS-c2Wn5amhw&oe=66231BDF			0	3	Unlock unique bonuses with PC777!🎁		Puzzles & Chaos		11827	https://facebook.com/PuzzlesAndChaos	0		PLAY_GAME						1710572400		View Edit Delete
1245364	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713199026	1734922013		532		370751069136092	1	9.3470331818078E+14		1710140400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	148034835056966		0	Titan Revenge			120207575996730127		gamehollywood.com	Play Game		NONE	dco	Welcome to Titan Revenge!	{{product.description}}	https://www.gamehollywood.com/ldp/cEEx.action?gameId=239&lp=tr10&cno=TitanRevenge_GHG_FB_T1		1709956242	1.4803483505697E+14	Titan Revenge	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432049138_731012869138725_5954585650042261466_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TWVX_gESAxEAb6gnHmr&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBMs7EkyzVpmZd4yX0-BrFC5_30KxZoqHStAVkRriCklw&oe=66231903	person_profile	0					0	3	Join Titan Revenge for Epic RPG Action Battle, come discover and challenge! 💥💥		Titan Revenge		10266	https://facebook.com/TitanRevenge	0		PLAY_GAME						1709884800		View Edit Delete
1245365	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713199026	1734922014		532		370751069136092	1	9.3470331818078E+14		1710140400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	148034835056966		0	Titan Revenge			120207575996730127		gamehollywood.com	Play Game		NONE	dco	Welcome to Titan Revenge!	{{product.description}}	https://www.gamehollywood.com/ldp/cEEx.action?gameId=239&lp=tr10&cno=TitanRevenge_GHG_FB_T1		1709956242	1.4803483505697E+14	Titan Revenge	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432049138_731012869138725_5954585650042261466_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TWVX_gESAxEAb6gnHmr&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBMs7EkyzVpmZd4yX0-BrFC5_30KxZoqHStAVkRriCklw&oe=66231903	person_profile	0					0	3	Join Titan Revenge for Epic RPG Action Battle, come discover and challenge! 💥💥		Titan Revenge		10266	https://facebook.com/TitanRevenge	0		PLAY_GAME						1709884800		View Edit Delete
1245387	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713199033	1734922014		532		361684656586976		8.1286126393833E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	892588401116730		0	Practice Anywhere			120204193096150376		accubow.com	Shop Now		NONE	carousel	Code:ACCU20	Limited Time!	https://accubow.com/		1705091021	8.9258840111673E+14	Practice Anywhere	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/419133673_310227124771438_972601204068737509_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=STORPAUIGTQAb6kFVF0&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAt05zN0Ws9LdeumQqVK1B8uP57N81fRQkqYat33EfoDA&oe=66233123	person_profile	0	Practice anywhere	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/419119670_317631567934896_2992698053173032227_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ay07OQRRZvQAb5uNbB3&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBLvEbiwnWL6WVwbzyWv3vmU_ZyuH2APXWLIAbo4qBcgQ&oe=66232C06			0	3	Limited Time!		Practice Anywhere		9799	https://facebook.com/practiceanywherenow	0		SHOP_NOW						1705132800		View Edit Delete
1245388	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713199033	1734922014		532		361684656586976		8.1286126393833E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	892588401116730		0	Practice Anywhere			120204193096150376		accubow.com	Shop Now		NONE	carousel	Code:ACCU20	Limited Time!	https://accubow.com/		1705091021	8.9258840111673E+14	Practice Anywhere	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/419133673_310227124771438_972601204068737509_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=STORPAUIGTQAb6kFVF0&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAt05zN0Ws9LdeumQqVK1B8uP57N81fRQkqYat33EfoDA&oe=66233123	person_profile	0	Practice anywhere	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/419119670_317631567934896_2992698053173032227_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ay07OQRRZvQAb5uNbB3&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBLvEbiwnWL6WVwbzyWv3vmU_ZyuH2APXWLIAbo4qBcgQ&oe=66232C06			0	3	Limited Time!		Practice Anywhere		9799	https://facebook.com/practiceanywherenow	0		SHOP_NOW						1705132800		View Edit Delete
1245389	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713199034	1734922014		532		361684656586976		8.1286126393833E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	892588401116730		0	Practice Anywhere			120204193096150376		accubow.com	Shop Now		NONE	carousel	Code:ACCU20	Limited Time!	https://accubow.com/		1705091021	8.9258840111673E+14	Practice Anywhere	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/419133673_310227124771438_972601204068737509_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=STORPAUIGTQAb6kFVF0&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAt05zN0Ws9LdeumQqVK1B8uP57N81fRQkqYat33EfoDA&oe=66233123	person_profile	0	Practice anywhere	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/419119670_317631567934896_2992698053173032227_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ay07OQRRZvQAb5uNbB3&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBLvEbiwnWL6WVwbzyWv3vmU_ZyuH2APXWLIAbo4qBcgQ&oe=66232C06			0	3	Limited Time!		Practice Anywhere		9799	https://facebook.com/practiceanywherenow	0		SHOP_NOW						1705132800		View Edit Delete
1245390	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713199034	1734922014		532		361684656586976		8.1286126393833E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	892588401116730		0	Practice Anywhere			120204193096150376		accubow.com	Shop Now		NONE	carousel	Code:ACCU20	Limited Time!	https://accubow.com/		1705091021	8.9258840111673E+14	Practice Anywhere	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/419133673_310227124771438_972601204068737509_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=STORPAUIGTQAb6kFVF0&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAt05zN0Ws9LdeumQqVK1B8uP57N81fRQkqYat33EfoDA&oe=66233123	person_profile	0	Practice anywhere	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/419119670_317631567934896_2992698053173032227_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ay07OQRRZvQAb5uNbB3&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBLvEbiwnWL6WVwbzyWv3vmU_ZyuH2APXWLIAbo4qBcgQ&oe=66232C06			0	3	Limited Time!		Practice Anywhere		9799	https://facebook.com/practiceanywherenow	0		SHOP_NOW						1705132800		View Edit Delete
1245391	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713199034	1734922014		532		361684656586976		8.1286126393833E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	892588401116730		0	Practice Anywhere			120204193096150376		accubow.com	Shop Now		NONE	carousel	Code:ACCU20	Limited Time!	https://accubow.com/		1705091021	8.9258840111673E+14	Practice Anywhere	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/419133673_310227124771438_972601204068737509_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=STORPAUIGTQAb6kFVF0&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAt05zN0Ws9LdeumQqVK1B8uP57N81fRQkqYat33EfoDA&oe=66233123	person_profile	0	Practice anywhere	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/419119670_317631567934896_2992698053173032227_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ay07OQRRZvQAb5uNbB3&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBLvEbiwnWL6WVwbzyWv3vmU_ZyuH2APXWLIAbo4qBcgQ&oe=66232C06			0	3	Limited Time!		Practice Anywhere		9799	https://facebook.com/practiceanywherenow	0		SHOP_NOW						1705132800		View Edit Delete
1245392	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713199034	1734922014		532		361684656586976		8.1286126393833E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	892588401116730		0	Practice Anywhere			120204193096150376		accubow.com	Shop Now		NONE	carousel	Code:ACCU20	Limited Time!	https://accubow.com/		1705091021	8.9258840111673E+14	Practice Anywhere	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/419133673_310227124771438_972601204068737509_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=STORPAUIGTQAb6kFVF0&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAt05zN0Ws9LdeumQqVK1B8uP57N81fRQkqYat33EfoDA&oe=66233123	person_profile	0	Practice anywhere	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/419119670_317631567934896_2992698053173032227_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ay07OQRRZvQAb5uNbB3&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBLvEbiwnWL6WVwbzyWv3vmU_ZyuH2APXWLIAbo4qBcgQ&oe=66232C06			0	3	Limited Time!		Practice Anywhere		9799	https://facebook.com/practiceanywherenow	0		SHOP_NOW						1705132800		View Edit Delete
1245117	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198963	1734922015		532		1587452292049595	1	3.3503379623938E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	100365976129594		0	Puzzles & Chaos			120207063854990257		play.google.com	Play game		NONE	video	Epic Puzzle Game		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.global.pnck		1712056493	1.0036597612959E+14	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433865475_1460509604867814_1783150089028035899_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fQMi7EEhmhEAb6U2IIc&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfARAarCWOwej8_hUDs-ItGvWGzCUfgOlfOV7t_LDOaH7Q&oe=662317A9	person_profile	0	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433929891_777469004321938_4151742211924225325_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pIyP98ogaF4Ab5DW5WE&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCzM6m5BHMVmmaY2YGaZxGfKwpq_sWPXi82TL3kp03FqA&oe=66232355			0	3	Conquer this magical world and lead it to a new era!		Puzzles & Chaos		11827	https://facebook.com/PuzzlesAndChaos	0		PLAY_GAME						1712041200		View Edit Delete
1245118	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198963	1734922015		532		3754279928192839	1	8.5036508350231E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	100365976129594		0	Puzzles & Chaos			120207063849310257		play.google.com	Play game		NONE	video	The winter is coming!		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.global.pnck		1712056480	1.0036597612959E+14	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434455319_398901959570067_1737822551755624190_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vcMu2_ijWRYAb5NRXGV&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC6pKIPfnUYCf3P-tIwdX6mEtnXZ4BydiJxfB8pN-SbqQ&oe=66233F58	person_profile	0	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434412445_1078878469891943_1446259329779674907_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AFBcRveyz6UAb5X5SNg&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCQe_nsVbM1FVAaVlTZwmNcmFpKvHzoSs6XqSTkbYUp3A&oe=6623292D			0	3	💪Can you defend the white walkers?		Puzzles & Chaos		11827	https://facebook.com/PuzzlesAndChaos	0		PLAY_GAME						1712041200		View Edit Delete
1244921	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198916	1734922015		532		1143833703459581	1	9.6716752541011E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	0	423699414390350		0	Hiya toys			120207249585580645		instagram.com	Visit Instagram Profile		NONE	carousel			https://www.instagram.com/_u/hiya_toys		1712918182	4.2369941439035E+14	Hiya toys	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435890169_455637816898997_1400948676440987007_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KhJPCPHH_rgAb4g5hRv&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBxdTSEYsHTVGRkGve304NgRgpFasRNuwNs1JntrwmvFQ&oe=662325C7	person_profile	0	Hiyatoys	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435899196_1161301881532746_9040978709044126875_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=j8o0tyqlhngAb4vl6oy&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfChDCkRQk-Ws0_kAx28LxwHHAy2Jli5BPZ3SQ2HcWYcuA&oe=662338F0			0	3			Hiya toys		19139	https://facebook.com/Hiyatoys	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1712905200		View Edit Delete
1244922	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198917	1734922015		532		1143833703459581	1	9.6716752541011E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	0	423699414390350		0	Hiya toys			120207249585580645		instagram.com	Visit Instagram Profile		NONE	carousel			https://www.instagram.com/_u/hiya_toys		1712918182	4.2369941439035E+14	Hiya toys	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435890169_455637816898997_1400948676440987007_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KhJPCPHH_rgAb4g5hRv&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBxdTSEYsHTVGRkGve304NgRgpFasRNuwNs1JntrwmvFQ&oe=662325C7	person_profile	0	Hiyatoys	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435899196_1161301881532746_9040978709044126875_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=j8o0tyqlhngAb4vl6oy&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfChDCkRQk-Ws0_kAx28LxwHHAy2Jli5BPZ3SQ2HcWYcuA&oe=662338F0			0	3			Hiya toys		19139	https://facebook.com/Hiyatoys	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1712905200		View Edit Delete
1244906	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198906	1734922015		532		962290772274706	1	1.9747626296065E+15		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	1768001686751495		0	Crossbow Telluride			120210412727290779		www.shopcrossbow.com	Shop now		NONE	image	shopcrossbow.com		https://shopcrossbow.com/collections/bags-purses/products/fringe-hip-pouch?utm_source={{campaign.name}}&utm_medium=Stories+and+Reels		1712252689	1.7680016867515E+15	Crossbow Telluride	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434610718_340544711838399_8087931283179146244_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=71xgDkOTNroAb4ul7aX&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDXnSoCyMYNGTDdl0JHQlxYGn_49AFC3z9yUp0l1epFqA&oe=66233340	person_profile	0	Crossbow Telluride	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435909653_820860006742185_3382620861482282270_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AxhmbCfcRRoAb5iD2aC&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCVVvfjIXo_uzoeEYFUlKEaNOQEQXNdVQLAm632oIHluw&oe=66231B03			0	3	Handmade with Love in Telluride, Colorado!		Crossbow Telluride		645	https://facebook.com/crossbowtelluride	0		SHOP_NOW						1713078000		View Edit Delete
1244908	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198907	1734922016		532		788519456573595	1	2.5550806531199E+16		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	1768001686751495		0	Crossbow Telluride			120210874393540779		shopcrossbow.com	Shop Now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}		https://shopcrossbow.com/search?Spring+Sale+Hat+Box=hat+box		1712962508	1.7680016867515E+15	Crossbow Telluride	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437482661_2276572122547471_5452828747441643309_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HF7oeH7VnVgAb53wE0S&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCOwI15eqfUXbh5C8pOYAqffiwnB2HUj0pkmCvndNJbbg&oe=66233FCA	person_profile	0	Crossbow Telluride	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437562494_788819182799068_6104759479159036719_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Fi-ouf3UaQAAb6U65rT&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfApXPJrd7frugD8ZUGDImHmMjEm-1dUMNA2ToTMDEGGFA&oe=6623336E			0	3	Grab Them Before They're Gone! 15% off while		Crossbow Telluride		645	https://facebook.com/crossbowtelluride	0		SHOP_NOW						1712905200		View Edit Delete
1244909	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198908	1734922016		532		788519456573595	1	2.5550806531199E+16		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	1768001686751495		0	Crossbow Telluride			120210874393540779		shopcrossbow.com	Shop Now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}		https://shopcrossbow.com/search?Spring+Sale+Hat+Box=hat+box		1712962508	1.7680016867515E+15	Crossbow Telluride	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437482661_2276572122547471_5452828747441643309_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HF7oeH7VnVgAb53wE0S&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCOwI15eqfUXbh5C8pOYAqffiwnB2HUj0pkmCvndNJbbg&oe=66233FCA	person_profile	0	Crossbow Telluride	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437562494_788819182799068_6104759479159036719_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Fi-ouf3UaQAAb6U65rT&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfApXPJrd7frugD8ZUGDImHmMjEm-1dUMNA2ToTMDEGGFA&oe=6623336E			0	3	Grab Them Before They're Gone! 15% off while		Crossbow Telluride		645	https://facebook.com/crossbowtelluride	0		SHOP_NOW						1712905200		View Edit Delete
1244910	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198908	1734922016		532		788519456573595	1	2.5550806531199E+16		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	1768001686751495		0	Crossbow Telluride			120210874393540779		shopcrossbow.com	Shop Now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}		https://shopcrossbow.com/search?Spring+Sale+Hat+Box=hat+box		1712962508	1.7680016867515E+15	Crossbow Telluride	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437482661_2276572122547471_5452828747441643309_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HF7oeH7VnVgAb53wE0S&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCOwI15eqfUXbh5C8pOYAqffiwnB2HUj0pkmCvndNJbbg&oe=66233FCA	person_profile	0	Crossbow Telluride	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437562494_788819182799068_6104759479159036719_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Fi-ouf3UaQAAb6U65rT&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfApXPJrd7frugD8ZUGDImHmMjEm-1dUMNA2ToTMDEGGFA&oe=6623336E			0	3	Grab Them Before They're Gone! 15% off while		Crossbow Telluride		645	https://facebook.com/crossbowtelluride	0		SHOP_NOW						1712905200		View Edit Delete
1245015	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198946	1734922016		532		382881201235075	1	7.5040878382722E+14		1712818800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	118879321169142		0	Popular Novels			120209419168320155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	image	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712326262	1.1887932116914E+14	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434558424_3614469848769387_5047262944186986415_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PfvQipg_ujgAb7Dj1FK&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAV7-T3GqWFcB7gkyFNdGqjLEHdtQMazvTbobRyqid-uA&oe=662328E6	person_profile	0	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436007508_7206685886108800_7970418204511314465_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JK_yVyAw2HsAb7pfpl5&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD3KR0uhO9wrvcV30cfBylc20435RkGfNvMPHuwFGWqmQ&oe=66231477			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”		Popular Novels		15	https://facebook.com/100091852266052	0		LEARN_MORE						1712300400		View Edit Delete
1244923	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198917	1734922016		532		1143833703459581	1	9.6716752541011E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	0	423699414390350		0	Hiya toys			120207249585580645		instagram.com	Visit Instagram Profile		NONE	carousel			https://www.instagram.com/_u/hiya_toys		1712918182	4.2369941439035E+14	Hiya toys	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435890169_455637816898997_1400948676440987007_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KhJPCPHH_rgAb4g5hRv&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBxdTSEYsHTVGRkGve304NgRgpFasRNuwNs1JntrwmvFQ&oe=662325C7	person_profile	0	Hiyatoys	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435899196_1161301881532746_9040978709044126875_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=j8o0tyqlhngAb4vl6oy&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfChDCkRQk-Ws0_kAx28LxwHHAy2Jli5BPZ3SQ2HcWYcuA&oe=662338F0			0	3			Hiya toys		19139	https://facebook.com/Hiyatoys	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1712905200		View Edit Delete
1244924	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198917	1734922016		532		1143833703459581	1	9.6716752541011E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	0	423699414390350		0	Hiya toys			120207249585580645		instagram.com	Visit Instagram Profile		NONE	carousel			https://www.instagram.com/_u/hiya_toys		1712918182	4.2369941439035E+14	Hiya toys	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435890169_455637816898997_1400948676440987007_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KhJPCPHH_rgAb4g5hRv&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBxdTSEYsHTVGRkGve304NgRgpFasRNuwNs1JntrwmvFQ&oe=662325C7	person_profile	0	Hiyatoys	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435899196_1161301881532746_9040978709044126875_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=j8o0tyqlhngAb4vl6oy&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfChDCkRQk-Ws0_kAx28LxwHHAy2Jli5BPZ3SQ2HcWYcuA&oe=662338F0			0	3			Hiya toys		19139	https://facebook.com/Hiyatoys	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1712905200		View Edit Delete
1245129	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198965	1734922039		532		1453236398935536	1	7.1528112067888E+14		1711954800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	106401465673945		0	K9 Play and Stay			120209434187330204		cu130.com	Learn more		NONE	video			https://cu130.com/Webdesign?utm_source={{adset.id}}		1711793044	1.0640146567394E+14	K9 Play and Stay	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434408174_1565261874260511_4025092499777447010_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=CUlkedwn7mAAb6wYj-z&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCsdJSM2nlE_7FoQ2Qo-M8F_ZiA5GIEZsowXMNNAa324w&oe=66230C83	person_profile	0	K9 Play and Stay	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434572827_425152456687611_8811684751803242023_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lypLuFTHC2sAb4lBhfQ&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBiTcafYE1BjrK3_14FNUahR5a3kNAXojDI-Y37iIVFFQ&oe=66230FF3			0	3	Feel the raw passion of the hunt! Get your limited FREE recurve bow now and unleash your inner hero!		K9 Play and Stay		56	https://facebook.com/100088997360074	0		LEARN_MORE						1711782000		View Edit Delete
1245130	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198965	1734922039		532		7919428941408795	2	4.4182487840779E+14		1711954800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	106401465673945		0	K9 Play and Stay			120209434186270204		cu130.com	Learn more		NONE	video			https://cu130.com/Webdesign?utm_source={{adset.id}}		1711793069	1.0640146567394E+14	K9 Play and Stay	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433251205_371646482509924_9167893818528105777_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_ybusy6kuzsAb7vittC&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAdXuIXiiHI1ltp3ti2D6dvEctm38B3YeruOt7SNk5KxA&oe=66234371	person_profile	0	K9 Play and Stay	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434295418_792562652285263_6108522915737188328_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NPefsWvYkMMAb6djkZd&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDL-8HkGg_LDzeu8pqHzSXv4NcH1KrDSP8GKpNd5PYAiA&oe=66232A28			0	3	Feel the raw passion of the hunt! Get your limited FREE recurve bow now and unleash your inner hero!		K9 Play and Stay		56	https://facebook.com/100088997360074	0		LEARN_MORE						1711782000		View Edit Delete
1244919	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198915	1734922017		532		792598246074605	1	9.3007547859996E+14		1713078000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108840065363755		0	InvestmentsGurus			120210205957870131		investmentguru.com	Learn more		NONE	image	40+ Bizarre Yet Funny Pictures Captured By Air Travelers	Who said flying has to be stressful? In some cases, the experience can be a fun-filled adventure that can make anyone marvel at how far traveling has come. On the other hand, the airport is so busy that it's a bit easy to miss some interesting shenanigans. That is why this list has been curated; to....	https://investmentguru.com/koen/45-times-air-travel-gave-people-more-than-what-they-signed-up-for		1712943702	1.0884006536376E+14	InvestmentsGurus	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435696997_399890499481913_7225301040369759356_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bFPuD7cAlfsAb5PoKO9&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDHF-1f9migyYWYqeMRMtVIIzd5h6eFYUUCQ05Wd_jloQ&oe=66232DCF	person_profile	0	InvestmentsGurus	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437534638_828284845757346_7001030961728745663_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fDnqxJalps8Ab6JV5gK&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfClTG0mxV_E1TLK10ef6Nr4M_XAJpXcnXcTp9TzsKky4A&oe=66231BE4			0	3	From a horse joining a flight to a pilot taking a power nap, air travelers shared some bizarre yet funny pictures they took during their flights.		InvestmentsGurus		150	https://facebook.com/InvestmentsGurus1	0		LEARN_MORE						1712905200		View Edit Delete
1244920	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198915	1734922017		532		1155020455515557	1	9.5970766861168E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	0	423699414390350		0	Hiya toys			120207249491720645					NONE	multi_images					1712923163	4.2369941439035E+14	Hiya toys	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435976352_801321792055466_1595975461543692487_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=EAe8a6XUO1EAb6vALeY&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCmY-awCglj5S9xGg8Tx0UGtoEmjiyGMNCXHoWNobbNsg&oe=66231A71	person_profile	0	Hiyatoys	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436256028_1569613510262401_5553837892094066092_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7es1ngk2KwUAb4watqG&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA_sszmYGlov6zN9M6nAaC4h7Ss9aJKFROhgDNik6Z4zA&oe=66231AA0			0	3	EXQUISITE SUPER Series Daryl 1/12 scale action figure from 【The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon】now joins Hiya Toys. <br /> <br /> Story follows【The Walking Dead】, Daryl wakes up on the southern coast of France, where he encounters Isabelle, a nun, and a child named Laurent. Nuns believe that Laurent is the key to saving the world from walkers. One day, Codron&#039;s men attack the abbey. Faced with the last request of the elder num, Daryl is determined to protect Laurent and Isabelle on their journey to an outpost called &#039;The Nest&#039;. In return, Isabelle has pledged to assist Daryl in finding a port. Amidst the multiple crises, they support each other to break through the siege. <br /> <br /> This brand new Daryl action figure stands 15.8cm tall, faithfully reproducing the facial details of Daryl from 【The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon】. Dressed in a black trench coat, mud-covered marching boots, and a detachable canvas bag slung diagonally, all faithfully recreated even in the 1/12 scale.<br /> The clothes, jeans and belts are all made from real cloth, ensuring both superior poseability and aesthetic appeal. Daryl was equipped with a harpoon, a crossbow, a rifle and his old buddy morning star, always accompanying Daryl at the forefront of challenges. <br /> With a highly posable body and 6x interchangeable hand parts, allowing enthusiasts to recreate a variety of action poses from the series. Additionally includes a special stand for this series is also included, featuring a black base adorned with the series logo, providing an immersive experience of the most thrilling bloodbath!<br /> <br /> Price: 89.99 USD<br /> Release time: 2025Q1<br /> <br /> Check this on: <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hiyatoys.com%2Fproducts%2Fhiya-exquisite-super-1-12-scale-6-inch-the-walking-dead-daryl-dixon-daryl-action-figure&amp;h=AT3bf6FVibHiWfBaQzWrtCWHrQK4QUk43nw5iCLB4uEXMGsZRHi_ZRbO-fMyVEBdmIajrITSklVDBHzhx7ooD9rZ6ZuUrVzpbWFz3VSrGhW6iEC1yNu8E9tWo9CTY73VhaRO0zJQoJ2aUo0RIYxaTrXCFKY" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.hiyatoys.com/products/hiya-exquisite-super-1-12-scale-6-inch-the-walking-dead-daryl-dixon-daryl-action-figure</a><br /> <br /> and check local shop on:<br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hiyatoys.com%2Fpages%2Fwhere-to-buy&amp;h=AT3JpaCOtPj9RUBY30jByqfr9IAfCQOhSPRFQs3BMPuV4IxHgz0rdzxT8m_PmTkd-JsdoBbgI-cKGsov-8cwG5Zi2B40aavTsi1el7goZxajdeYmFT7gIY3HF_KVelPlqWFQ6Gfa1Y9v9cchtK_vN9Z8WXE" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.hiyatoys.com/pages/where-to-buy</a><br /> #actionfigure #hiyatoys #figurephotography #collectibles #toys <br /> <br /> 🏆Hiya Giveaway: Make comments on this post to win our EXQUISITE SUPER Series The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Daryl action figure!<br /> End Date: 2024 April 26th<br /> Winner will be announced via DM		Hiya toys		19139	https://facebook.com/Hiyatoys	0								1712905200		View Edit Delete
1245131	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198965	1734922039		532		450244220824725		4.4182487840779E+14		1711954800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	106401465673945		0	K9 Play and Stay			120209434186300204		cu130.com	Learn more		NONE	video			https://cu130.com/Webdesign?utm_source={{adset.id}}		1711793071	1.0640146567394E+14	K9 Play and Stay	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431600115_1411739986114142_7246534880867655404_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pWIKYqrfkNEAb4Kqfbb&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDKOO1o2VvmOJeNNSIn1aHXATgpACqFqL-3-Xw2Cfw_uA&oe=662334BB	person_profile	0	K9 Play and Stay	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433866160_971371104346954_967016227732926058_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mAW1FSuzLj0Ab6FCtVy&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAEsjweQL7kPvJuMfFuM8Azpmv74-dQRU9wuDDSBFZafA&oe=66233679			0	3	Feel the raw passion of the hunt! Get your limited FREE recurve bow now and unleash your inner hero!		K9 Play and Stay		56	https://facebook.com/100088997360074	0		LEARN_MORE						1711782000		View Edit Delete
1245132	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198966	1734922039		532		475589574814013	2	2.6379384830331E+15		1711954800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	106401465673945		0	K9 Play and Stay			120208155064930049		cu130.com	Learn more		NONE	video			https://cu130.com/PreventiveHealthcare?utm_source={{adset.id}}		1711792805	1.0640146567394E+14	K9 Play and Stay	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434479919_959912538864610_8597118669439670229_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ep4kmefhL6QAb6i818u&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAA_F0upu5tgdYleVR0YOY2MonwPyIdkpyM67My5B6M9Q&oe=66231A91	person_profile	0	K9 Play and Stay	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433875550_892269892650110_2757953878129817015_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bBh1STvXSg8Ab5t_2eu&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAd5M8vxMG3kzHd5ec9nGm4lp_vNLreNgUJP-8dd-EWWg&oe=66233C57			0	3	Feel the raw passion of the hunt! Get your limited FREE recurve bow now and unleash your inner hero!		K9 Play and Stay		56	https://facebook.com/100088997360074	0		LEARN_MORE						1711782000		View Edit Delete
1245133	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198966	1734922039		532		740144878250816		2.6379384830331E+15		1711954800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	106401465673945		0	K9 Play and Stay			120208155064180049		cu130.com	Learn more		NONE	video			https://cu130.com/PreventiveHealthcare?utm_source={{adset.id}}		1711792806	1.0640146567394E+14	K9 Play and Stay	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433880249_1123969372061510_2373872357163987180_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UsW1S7AjkgsAb6SoQBR&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAf2EwUO7w4LU8THbpXKvR7BRSh6kQBSNVRGh3gV_1UVQ&oe=66233A59	person_profile	0	K9 Play and Stay	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433960855_766001378588604_2861986521618719237_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WtWzAihNPBwAb4khQiZ&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDnGe5K6869X_u3pk-QZZJrQ8y6-T-ayTki3ZJJw2-1aw&oe=66233F60			0	3	Feel the raw passion of the hunt! Get your limited FREE recurve bow now and unleash your inner hero!		K9 Play and Stay		56	https://facebook.com/100088997360074	0		LEARN_MORE						1711782000		View Edit Delete
1244949	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198928	1734922018		532		802046214590749	1	7.294259249725E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	248248668561937		0	Western Oklahoma Trophy Outfitters			6536350579842		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	video			http://instagram.com/westernoklahomatrophyoutfitter		1712881884	2.4824866856194E+14	Western Oklahoma Trophy Outfitters	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436380611_7279660845403410_2181187634525292490_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dKg1cqDD4W8Ab5_zDU2&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBE8ChzVXdWLsf3Eyd-oWDqhkMwkL_dEEC1fwa5rd5NqA&oe=66232154	person_profile	0	WesternOklahomaTrophyOutfitter	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435569321_1164346928340267_5382520072538214132_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7u23m8F5Wk0Ab6rl6Ov&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAVkgwQN1pjPm683WYsJHdOauxjg0FmI7-0xlKMQL3ucA&oe=66233597			0	3	Just had a few cancellation spots open up for bow/crossbow. Message us if wanting to book them! #wotohunts #wotodeerhunts #huntingoutfitter #bucks #redriver #hunts #deer #hogs #turkey #booknow #archery #rifle #oklahomahunting #huntwoto #westernoklahomatrophyoutfitters #hunting #vortexoptics #wildlife #freerange #elk #elkhunts #bigbucks #whitetail #oklahoma		Western Oklahoma Trophy Outfitters		20286	https://facebook.com/wotohunts	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1712818800		View Edit Delete
1244950	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198928	1734922018		532		1580463639461920	1	1.0954656217202E+15		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	118526244676341		0	Bauer Auction Service			120208526134950049		775 Lot Springtastic Multi-Estate Online Only Auction	INTERESTED		NONE	event	775 Lot Springtastic Multi-Estate Online Only Auction	https://www.bauerauction.com/775-lot-springtastic-multi-estate-online-only-auction/ Bidding Begins Closing: Sunday, April 21st – – 7:00PM 775 Lot Springtastic Multi-Estate Online Only Auction 175 Lots of Toy Trains – – Sports Cards – – Barnett TS380 Crossbow – – X Tool Laser Engraving Machine – – Dreamvan Shirt Press – – American Flyer Train Sets – – Lionel O Gauge – – G, N, O Scale – – Frankhoma Pottery – – Van Briggle Pottery – – iPad – – iPods – – HO Scale Trains – – Toy Tractors & Construction Toys – – Electronics – – Puzzles – – Fitz & Floyd Home Decorations – – Duck Stamps/Prints – – Cast Iron Banks – – Yard Sticks – – Comics – – Jewelry – – Ruby Red Glass – – Black Milk/Amethyst Glass – – Cuckoo Clock – – 40 Lots of Baseball & Sports Cards Preview: Friday, April 19th from 1:00pm – 4:00pm at 2601 Lake Land Blvd. Mattoon, IL 61938. Buyer Premium: 15% Payment & Pick Up: Tuesday, April 23rd from 1:00pm – 4:00pm at 2601 Lake Land Blvd. Mattoon, IL 61938.	https://www.facebook.com/events/7242431649189141/		1712879603	1.1852624467634E+14	Bauer Auction Service	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435519855_445525687923401_2056367254304941992_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5CJ5ypCVyiEAb7CtEKQ&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDPoxLXX12SuDtd4hStlgA4PyZqRZwZjzfiEX_Z-rqAeQ&oe=66234109	person_profile	0					0	3	Bidding Begins Closing: Sunday, April 21st – – 7:00PM<br /> <br /> 775 Lot Springtastic Multi-Estate Online Only Auction<br /> <br /> 175 Lots of Toy Trains – – Sports Cards – – Barnett TS380 Crossbow – – X Tool Laser Engraving Machine – – Dreamvan Shirt Press – – American Flyer Train Sets – – Lionel O Gauge – – G, N, O Scale – – Frankhoma Pottery – – Van Briggle Pottery – – iPad – – iPods – – HO Scale Trains – – Toy Tractors &amp; Construction Toys – – Electronics – – Puzzles – – Fitz &amp; Floyd Home Decorations – – Duck Stamps/Prints – – Cast Iron Banks – – Yard Sticks – – Comics – – Jewelry – – Ruby Red Glass – – Black Milk/Amethyst Glass – – Cuckoo Clock – – 40 Lots of Baseball &amp; Sports Cards<br /> <br /> Preview: Friday, April 19th from 1:00pm – 4:00pm at 2601 Lake Land Blvd. Mattoon, IL 61938.<br /> <br /> Payment &amp; Pick Up: Tuesday, April 23rd from 1:00pm – 4:00pm at 2601 Lake Land Blvd. Mattoon, IL 61938.		Bauer Auction Service		599	https://facebook.com/AuctionBauer	0		EVENT_RSVP						1712818800		View Edit Delete
1244951	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198929	1734922019		532		3616525258570383	1	9.0610301797816E+14		1713164400	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	107729882421766		0	_wild_game_hunters_llc			120210086234740663		instagram.com	Check Availability		NONE	image			http://instagram.com/_wild_game_hunters_llc		1712850554	1.0772988242177E+14	_wild_game_hunters_llc	https://scontent-lga3-2.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/366138785_966767584606515_8565948286472737682_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=3fd06f&_nc_ohc=AblqJb7S5f4Ab7qYx6G&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfAHweV2hXtL8accxpi8a9dLLy5bb8vNPT5gG-pshuIEgw&oe=66232F9D	ig_ads_identity	1		https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435890042_409907618427341_4689118884031546117_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=CqOgcec37TcAb7TrCYm&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBHuHH7p4qn11hgNjJM2DvcNmgLYMVUYxQwjZcANK8W8Q&oe=66231E29			0	3	Season dates for the 2024 year! Many opportunities to get the harvest you want! #hunt #hunters #hunting #2024season #mountains #rifle #archery #bow #shotgun #treestand #blind #outdoors #wild #wildfamehunters		_wild_game_hunters_llc		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/_wild_game_hunters_llc	0		CHECK_AVAILABILITY						1712818800		View Edit Delete
1244970	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198932	1734922019		532		677113621133972		1.6202811287861E+15		1712646000	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	106150158487461		1	Gelson no mundo da moda			120206616613280576		chao83.store	Learn more		NONE	video	Tap the "Learn more" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://chao83.store/DS01/		1712644128	1.0615015848746E+14	Gelson no mundo da moda	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436467566_976775207392795_7701869380637336592_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Q7Co1hsSWA8Ab4lXvcE&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBfbLnrgB7jgvPfOnQvTwHKE_OpJfP0mbSe3cUbCH3xIg&oe=6623407C	regular_page	0	Gelson no mundo da moda	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436358083_1655250051916333_3341570637120461401_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9Gaa9gLb6V4Ab6z0PUa&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDoS5Dh8d0zPjuLmd4VQICjiqdQT8PpUrpNW9ZpYpbopA&oe=66233D12			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway,				0		0		LEARN_MORE						1712646000		View Edit Delete
1244953	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198929	1734922019		532		927932112210298	1	6.8854282996449E+14		1713164400	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	104836765470398		0	sugarscosplaycloset			120208426083490670		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	image			http://instagram.com/sugarscosplaycloset		1712805125	1.048367654704E+14	sugarscosplaycloset	https://scontent-lga3-2.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/433219746_1542174616353534_6063835528306970352_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=3fd06f&_nc_ohc=xfZgbE1KHUsAb42EB-M&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfDhMmFoWeZNE7-BrFjlUXfwPlqkXXnxnec1qQSQYX43xw&oe=662312D9	ig_ads_identity	1	shannon	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435742201_957325945554069_1352367049693688113_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KOcwJybpM7kAb4X5_BZ&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBAJ8pP3HUuDfee_rMLw752EONOfbx5lx_mwtbuD0LZGw&oe=662339E8			0	3	Shhhhhhh.... Don&#039;t tell anyone. I might wear this to &#064;fourstatecomiccon. I&#039;m pretty sure I need to fix a bunch of stuff especially the crossbow. Maybe I&#039;ll make a new crossbow? Nahhh, I definitely don&#039;t wanna do that lol.<br /> <br /> But if you wanna&#039; meet me there bring your best DC villains!<br /> <br /> #huntress #huntresscosplay #huntressdc<br /> #dccomics #dccomicscosplay #dcvillains #cosplay<br /> #cosplayers #cosplaysover40		sugarscosplaycloset		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/sugarscosplaycloset	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1712732400		View Edit Delete
1244954	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198930	1734922019		532		1375173813143779	1	4.3485246571014E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	105162211758062		0	5ktoys			120207151235520276		5ktoys.com	Learn More		NONE	carousel			http://5ktoys.com/		1712776301	1.0516221175806E+14	5ktoys	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436417861_977343200521964_6134221005321239247_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=CTyna2e7bNQAb7mCn8i&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDRj2RcQI4D1y-iqXvOQCfGLgV9ybbN6Pa3yh0uue3a_g&oe=66230EA1	person_profile	0	5Ktoys.com	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436492213_439709005281862_5978172342120952253_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FgcYkfXzFy4Ab5O8Oyx&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD-DF796IqUk2tXnudtHOlVFTuqYeAWn5EJcmUHikjGkQ&oe=662311AA			0	3			5ktoys		4332	https://facebook.com/5ktoysStore	0		LEARN_MORE						1712732400		View Edit Delete
1244955	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198930	1734922020		532		1375173813143779	1	4.3485246571014E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	105162211758062		0	5ktoys			120207151235520276		5ktoys.com	Learn More		NONE	carousel			http://5ktoys.com/		1712776301	1.0516221175806E+14	5ktoys	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436417861_977343200521964_6134221005321239247_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=CTyna2e7bNQAb7mCn8i&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDRj2RcQI4D1y-iqXvOQCfGLgV9ybbN6Pa3yh0uue3a_g&oe=66230EA1	person_profile	0	5Ktoys.com	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436492213_439709005281862_5978172342120952253_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FgcYkfXzFy4Ab5O8Oyx&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD-DF796IqUk2tXnudtHOlVFTuqYeAWn5EJcmUHikjGkQ&oe=662311AA			0	3			5ktoys		4332	https://facebook.com/5ktoysStore	0		LEARN_MORE						1712732400		View Edit Delete
1245021	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198947	1734922020		532		269858109533341	1	1.364591494249E+15		1712818800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	118879321169142		0	Popular Novels			120209419165620155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	image	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712326269	1.1887932116914E+14	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435479633_409925998407769_2998626673035912586_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=BQgRpwEAx8kAb4Gjrfg&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDgCGYFaO_mks36kiTSoOEJLfZgaP_OaM_7GpLRBGmJDQ&oe=66231989	person_profile	0	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435538348_942597447527529_5930432389628865560_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qRRihjOHKLIAb7iqZKg&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCzTgnK3HJrGbpXG3sg1XK9OJoJ82U7ZrBupMQs7_-beA&oe=662332BB			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”		Popular Novels		15	https://facebook.com/100091852266052	0		LEARN_MORE						1712300400		View Edit Delete
1245083	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:46 PM	1713198960	1734922020		532		1167149221389159		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869140695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152783	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434592584_972723790858518_3132420980488247753_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_dJFYCvepKsAb5Gs5Mc&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDmxRsp4KjNbqhLw6282rnd8T1aPIC0VY11zOCsTdfICw&oe=66233847	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435408133_1154690705677143_4842117877651758900_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qYUSQBw32X0Ab41lmYa&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBGQ58lOH3p0qasUE5jrDXt11OK2ayWY-ZkhfozsOdDhQ&oe=66232406			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245150	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198976	1734922020		532		1081521936448620		1.1317853814759E+15		1711695600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	102319128528352		0	522 Records			6610660600270		www.whoshwqw.shop	Learn more		NONE	video			https://www.whoshwqw.shop/products/manba?campaign_id=%7B%7Bcampaign.id%7D%7D&adset_id=%7B%7Badset.id%7D%7D&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D		1711634667	1.0231912852835E+14	522 Records	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434052415_1456296211930828_2811793283383892416_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tRekZZOq5U8Ab5-292X&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAUuDcAlPuc6PcpNIufCV8YoG4z2s4vi4-sI4A5Ib3McA&oe=66230D70	person_profile	0					0	3			522 Records		163	https://facebook.com/522Records	0		LEARN_MORE						1711609200		View Edit Delete
1245084	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198960	1734922020		532		1167149221389159		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869140695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152783	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434592584_972723790858518_3132420980488247753_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_dJFYCvepKsAb5Gs5Mc&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDmxRsp4KjNbqhLw6282rnd8T1aPIC0VY11zOCsTdfICw&oe=66233847	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435408133_1154690705677143_4842117877651758900_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qYUSQBw32X0Ab41lmYa&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBGQ58lOH3p0qasUE5jrDXt11OK2ayWY-ZkhfozsOdDhQ&oe=66232406			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245085	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198960	1734922021		532		1167149221389159		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869140695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152783	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434592584_972723790858518_3132420980488247753_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_dJFYCvepKsAb5Gs5Mc&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDmxRsp4KjNbqhLw6282rnd8T1aPIC0VY11zOCsTdfICw&oe=66233847	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435408133_1154690705677143_4842117877651758900_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qYUSQBw32X0Ab41lmYa&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBGQ58lOH3p0qasUE5jrDXt11OK2ayWY-ZkhfozsOdDhQ&oe=66232406			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245135	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198966	1734922039		532		1129665988458312	1	1.1501041759833E+15		1712300400	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	256873224171942		0	sl_crossbros			6550479891443		youtube.com	Learn more		NONE	video			https://youtube.com/watch?v=JDYv8Hverbo&si=wn-ww2TNgYJQMe2y		1711785440	2.5687322417194E+14	sl_crossbros	https://scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/429977291_962235642000042_7148833336457099679_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=3fd06f&_nc_aid=0&_nc_ohc=64y_tjRLfNYAb5GY2b_&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfDZ58L5r0hFCM6_iaIzuEdNuJLlzHYDayjYl6o_L1hHRw&oe=66232B8A	ig_ads_identity	1		https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431588081_439167495237000_2682423639139838425_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ujJ5HQYQ_gsAb7LipD9&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCKfTMgGuYIMIfAltPwca_3eqH4lGl9ETgmpUAkYKmbXA&oe=66232EE0			0	3	FULL VIDEO ON YOUTUBE <br /> <br /> #crossbows #crossbow #archery #crossbow #bow #hunting #outdoors #crossbowlife #crossbowking #crossbowman #crossbowhunter #crossbowshooting #bow #bowhunter #archerylife #archeryhunting #crossbowcustoms #survivalist #ekarchery #archeryaddict #beararchery		sl_crossbros		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/sl_crossbros	0		LEARN_MORE						1711782000		View Edit Delete
1245136	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198967	1734922040		532		968154101690651	1	8.6977076492254E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	100365976129594		0	Puzzles & Chaos			120207827080800421		play.google.com	Play game		NONE	video	The winter is coming		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.global.pnck		1711708877	1.0036597612959E+14	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434024018_438417325516439_1344077684525894148_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HyazP7fLsMQAb7elvf3&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAvrC0ucwu2IfckF1Q3rohPLvq2wPst1GOvs8yTPe-eOw&oe=66233272	person_profile	0	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434477565_1483475412240347_1310319543744439963_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qDQzyW6rI1wAb4g_MlR&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCx36w8V57UOy5W8OaKPw_9J5weGBapx0J76klyHw6QZQ&oe=6623314F			0	3	Save your home through match-3 combat.⚠		Puzzles & Chaos		11827	https://facebook.com/PuzzlesAndChaos	0		PLAY_GAME						1711695600		View Edit Delete
1245137	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198967	1734922040		532		3607144069602732	1	2.1120833891771E+15		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	100365976129594		0	Puzzles & Chaos			120207821999680421		play.google.com	Play game		NONE	video	Become a wizard!		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.global.pnck		1711698424	1.0036597612959E+14	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432158947_779661874076093_753186955878642190_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-PjVSlSK9kUAb7OzRRW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBpcTC23LOwVy4knXS2yVyiVmIO7WsIZd8LHcloph2vYw&oe=66232766	person_profile	0	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432206817_728365579150287_2165353128600029021_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=29PKKuYPJhcAb6Xymxb&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAXE7iKQ2QwekXU_MGSN4xo2gJBcqxe7IYsZ1AGx6SLXg&oe=66232777			0	3	👻I bet you&#039;ve never seen a game like this before!		Puzzles & Chaos		11827	https://facebook.com/PuzzlesAndChaos	0		PLAY_GAME						1711695600		View Edit Delete
1245140	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198968	1734922041		532		361563553548554	1	1.1551186455047E+15		1711782000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	217316998627741		0	Frost & Flame：King of Avalon			120207741410460751		itunes.apple.com	Install now		NONE	video	Play for FREE!		http://itunes.apple.com/app/id1084930849		1711625552	2.1731699862774E+14	Frost & Flame：King of Avalon	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432155702_933207431790137_4966500843368274962_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=guhTZpRwxogAb6sWb8b&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAxJe8u2Fdy210FnRSumLWYiJkcT3c03p585H8BGwl2UQ&oe=6623333E	person_profile	0	King of Avalon	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432155454_403193829012608_251821308789685645_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cOWsdxHHkNEAb6yyvzd&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBlfdWvsBfvrYpnEYCyAhfhsSgRtokd376_lzbX087yvA&oe=6623321A			0	3	That Game Everyone&#039;s Playing! Join Now!		Frost & Flame：King of Avalon		1212952	https://facebook.com/koadw	0		INSTALL_MOBILE_APP						1711609200		View Edit Delete
1245022	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198947	1734922021		532		374975405532220	1	9.2834095544689E+14		1712732400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	118879321169142		0	Popular Novels			120209419165830155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	image	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712326260	1.1887932116914E+14	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436007253_716551453886328_4981822175114547257_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-NIAdSHpplQAb44W1vW&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAfIKmMr-o3g00q9R_vmCULODwfQiyEPxkoovEUidY_og&oe=662314C7	person_profile	0	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435900506_277776688711573_8062250983569275075_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3NAB4TlX-CAAb6GPvyF&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-2.xx&oh=00_AfB-eM-TbepVmT64Rh4JMAgf_-fu3rwAPdybBZ0wVb0RpA&oe=662340DB			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”		Popular Novels		15	https://facebook.com/100091852266052	0		LEARN_MORE						1712300400		View Edit Delete
1245023	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198947	1734922021		532		854420719800208	1	1.1662928913471E+15		1712473200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	127476320437895		0	Joylit Novel			120209419166260155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712326279	1.274763204379E+14	Joylit Novel	https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435489481_856287456312980_9059876891935253638_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8wN7288OJyUAb5pUoAv&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBk5FlKniHGQlkomUK15qguK2EAh2dHtQqm_dZYbfuiNg&oe=662321DC	person_profile	0	Joylit Novel	https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435589886_404197109014832_4528757272626676201_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=rR0RSOrm7csAb5-KkFX&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBv3bxsBHUSeJnBjdEQaS-IE0IIvpz9c5RH_z2FBvdCLw&oe=66233E90			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”		Joylit Novel		142	https://facebook.com/61550512629703	0		LEARN_MORE						1712300400		View Edit Delete
1245024	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198947	1734922021		532		1064888797913661	1	1.5812017393103E+15		1712818800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	118879321169142		0	Popular Novels			120209419165910155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	image	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712326270	1.1887932116914E+14	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435457060_1210766433226708_1880908999393713707_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=aWGCtiQcSGcAb5mCISV&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCuMXIK7mKMgp9x0u5hLTVnI86KbF_77ZXeN8tveSCEgQ&oe=66233849	person_profile	0	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434561399_386577947534107_6873605036794591822_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=OYH4G0WU2A4Ab4Yjf-w&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBpdHtXne0bqC8oidaSIZJBM3hFfQwOd978wIqfXdtNfg&oe=66230CD6			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”		Popular Novels		15	https://facebook.com/100091852266052	0		LEARN_MORE						1712300400		View Edit Delete
1245144	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198969	1734922041		532		1142889406831160	1	8.5288200994291E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	265052230017125		0	Prize Palooza			120207536581100654		emergclutch.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://emergclutch.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=3mmVUnZu9O6vIo7UVx8l&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&fbpxl=%7B%7Bfbpxl%7D%7D		1711666182	2.6505223001712E+14	Prize Palooza	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434287595_968527034633106_1388783280513136401_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=RRs3Rix-l3IAb6twMVt&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAc0arusO9ZUIRfaYNxxMR4jvYnyRIbaWeLdRORJH3fcQ&oe=6623419F	person_profile	0	Prize Palooza	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434290829_1415861415984290_5690165483896659272_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Q-dLA5RYaG4Ab7d4ok_&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBahEd1Zgp4KzpQ_COo8cRDDq-xwTV43R27ndYuA62TPA&oe=66231D47			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳		Prize Palooza		255	https://facebook.com/61556812859534	0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1711609200		View Edit Delete
1245025	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198947	1734922021		532		1066601561109346	1	9.7458031767275E+14		1712473200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	118879321169142		0	Popular Novels			120209419165650155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712326282	1.1887932116914E+14	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435901997_875380801056523_503165323165704913_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UZE3nAazg14Ab6tZBAz&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAmRuz5Gr1DqpR5dX6u08QquEpnxAnjkGgoON3ILDKg7A&oe=66233ADF	person_profile	0	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436106588_826073825997379_4813937007244359581_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=c2Y1qSyzmmUAb6JtzAl&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAXqMptpAjhekq3zxRyVSrECgH5TLT2X9I5_QwdhBn1hw&oe=66233411			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”		Popular Novels		15	https://facebook.com/100091852266052	0		LEARN_MORE						1712300400		View Edit Delete
1245151	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198976	1734922022		532		25103877849227772		1.1317853814759E+15		1711695600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	102319128528352		0	522 Records			6610660599670		www.whoshwqw.shop	Learn more		NONE	video			https://www.whoshwqw.shop/products/manba?campaign_id=%7B%7Bcampaign.id%7D%7D&adset_id=%7B%7Badset.id%7D%7D&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D		1711634664	1.0231912852835E+14	522 Records	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434385781_754750006429048_9077005728782961464_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4D3wRt4YEsAAb70voCt&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD3IXdzOgfMqwO9bqcsgSE_mXhZ7wdgPo7MrTsujxAipQ&oe=66232835	person_profile	0					0	3			522 Records		163	https://facebook.com/522Records	0		LEARN_MORE						1711609200		View Edit Delete
1245086	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198960	1734922022		532		1167149221389159		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869140695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152783	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434592584_972723790858518_3132420980488247753_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_dJFYCvepKsAb5Gs5Mc&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDmxRsp4KjNbqhLw6282rnd8T1aPIC0VY11zOCsTdfICw&oe=66233847	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435408133_1154690705677143_4842117877651758900_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qYUSQBw32X0Ab41lmYa&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBGQ58lOH3p0qasUE5jrDXt11OK2ayWY-ZkhfozsOdDhQ&oe=66232406			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245026	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198947	1734922022		532		1148215586325436	1	4.2990210608191E+14		1712818800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	118879321169142		0	Popular Novels			120209419166050155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	image	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712326261	1.1887932116914E+14	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433938500_2087680958262106_8640955742166336438_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dt8UKwIlfdQAb7ev_MM&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDM0-3NaZKcw7_BapnxCflhHjd0lq_CPZKbY8AHL6zulg&oe=66231FB7	person_profile	0	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434022437_3287186068257150_7052415827563881303_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=LqJS6g5u5F8Ab6HePlf&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAznWmvCfsWmrFFyBSHCYtlDcZTPdvAEK9yJmH3gD3-OA&oe=66230E52			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”		Popular Novels		15	https://facebook.com/100091852266052	0		LEARN_MORE						1712300400		View Edit Delete
1245027	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198947	1734922023		532		1157926558536603	1	4.2880385316575E+14		1712473200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	118879321169142		0	Popular Novels			120209419166180155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712326276	1.1887932116914E+14	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435989036_1086967465924185_6404595012688713563_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XYHxXMmoEPMAb40enJJ&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-2.xx&oh=00_AfA4CF6dBuEQtKJahH6dFzETp3K_XlzImNe8TB3Ge4pVIw&oe=66230D6C	person_profile	0	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435912903_2334482543422255_5783816954567106542_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=IhLjOxOYfkUAb5i8zcZ&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCfStlsyjtFIwgZK-Gb8P4IJDGrzO0jF3mfERM2Ph4gxQ&oe=66232D68			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”		Popular Novels		15	https://facebook.com/100091852266052	0		LEARN_MORE						1712300400		View Edit Delete
1245028	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198948	1734922023		532		1378364459519020	1	3.2655104044263E+14		1712818800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	118879321169142		0	Popular Novels			120209419165720155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	image	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712326264	1.1887932116914E+14	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435982833_948405769827285_6761553779600405763_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Eow1BQri2HoAb6HeN5i&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-2.xx&oh=00_AfByZgyPqJFuJUU2Aw62vreuJvrK58VustibLmpFlOSroQ&oe=66233039	person_profile	0	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434831645_1145914590154944_3557428516369124045_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KCL9NJ2U5JcAb7WK8pJ&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBgm9j5AhgG0ipGdtCaQPQUkdHAvjRHbAApDpC_w7PKGg&oe=66230F3D			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”		Popular Novels		15	https://facebook.com/100091852266052	0		LEARN_MORE						1712300400		View Edit Delete
1245087	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198960	1734922023		532		1167149221389159		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869140695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152783	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434592584_972723790858518_3132420980488247753_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_dJFYCvepKsAb5Gs5Mc&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDmxRsp4KjNbqhLw6282rnd8T1aPIC0VY11zOCsTdfICw&oe=66233847	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435408133_1154690705677143_4842117877651758900_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qYUSQBw32X0Ab41lmYa&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBGQ58lOH3p0qasUE5jrDXt11OK2ayWY-ZkhfozsOdDhQ&oe=66232406			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245029	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198948	1734922023		532		2698801206954107	1	7.93483138874E+14		1712818800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	118879321169142		0	Popular Novels			120209419165580155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	image	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712326261	1.1887932116914E+14	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435683131_733946771920651_6246124630391577699_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4nMh5gC88IoAb62gjNR&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAu_-1Qno2O6-RUh46W8XZBdGkj7u4RoOJi53LgOrFCng&oe=66232C08	person_profile	0	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435736703_7379701688780853_3374785693898820793_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5aP93HXVHfoAb7uf9vN&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC_swYh0-9DfDGFQIVTHBcpuCGkw4qKhlIAGZBy-jk-yQ&oe=66231447			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”		Popular Novels		15	https://facebook.com/100091852266052	0		LEARN_MORE						1712300400		View Edit Delete
1245088	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198960	1734922023		532		1167149221389159		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869140695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152783	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434592584_972723790858518_3132420980488247753_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_dJFYCvepKsAb5Gs5Mc&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDmxRsp4KjNbqhLw6282rnd8T1aPIC0VY11zOCsTdfICw&oe=66233847	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435408133_1154690705677143_4842117877651758900_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qYUSQBw32X0Ab41lmYa&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBGQ58lOH3p0qasUE5jrDXt11OK2ayWY-ZkhfozsOdDhQ&oe=66232406			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245152	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198977	1734922023		532		1210574553242329		1.1317853814759E+15		1711695600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	102319128528352		0	522 Records			6610564442070		www.whoshwqw.shop	Learn more		NONE	video			https://www.whoshwqw.shop/products/manba?campaign_id=%7B%7Bcampaign.id%7D%7D&adset_id=%7B%7Badset.id%7D%7D&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D		1711615408	1.0231912852835E+14	522 Records	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433117931_1080355769709969_7119524042535481774_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=kK5E3ICAlxQAb6JDkxv&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDSzYARts53phLo-hB8Rn60ZTbgO-qDzwc3gyshIV177g&oe=6623198D	person_profile	0					0	3			522 Records		163	https://facebook.com/522Records	0		LEARN_MORE						1711609200		View Edit Delete
1245089	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198960	1734922023		532		1167149221389159		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869140695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152783	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434592584_972723790858518_3132420980488247753_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_dJFYCvepKsAb5Gs5Mc&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDmxRsp4KjNbqhLw6282rnd8T1aPIC0VY11zOCsTdfICw&oe=66233847	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435408133_1154690705677143_4842117877651758900_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qYUSQBw32X0Ab41lmYa&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBGQ58lOH3p0qasUE5jrDXt11OK2ayWY-ZkhfozsOdDhQ&oe=66232406			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245030	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198948	1734922023		532		3565638960351332	1	4.0780242531202E+14		1712818800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	118879321169142		0	Popular Novels			120209419165760155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	image	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712326270	1.1887932116914E+14	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434555213_749429893837857_8620851439615711120_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=K_Wt-Nlmi9IAb5XacuZ&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBk0wRZt7QChuYMTBV7SkgrrwR7NIg9dRtsx4JHhyE2og&oe=662313A7	person_profile	0	Popular Novels	https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435464675_1505995663465501_5090512209499058309_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UH68y3S0CmUAb76c0DQ&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCG8vCBStNHTZlENbwuTFPzCb2hEQ1q47GL2BtwcN7NYA&oe=662324B4			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”		Popular Novels		15	https://facebook.com/100091852266052	0		LEARN_MORE						1712300400		View Edit Delete
1245031	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198948	1734922023		532		2195562437447200	1	2.6919279276393E+15		1712818800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	118879321169142		0	Popular Novels			120209419165560155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	image	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712326261	1.1887932116914E+14	Popular Novels	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434560139_453640453653351_1627885482373275511_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=OEoZNrRvFVEAb4WQD0w&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBla-Jun2ANcxCtaOEk6KJ8LyOGJh5FSATkvtLJBubgpQ&oe=66233841	person_profile	0	Popular Novels	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435485210_941941354193132_1302001641811867769_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6yZL4rWKOAMAb6Vm-gK&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCjV4g2O8Ch3by7xgCPrtKKVEvHl8CRv8NbyYjhTDXqzw&oe=66230B4B			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”		Popular Novels		15	https://facebook.com/100091852266052	0		LEARN_MORE						1712300400		View Edit Delete
1245090	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198961	1734922023		532		1167149221389159		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869140695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152783	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434592584_972723790858518_3132420980488247753_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_dJFYCvepKsAb5Gs5Mc&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDmxRsp4KjNbqhLw6282rnd8T1aPIC0VY11zOCsTdfICw&oe=66233847	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435408133_1154690705677143_4842117877651758900_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qYUSQBw32X0Ab41lmYa&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBGQ58lOH3p0qasUE5jrDXt11OK2ayWY-ZkhfozsOdDhQ&oe=66232406			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245032	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198948	1734922023		532		386373227546948	1	1.1315561582971E+15		1712300400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	118879321169142		0	Popular Novels			120209381868430155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712247673	1.1887932116914E+14	Popular Novels	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434777161_776175164520563_6945987529361106588_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ns4z_n83wS4Ab45ImWP&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAqNrn0fj12xvRtUb4YqIM-uWYDDKiEf9TiXD-0KKZFlA&oe=66232E7B	person_profile	0	Popular Novels	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434815475_893882719174600_2666611483356940122_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=jcle3EdBYlIAb4-8Dbt&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAiCNBXzY3Z0jzbeeoDRoGRC0loforaOkwZcN2ZrtO0EA&oe=66233F2D			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 6<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> I wake up with a gasp, sitting up abruptly like a marionette whose strings got yanked. My head starts to spin, but it’s not because there was no gentle introduction to the waking world.<br /> It’s because of the dream.<br /> Because of Claudia.<br /> I clutch my chest and feel that my heart is going haywire. My back is slick with sweat and I can almost feel it soaking my sheets. I close my eyes for a moment, gathering my thoughts, but the first thing I see in the darkness is Claudia’s face. Her voice is ringing in my ears, the first voice I have heard in so many years.<br /> She’s the Siren, the Moon Goddess said. The Alpha’s Voice.<br /> What does that mean? What does it have to do with me? What does that make her? I have more questions than answers and the frustration building up inside me is turning into anger. I don’t want that. I have to focus.<br /> Because if there is one thing I know, it’s that I fucked up by demanding her to leave.<br /> And I need to get her back.<br /> Fueled by the sudden fiery desire to chase after her and hold her down in the castle if I need to, I jump out of bed. I push open the door and startle the guards. I can see them mouthing, “What is the trouble, Alpha?”<br /> I ignore all of them. I just run along the hallway until I find Kiernan’s room. The guards step aside when they see me, so I push open the door, stumbling inside like a sweaty, clumsy ogre.<br /> Meanwhile, Kiernan is still awake, staring through the window. My heart sinks when I see that it’s already daylight outside, but I still have to try. I need to.<br /> Kiernan turns around, frowns at me, and asks, “Your Majesty. What brings you here?”<br /> He knows that it irks me when he calls me that, but I ignore it anyway. &#039;I need to find the maid, Claudia.&#039;<br /> I thought he would ask why, but he just narrows his eyes. “The maid you kicked out last night? I found her in the freezing cold, just staring into the distance like she couldn’t believe what happened. I actually told her I would talk to you about it, but when I got to your room, you were already asleep.”<br /> His words hit me like arrows to the heart. I can almost picture Claudia standing where I left her, crying and wondering what she did wrong, all the while I was sleeping soundly with no care in the world….<br /> No. I can’t think about that. It hurts too much.<br /> I step back, the tightness in my chest so extreme that I have to inhale and exhale slowly. Every time I blink I see her distraught face and hear her broken voice, appealing her case and showing me that she deserved to stay.<br /> And what did I do? I kicked her right out like she meant nothing.<br /> Like we never had anything together.<br /> I swallow hard. ‘I need her back here. I made a mistake.’<br /> “Then let’s go to the maids’ quarters,” Kiernan offers. “Maybe she’s still there.”<br /> I nod, and together, we barge into the lower floor where the maids stay. The rooms are already empty as they start their day at dawn. Every empty room we pass makes me want to punch something in regret, but I can still catch the sweet scent of Claudia in the air, lingering like a whisper. Finally, we arrive at her room, where her scent is strongest. The door is still closed.<br /> Kiernan lifts his hand to knock, but I’m desperate. I open the door.<br /> And there is one person inside the room. But it’s not Claudia.<br /> It’s a maid I remember as Maia, her best friend here. She whips around as soon as we get in, and I immediately see her swollen eyes and red face.<br /> “Alpha,” she mutters, sinking into a bow. “Gamma. I will go to work as soon as possible.”<br /> “No, take the time you need,” Kiernan says. “You are obviously in distress. What happened?”<br /> My breath gets stuck in my throat. I already know what she’s going to say, but I find myself searching the room in hopes of finding any proof that Claudia actually chose to stay.<br /> However, the room is blissfully empty. Vacated for the next maid.<br /> “Claudia left, Gamma,” she answers. “She said she needed to go back to her family. It was just so unexpected. I asked her if it had something to do with the meeting, and she said no. She said she’s tired of working. I don’t believe that. She always loved working here….”<br /> I freeze in shock. Kiernan glances at me pointedly before turning back to Maia. “I completely understand. Please, take the day off and rest. The Alpha and I will get going now.”<br /> He grabs me by the arm and pulls me out of the room, closing the door behind us. I can’t even walk properly. I can’t believe what I just heard.<br /> After all the bad things I said to her, she still chose to cover for me.<br /> I stop moving as soon as we reach the foyer. I hold onto the stair banister for support, my throat closed up.<br /> Kiernan stands next to me. “What happened, Your Majesty?”<br /> ‘Don’t call me that,’ I sign to him. ‘Go prepare a carriage—no. A horse. Ready a horse for me. I will be setting out soon—’<br /> “No, you’re not,” he interjects, his eyebrows scrunched up. “You are the Alpha King. Do you know what it would mean to the Rogues if they took down the head of the whole land? The revolution would be over!”<br /> ‘Fine, I will do it myself.’ I try to push past him but he blocks me. ‘Move out of my way. I need Claudia back here right now.’<br /> He shakes his head, putting a firm hand on my chest. “You’d have to kill me if you want to leave alone.”<br /> Kiernan is one of my oldest friends and most loyal men. We’ve butted heads many times before, but not like this. I can see his quiet anger, and I know from the look in his eyes that he can feel mine. Still, he stands his ground, staring at me like he’s daring me to attack him right now.<br /> And I almost want to. The thought of Claudia getting farther and farther away is tearing my soul apart.<br /> But I take a deep breath to steady myself. ‘You don’t understand.’<br /> “Then make me understand.”<br /> ‘Claudia is important to me,’ I tell him after a pause. ‘The Moon Goddess told me so. She is the Siren and the Alpha’s Voice. I have to get her back or else—’<br /> “Alpha Achilles.”<br /> He signals me to turn around. I see Carlos standing by the end of the stairs, his torso still wrapped in bandages.<br /> However, he’s not alone. Standing next to him are the Housekeeper and the Chief Butler. Both of them are carrying files, laid out as though they’re asking for advice.<br /> ‘What is this?’ I signal to Carlos. ‘I don’t need any interruptions right now. I have somewhere else to go.’<br /> Carlos shakes his head to stop me. “Alpha… today is the Winter Solstice festival. Our pack is hosting. You cannot go anywhere.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 7<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> The journey from Sangria Amori to my hometown feels long and short at the same time. As I sit there in the carriage watching the palace disappear behind a mountain in the distance and begin to see the tall magnolia trees surrounding the famous springs of my home, I can’t help but feel a mixture of longing and relief.<br /> Longing because it’s been my home for years and years. I have made good memories and bonded with amazing people. I overcame a lot of bad things. I met the one I thought I would know forever.<br /> But the relief comes from the loss of all of that. From the knowledge that from now on, I would be free from that palace and everyone in it.<br /> Especially Achilles.<br /> My heart still makes a little flip at the simple thought of his name. I still have to clench my hands and pierce my own palms with my nails to remind myself that I shouldn’t be thinking about him. But thankfully, I don’t have to acknowledge it because the carriage finally stops. The coachman Peter calls out from the front, smacking the carriage door with his cane. “You’re here now, girl. It’s time to move out.”<br /> I gather all my bags and sling them all on my shoulders, slightly struggling with the weight as I climb down the rickety old carriage. “Thank you so much, Peter.”<br /> I give him a happy salute, about to head to the arch that reads Nightshade Springs. But then, I hear him calling out, “Are you sure you’re going to be safe from here on?”<br /> That makes me pause. So far, throughout the whole journey, I haven’t sensed any Rogues at all. But Peter has a point. The infestation of Rogues is very much real and rampant, and I haven’t been to my hometown in five years. I honestly don’t know what’s waiting in store for me here.<br /> But still, I don’t want to bother him. If there is any danger out here, I would rather face it; I know that he has a family.<br /> So I just smile at him. “I got it, Peter. Thank you again and be careful on your way back!”<br /> He looks uncertain, but he leaves anyway, whipping the horses until they gallop faster. Soon enough, he’s gone.<br /> And I’m alone in the middle of the woods, surrounded by the familiar fresh scent of springs and pine.<br /> The scent of home.<br /> A soft smile appears on my face as I start to walk, following the stone path that leads to the edge of the village where the cemetery is.<br /> I suppose it’s a grim thing to start with, but I’ve been meaning to visit my parents’ graves for the past years. Grief and the start of the revolution put a halt to all of that, so now I feel quite happy that I get to see them, even if it’s just this way.<br /> My mom was a maid like I am. Or was. Either way, she served the palace too, specifically as a handmaiden to the former Queen. My dad was a gardener. She died from deadly flu five years ago, and he followed right after.<br /> Back then, I thought this was unfair. How could they leave me in this world alone? I was resentful. But eventually, I realized that it may have been out of love. He was never able to be apart from her for any period of time, and not even death could stop him from chasing after her.<br /> They told me that they met each other at a gathering for servants, and my father fell in love with my mother when he first heard her sing. I honestly can’t blame him. She had the most wonderful voice, and he always said that I had that beautiful voice too. I never really knew if he was just making that up, but the ones who heard me sing also told me that I do have a pretty voice.<br /> The memory brings a smile to my face, and as I approach their graves, I find myself humming along to the tune of my mother’s lullaby.<br /> Their graves are now covered in ivy. I sweep some of the leaves away and light a candle for them.<br /> I sit there for a while, watching the light flicker on their gravestones. I reach out and feel the warmth, opening my mouth to talk to them like I always did, but that’s when something strikes me.<br /> The sour, rotten smell.<br /> My entire body freezes. I shoot to my feet, clutching my bags closer to me as I look around. My heart is beating in my ears and I almost want to whimper, but it only gets worse when I finally see a single Rogue.<br /> It’s hiding behind gravestones in the distance, its eyes gleaming with hunger and malice as they focus on me. Its low growls make the ground hum. There’s tension in the air, thick and suffocating, telling me it’s been stalking me like prey for a while now. It’s still far but ready to spring. Ready to chase and feed.<br /> And I know that if I take one step back, it will come out and kill me.<br /> I slowly exhale, stepping back and feeling it move with me, keeping the distance between us the same.<br /> Bit by bit, I ease my bags off my shoulders and set them down. The eyes of the Rogue follow my movement like two laser pointers. I slip my hand in my pocket, looking for the silver knife that Maia gave me as a parting gift, ready to it down.<br /> As though on cue, the Rogue leaps into the air as soon as I raise the knife.<br /> But I’m ready this time. I don’t come to meet it. Instead, I stand my ground, waiting for the perfect moment. As soon as it flies midair to pounce on me, I duck right under it and run the knife along its throat.<br /> The Rogue falls to the ground with a whimper. It scrambles to get upright again, but before it can do so, I stomp its fragile head flat with my boot, its blood spattering everywhere.<br /> “Thank the gods,” I mutter, but that’s when I realize that I spoke too soon.<br /> As soon as the Rogue stops moving, the forest seems to come alive right before me. More Rogues emerge from the trees, sniffing and snarling, their eyes alight with joy when they see a perfectly good meal severely outnumbered.<br /> All at once, they jump toward me.<br /> A scream breaks out of my lips. I raise my bags to shield myself, but at this point, it’s only a matter of time before they take me down and feast on me. I’m only waiting for the pain now….<br /> But before it can come, I hear loud bangs in the distance. Gunshots. Followed by the loud thuds of the Rogues hitting the ground, dropping like dead flies.<br /> I lower my bags in horror. All the Rogues are dead, their heads bleeding from a single smoking puncture wound between their eyes. I’m about to turn around to see my savior, but then I feel the still-hot muzzle of the gun against my back.<br /> “Drop your knife if you want to live. Who are you and what do you need?”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 8<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The first thing that rises out of me is not frustration from being told what to do, but embarrassment from forgetting about the big event. I know that Carlos just had a bad injury that he’s still most likely dealing with, but I have a situation on my hands that I just can’t shake off, but I can&#039;t help but avert my gaze in shame.<br /> Carlos, Kiernan, and the two head staff are staring at me expectantly, and I just want to sink into the ground and never reappear.<br /> I look over at Kiernan, who gives me a small shrug like he’s telling me that it’s all up to me.<br /> The obvious thing to do is to just delay the festival and focus on the very important task of finding Claudia. But I know that my people are counting on this one single happy day among all the bad ones. They need this. And as much as I need Claudia here with me, they come first.<br /> I take a deep, steadying breath. ‘I apologize. It must have slipped my mind. Prepare the decorations and we shall have a lunch banquet in the throne room.’<br /> Carlos nods and repeats my words to the head staff. Then, he turns back to me and asks, “How about the evening celebrations?”<br /> ‘We’ll see,’ I sign to him.<br /> With that, the head staff both bow and leave. Now it’s only the three of us, and they look pained.<br /> “So what’s been happening?” Carlos splutters at last. “Where are you going?”<br /> Kiernan is the one who answers for him. “He kicked out the maid, Claudia, and now he has to bring her back because the Moon Goddess told him so in a dream. He wants to go out there himself.”<br /> ‘I have to,’ I tell them both. &#039;I still do, but with the festival...&quot;<br /> And of course, they just look at me like they feel sorry for me. I’m about to tell them both to supervise so I can go, but then Kiernan sighs and says, “I’ll get some of our warriors, and we will go and find her.”<br /> Without giving me a chance to say anything about this, Kiernan leaves. Carlos then looks at me and beckons me to go up the stairs.<br /> “After you, Alpha. Let’s give the people a good celebration.”<br /> * * *<br /> When I arrive at the throne room after changing into my formal suit, it is already decked with blue and silver decorations fit for the winter solstice theme. Food is flowing in, music is playing, and it seems that all the citizens are gathering.<br /> When Carlos and I enter, it takes me a whole while to notice that the throne room isn’t even halfway filled. As I sit on my throne, I see that my people are not eating, drinking, or having fun at all. They are just gathered at the little tables, engaged in serious conversation.<br /> More people are coming in, greeted by the butlers by the door. I keep thinking that this new batch will come and let loose, but they just gather like the rest of the guests.<br /> It’s starting to make me nervous. I agreed to this party thinking it would be best for their morale, but it seems that they’re just as uninterested in the occasion as I was.<br /> ‘This is not going well,’ I tell Carlos, who’s standing on my right side. He’s not fully recovered yet, but he insisted on coming here. ‘It would be best to cut this short.’<br /> As soon as I say those words, guilt starts to drum in my chest. I know that I should try to make things more festive instead of thinking about Claudia, but not knowing how things are on that front is almost as bad as being here and seeing my people feeling blue.<br /> “I think it would be best if you go down and communicate with them personally,” Carlos says, and I can’t believe I never thought of that before.<br /> I get up from my throne with the full intent of going around, but then I see a familiar face by the door. Someone I really don’t want to see.<br /> Alpha Tristan.<br /> He’s still wearing a coat, speckled with snow. The butler tries to take it from him but he pushes him away, which makes me tense up, immediately ready for a fight. However, he’s not alone. Walking behind him like lapdogs are the Alphas of his neighboring packs: Giorgio, Anthony, and Larkin.<br /> Their auras are so domineering and so distracting that the people in the throne room stop what they’re doing and just watch them approach me. But instead of meeting them halfway, I remain standing in front of the throne with the steps of the dais separating us.<br /> None of them bows down to me.<br /> “What are you doing here?” Carlos asks, and it perfectly reflects what’s in my mind, just more polite.<br /> Tristan flashes me a smirk. “We’re here because we’re tired of the preposterous games that Sangria Amori is playing. We need change!”<br /> Even though I can’t hear him, I can feel the vibrations of his scream on the walls and the floor. He’s livid, and because of this, the people in the room are tuning in.<br /> I don’t like the admiring and interested looks on their faces. I look at Carlos. ‘We shouldn’t have this talk here.’<br /> “Alpha Tristan.” Carlos gives him a strained smile, motioning him to come along. “We shall move this conversation to a more private location and perhaps—”<br /> “Get your hands off me.” Tristan pushes past him and squares up to me. “What you’re doing to these people is sickening. Making them show up here, forced to have fun, when they are suffering from problems you would never know about from your high throne. You’re making a mockery of their situation, flaunting your privilege in their faces.”<br /> I want to push him down the steps and pound his face into a pulp, but I restrain myself. Instead, I just sign something that Carlos translates with perfect contempt.<br /> “Get out, right now.”<br /> Tristan only scoffs, facing the people. “Last night, instead of meeting with the rest of the Alphas and coming up with a way to erase the Rogues, Alpha King Achilles was late. He left us on our own when we had a Rogue attack. It’s painfully obvious that his disabilities have made him selfish, and unfit to rule our land.”<br /> This time, my temper gets the best of me. I grab him by the arm with the full intent of punching him in the face as soon as he turns, but I stop when the people gasp.<br /> They’re now looking at me in horror.<br /> I slowly let him go. He starts to walk away, step by step, not taking his eyes off me. There’s a certain gleam in his eyes that I can’t identify, but the hairs on the back of my neck are standing on end.<br /> Only when he’s standing by the door do I know why.<br /> “We will no longer take orders from the Alpha King,” Tristan declares, his gaze still on me. “We will handle the Rogues our way, the right way. And those who want to join us would be offered full protection.”<br /> With that, he leaves.<br /> And I watch in horror as some of my citizens begin to get up from their seats, following him out.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 9<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> “Don’t shoot me,” I mutter, and I cringe when I hear the fear in my voice. I hate that I faced that single Rogue like a boss only to fold like this. “I’m not a danger to anyone. I’m a local here. I just moved for work at the palace…”<br /> I stop when I realize I’m about to ramble. I just drop the knife. As soon as it clatters on the floor, I feel the muzzle of the gun easing off my back. I take this as a cue to turn around, and I come face to face with a young man about my age, with straw-colored hair and brown eyes. He’s carrying a massive silver shotgun with rounds of big silver bullets around his body.<br /> He’s studying me closely, fixing his flannel shirt. “Who are you?”<br /> “Claudia Hale,” I say shakily. I even bow, which is dumb, but I guess it’s not so stupid if it stops him from shooting me. “I just came here to visit my parents.”<br /> At first, he doesn’t say anything. My nerves are starting to act up and I find myself basically skipping in my spot. But finally, he asks, “Hale, huh? Do you happen to be related to Ruth?”<br /> My eyes go wide. “Yes! Ruth is my cousin.”<br /> The man’s shoulders relax. He cracks a smile, and suddenly he doesn’t seem so scary anymore. “You must be the cousin she talks about a lot. The singer. I’m Max, by the way. Follow me.”<br /> We shake hands, and I can’t help but feel giddy.<br /> My cousin Ruth is here. I can’t believe it. We were very close as kids, even though we only saw each other over the summers. She left Nightshade Springs when we were both eighteen, and the last thing I heard about her was that she got married to a mason from the nearby village. We saw each other at my dad’s funeral, but we didn’t get to talk much because of my own grief.<br /> But now, I’m going to see her. I wonder if she has kids now.<br /> The thought of little babies running around makes me so excited, so much so that I almost forget to follow Max as he leads me out of the cemetery through an unfamiliar path. I quickly pick up the knife and run after him.<br /> I frown as I pull level with Max. &quot;Why are we using this path?&quot;<br /> The moment the question leaves my lips, the answer comes to me when we turn a corner.<br /> For the first time, I come face to face with the aftermath of the Rogue infestation.<br /> The village is now completely deserted. The houses are dilapidated, empty and broken. The smell of Rogues is present, but distant, which tells me that the place is visited frequently but they&#039;re not actually here. Dried blood is scattered all over the ground like paint.<br /> &quot;That&#039;s animal blood,&quot; Max explains, following the direction of my gaze. &quot;We vacated this place a long time ago. We still live in this area, but we decided to stick close together to protect ourselves from the Rogues. We figured that it would be best if we show them a strong front. The Kingdom doesn&#039;t really do much for us, so we have to take matters into our own hands.&quot;<br /> I swallow hard, averting my gaze as we turn another corner, a hidden path behind a small hill.<br /> &quot;Does the Kingdom not visit the villages at all?&quot; I ask.<br /> Max shakes his head. &quot;Nope. Not at all. They send guards from time to time, but you see how many Rogues there are. You know how violent they can be. We needed weapons to protect ourselves, but they just won&#039;t provide that. I think they keep it to themselves, leave everyone else defenseless.&quot;<br /> I keep quiet. I don&#039;t know what to say. Part of me wants to defend the palace. I mean, I know they have it hard, and Achilles is doing his best. But then again, who am I to dismiss their suffering?<br /> I open my mouth to ask where they got their weapons, but then we arrive at a fenced part of the village. Barbed wires are set on tall metal walls, behind which small compact buildings stand proud.<br /> He opens the gate carefully, and we both enter. There are a couple of villages standing watch, carrying guns similar to his. They stare at me, and I have to lower my head to avoid the intensity of their looks.<br /> I want to tell Max that I just want to see Ruth, but before I can get the question out, I see two people running towards me.<br /> I look up and my heart nearly gives out when I see that it&#039;s Ruth, together with a tall bearded man who must be her husband.<br /> &quot;Claudia!&quot; she squeals, and before I can even drop my bags, she scoops me up into a big hug. &quot;You&#039;re home! It&#039;s been so long!&quot;<br /> I blink the tears away when she lets me go. &quot;I figured it was time to retire and just stay here.&quot;<br /> I feel guilty. I lied to Maia and now I&#039;m lying to Ruth.<br /> “You loved that job, but I do understand,” she says, and I can’t help but be thankful that she didn’t press me for more details. “This is my husband, Henry. We live in one of the apartments. You can stay with us if you like, but I think it would be best if you get your own room.”<br /> “It’s nice to meet you,” Henry says, taking my bags from me. “I will take these up to your room.”<br /> I smile. “Thank you so much.”<br /> He and Max leave, and Ruth takes my arm, steering me into a small structure at the foot of one of the buildings. I can hear cheers and smell food from outside, and I find myself relaxing when I see that it’s a pub. Men and women alike are laughing and talking, downing jugs of beer and eating fried food. It’s quite fascinating to see so much life and joy in a single space in this lost land, but I can’t help but feel grateful.<br /> Ruth and I sit on the counter. The bartender slides two jugs of beer and a platter of steaming chips. I grab the chips even though they’re hot, stuffing them all in my mouth and drinking the beer. Everything is strangely fresh, and I can’t help but gobble it all up. Ruth watches me with amusement as she sips her drink.<br /> “Do they not feed you up there?” she jokes, shaking her head. “Honestly, I don’t blame you for going home. It must have been hell there.”<br /> My appetite suddenly vanishes. “Well, it’s not so bad. But nothing like home, yes.” I clear my throat, desperate for a change of topic. “So, Max found me in the cemetery. He’s… an interesting character.”<br /> “I know, he mind-linked it to me.” She shrugs. “Max is kind of an asshole, but I get why. He had to step up as our leader when the palace guards left us. He looted all those guns that we use now, so the only thing we have to forge are bullets. Screw the Kingdom and that deaf-mute idiot who rules it.”<br /> My face goes hot. I want to defend Achilles. I want to tell Ruth not to call him that, but then again, he kicked me out for defending him.<br /> “Is everyone doing the same?” I start to ask, but then a small commotion breaks out in the corner of the pub where the entrance is.<br /> “Hey, keep that bastard out!” I hear some of the men yelling.<br /> “He barged right in and demanded entry!”<br /> “It’s one of those palace fuckers!”<br /> I freeze. Ruth and I both slide out of our stools, looking over at the chaos.<br /> My heart jumps right into my throat when I see Gamma Kiernan trying to force his way inside the pub.<br /> “Bring me Claudia Hale, and we will not have any problems.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 10<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Panic takes a hold of me. Suddenly, I feel my entire body going numb. I can feel Ruth beside me and I can hear her saying something, but it’s like my mind is tuning out. All I can hear are muffled voices. All I can feel is my heart hammering inside my ribs like it wants to get out.<br /> I blink a couple of times as we get pushed back by the ongoing commotion. For a moment I’m certain that I’m not seeing things correctly, but I’m wrong.<br /> Gamma Kiernan is really here, and he’s looking for me.<br /> “No way you’re getting in,” the men at the entrance keep telling him. “Pack it up and leave!”<br /> “I will not leave until you bring Claudia Hale here,” he insists. “I can smell her scent in the air. I know you’re hiding her. Back off, and no one gets hurt.”<br /> “How dare you threaten us?”<br /> With that, the chaos ensues. Now there are so many men blocking his way, and soon enough, women are clamoring to shoo him out of the pub too. I can see his expression. I know that he can take these men down if he wants to, but he’s restraining himself.<br /> The urge to step up and show myself before things get ugly overcomes me, but then Ruth wheels around and dunks my head down, preventing me from getting seen.<br /> “Why the hell are they looking for you?” Ruth demands. “Did you do something?”<br /> “No,” I begin to say, but that’s when I feel a strong hand dragging me back.<br /> “Ow!” I complain under my breath, feeling myself getting yanked back into the corner by this strong person. I turn around and see Max. He’s squeezing my arm so hard that I can almost feel the bruises appearing. “Let me go!”<br /> He just glares at me. “You are not going to show yourself to that upstart. You’re going to stay here behind the bar. Understand?”<br /> “No!” I snatch my arm back from him. “Do you want your people to get hurt?”<br /> His eyes flash with anger. “You’re really assuming we’re the ones who’d get hurt? You put too much faith in those men who don’t do anything but sit on their asses and command the lower people to fight for them.”<br /> I realize that he’s referring to the palace royals, including Achilles. His claims are so false that I square up to him, shoving him back. “You have no idea what you’re talking about! Those men risk their lives for us!”<br /> “Maybe for you,” Max growls dryly, “but never for me.”<br /> The next events happen so fast. So much so that I don’t even get the time to react. Max just grabs me by the shoulders, pushes me right into the broom closet, and props a chair against the doorknob to basically lock it from outside. I fall on the floor, flat on my behind, but then I spring up to my feet to try to ram it down.<br /> “Let me out!” I scream, but I doubt anyone would hear me from the absolute meltdown happening outside.<br /> I could shift into my wolf and break the door, but I think I would end up demolishing half the pub in the process. So even though I want to end this, I just stay by the door, pressing my ear against it and listening as best as I can.<br /> That’s when I hear Max announcing, “Silence, everyone. Let the man speak.”<br /> The people immediately shut up, which surprises me. It seems that everyone really recognizes him as their leader. I can almost picture him stepping up to Gamma Kiernan.<br /> “Thank you,” Gamma Kiernan says. “As I was trying to say before I got swarmed, I need Claudia Hale.”<br /> “Why?” Max asks in a calm, almost lazy tone.<br /> “Because the Alpha King says so,” Gamma Kiernan replies in a similar voice. “We don’t want any trouble with the King, do we?”<br /> “Oh, no, we don’t,” Max answers, but this time, he sounds perfectly sarcastic. I can hear the others around him letting out a laugh. “We really don’t. But you see, Claudia isn’t here.”<br /> Silence fills the air. I want to scream at the top of my lungs to alert everyone of my presence, but I’m stunned. Petrified, really. Did the Gamma really say that it’s Alpha Achilles who’s asking for me?<br /> But why? Why would he look for me? It hasn’t even been a day since I left. Does he regret all the things he did, all the things he said to me? Did he realize that I didn’t actually do anything wrong, and he punished me out of pure pride and possibly stupidity?<br /> Now that’s something I want to hear. I want him to say sorry.<br /> I’m about to scream when suddenly, I hear Gamma Kiernan saying, “I can smell her. Do not fucking lie to me.”<br /> Somehow, I’m able to sense something about to go wrong before it even transpires. I make a move to ram the door down before things can break out, but it’s too late.<br /> Before I can even do anything, I hear Max saying in a low voice, “Deal with this bastard.”<br /> And then, hell breaks loose.<br /> It’s so loud I can almost see it. The men in the pub all yell for battle and the sounds that follow root me to my spot. More screams. Thuds from bodies hitting the floor and the walls. Broken glass. Snapping wood. Arrows whizzing. Wolves howling. Gunshots. So many gunshots….<br /> Soon enough, the smell of blood fills the air, and my heart nearly stops.<br /> It seems to go on forever, the sound and the smell and the carnage. I can make out specific voices like Gamma Kiernan’s, telling his men to stand down and leave. I can hear Max telling his people to pursue them, to drive them back and make sure they learn their lesson. On and on and on it goes.<br /> But just when I think that it’s never going to end, silence follows.<br /> It’s almost eerie. One can hear a pin drop. Who got shot? Did anyone die?<br /> The thought of death because of me is what finally breaks me. I ram down the door without shifting into my wolf form, but when I arrive at the bar, it’s too late. I can hear the sound of horses whinnying outside, their hooves hitting the ground in loud thuds as they run fast. I see the flash of the red carriage through the broken windows.<br /> I look all over the floor to see if anyone has fallen, but aside from the smears of blood, it seems that everyone made it out alive.<br /> At least, from this party.<br /> I don’t know if I can say the same about the people from the palace.<br /> Suddenly, Max enters the pub, sporting a broken nose. He tears off a piece of his shirt and uses it to dab on the blood, but I march toward him and snatch it right out of his hand. “What did you do?”<br /> “Showed them that they have no business here,” he says simply, taking the strip of fabric back from me. “The only thing I should be hearing from you is thank you, unless…”<br /> Everyone in the pub looks at me.<br /> Ruth is the one who gets up and turns to me. “What did you do, Claudia? Why are they looking for you?”<br /> Max crosses his arms. &quot;Give us a good reason why we shouldn&#039;t kick you out of here. Now.&quot;		Popular Novels		15	https://facebook.com/100091852266052	0		LEARN_MORE						1712214000		View Edit Delete
1245077	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198959	1734922024		532		735632815223316		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869110695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152782	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434024287_952429869654829_2914759023618469464_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8f3j20XwwCgAb4TUoc3&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBtmnG1VV8MOZJsaNS4d8W1lUtweX4Rl-iUhgbG4zWUVg&oe=662333C8	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433974065_395778936553743_7822722344626299012_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0Y9sdRF8FpUAb7clpNW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBEjFku5qD4rXLOBOAjl53rv-XXeUmNs-dOLdMlHkt2UA&oe=66231BF6			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245033	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198949	1734922024		532		628835726092167	1	3.8823692068868E+14		1712300400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	118879321169142		0	Popular Novels			120209381875100155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712247646	1.1887932116914E+14	Popular Novels	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435460454_228002963697666_8005756814523861345_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6nbT44KHqCwAb72WsDd&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCnyE_XaB-XN9TY7uNwnBfma_JV0B1DxB6cCmY-3CY9iQ&oe=662333A5	person_profile	0	Popular Novels	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435516665_1452578488972761_4714242035106415195_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Hkb13OzZwxQAb6zsSa1&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBigwELRHVmxVNOZFaG0jUTH7juREKjdqtJBbDivr0mIg&oe=66232485			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 6<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> I wake up with a gasp, sitting up abruptly like a marionette whose strings got yanked. My head starts to spin, but it’s not because there was no gentle introduction to the waking world.<br /> It’s because of the dream.<br /> Because of Claudia.<br /> I clutch my chest and feel that my heart is going haywire. My back is slick with sweat and I can almost feel it soaking my sheets. I close my eyes for a moment, gathering my thoughts, but the first thing I see in the darkness is Claudia’s face. Her voice is ringing in my ears, the first voice I have heard in so many years.<br /> She’s the Siren, the Moon Goddess said. The Alpha’s Voice.<br /> What does that mean? What does it have to do with me? What does that make her? I have more questions than answers and the frustration building up inside me is turning into anger. I don’t want that. I have to focus.<br /> Because if there is one thing I know, it’s that I fucked up by demanding her to leave.<br /> And I need to get her back.<br /> Fueled by the sudden fiery desire to chase after her and hold her down in the castle if I need to, I jump out of bed. I push open the door and startle the guards. I can see them mouthing, “What is the trouble, Alpha?”<br /> I ignore all of them. I just run along the hallway until I find Kiernan’s room. The guards step aside when they see me, so I push open the door, stumbling inside like a sweaty, clumsy ogre.<br /> Meanwhile, Kiernan is still awake, staring through the window. My heart sinks when I see that it’s already daylight outside, but I still have to try. I need to.<br /> Kiernan turns around, frowns at me, and asks, “Your Majesty. What brings you here?”<br /> He knows that it irks me when he calls me that, but I ignore it anyway. &#039;I need to find the maid, Claudia.&#039;<br /> I thought he would ask why, but he just narrows his eyes. “The maid you kicked out last night? I found her in the freezing cold, just staring into the distance like she couldn’t believe what happened. I actually told her I would talk to you about it, but when I got to your room, you were already asleep.”<br /> His words hit me like arrows to the heart. I can almost picture Claudia standing where I left her, crying and wondering what she did wrong, all the while I was sleeping soundly with no care in the world….<br /> No. I can’t think about that. It hurts too much.<br /> I step back, the tightness in my chest so extreme that I have to inhale and exhale slowly. Every time I blink I see her distraught face and hear her broken voice, appealing her case and showing me that she deserved to stay.<br /> And what did I do? I kicked her right out like she meant nothing.<br /> Like we never had anything together.<br /> I swallow hard. ‘I need her back here. I made a mistake.’<br /> “Then let’s go to the maids’ quarters,” Kiernan offers. “Maybe she’s still there.”<br /> I nod, and together, we barge into the lower floor where the maids stay. The rooms are already empty as they start their day at dawn. Every empty room we pass makes me want to punch something in regret, but I can still catch the sweet scent of Claudia in the air, lingering like a whisper. Finally, we arrive at her room, where her scent is strongest. The door is still closed.<br /> Kiernan lifts his hand to knock, but I’m desperate. I open the door.<br /> And there is one person inside the room. But it’s not Claudia.<br /> It’s a maid I remember as Maia, her best friend here. She whips around as soon as we get in, and I immediately see her swollen eyes and red face.<br /> “Alpha,” she mutters, sinking into a bow. “Gamma. I will go to work as soon as possible.”<br /> “No, take the time you need,” Kiernan says. “You are obviously in distress. What happened?”<br /> My breath gets stuck in my throat. I already know what she’s going to say, but I find myself searching the room in hopes of finding any proof that Claudia actually chose to stay.<br /> However, the room is blissfully empty. Vacated for the next maid.<br /> “Claudia left, Gamma,” she answers. “She said she needed to go back to her family. It was just so unexpected. I asked her if it had something to do with the meeting, and she said no. She said she’s tired of working. I don’t believe that. She always loved working here….”<br /> I freeze in shock. Kiernan glances at me pointedly before turning back to Maia. “I completely understand. Please, take the day off and rest. The Alpha and I will get going now.”<br /> He grabs me by the arm and pulls me out of the room, closing the door behind us. I can’t even walk properly. I can’t believe what I just heard.<br /> After all the bad things I said to her, she still chose to cover for me.<br /> I stop moving as soon as we reach the foyer. I hold onto the stair banister for support, my throat closed up.<br /> Kiernan stands next to me. “What happened, Your Majesty?”<br /> ‘Don’t call me that,’ I sign to him. ‘Go prepare a carriage—no. A horse. Ready a horse for me. I will be setting out soon—’<br /> “No, you’re not,” he interjects, his eyebrows scrunched up. “You are the Alpha King. Do you know what it would mean to the Rogues if they took down the head of the whole land? The revolution would be over!”<br /> ‘Fine, I will do it myself.’ I try to push past him but he blocks me. ‘Move out of my way. I need Claudia back here right now.’<br /> He shakes his head, putting a firm hand on my chest. “You’d have to kill me if you want to leave alone.”<br /> Kiernan is one of my oldest friends and most loyal men. We’ve butted heads many times before, but not like this. I can see his quiet anger, and I know from the look in his eyes that he can feel mine. Still, he stands his ground, staring at me like he’s daring me to attack him right now.<br /> And I almost want to. The thought of Claudia getting farther and farther away is tearing my soul apart.<br /> But I take a deep breath to steady myself. ‘You don’t understand.’<br /> “Then make me understand.”<br /> ‘Claudia is important to me,’ I tell him after a pause. ‘The Moon Goddess told me so. She is the Siren and the Alpha’s Voice. I have to get her back or else—’<br /> “Alpha Achilles.”<br /> He signals me to turn around. I see Carlos standing by the end of the stairs, his torso still wrapped in bandages.<br /> However, he’s not alone. Standing next to him are the Housekeeper and the Chief Butler. Both of them are carrying files, laid out as though they’re asking for advice.<br /> ‘What is this?’ I signal to Carlos. ‘I don’t need any interruptions right now. I have somewhere else to go.’<br /> Carlos shakes his head to stop me. “Alpha… today is the Winter Solstice festival. Our pack is hosting. You cannot go anywhere.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 7<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> The journey from Sangria Amori to my hometown feels long and short at the same time. As I sit there in the carriage watching the palace disappear behind a mountain in the distance and begin to see the tall magnolia trees surrounding the famous springs of my home, I can’t help but feel a mixture of longing and relief.<br /> Longing because it’s been my home for years and years. I have made good memories and bonded with amazing people. I overcame a lot of bad things. I met the one I thought I would know forever.<br /> But the relief comes from the loss of all of that. From the knowledge that from now on, I would be free from that palace and everyone in it.<br /> Especially Achilles.<br /> My heart still makes a little flip at the simple thought of his name. I still have to clench my hands and pierce my own palms with my nails to remind myself that I shouldn’t be thinking about him. But thankfully, I don’t have to acknowledge it because the carriage finally stops. The coachman Peter calls out from the front, smacking the carriage door with his cane. “You’re here now, girl. It’s time to move out.”<br /> I gather all my bags and sling them all on my shoulders, slightly struggling with the weight as I climb down the rickety old carriage. “Thank you so much, Peter.”<br /> I give him a happy salute, about to head to the arch that reads Nightshade Springs. But then, I hear him calling out, “Are you sure you’re going to be safe from here on?”<br /> That makes me pause. So far, throughout the whole journey, I haven’t sensed any Rogues at all. But Peter has a point. The infestation of Rogues is very much real and rampant, and I haven’t been to my hometown in five years. I honestly don’t know what’s waiting in store for me here.<br /> But still, I don’t want to bother him. If there is any danger out here, I would rather face it; I know that he has a family.<br /> So I just smile at him. “I got it, Peter. Thank you again and be careful on your way back!”<br /> He looks uncertain, but he leaves anyway, whipping the horses until they gallop faster. Soon enough, he’s gone.<br /> And I’m alone in the middle of the woods, surrounded by the familiar fresh scent of springs and pine.<br /> The scent of home.<br /> A soft smile appears on my face as I start to walk, following the stone path that leads to the edge of the village where the cemetery is.<br /> I suppose it’s a grim thing to start with, but I’ve been meaning to visit my parents’ graves for the past years. Grief and the start of the revolution put a halt to all of that, so now I feel quite happy that I get to see them, even if it’s just this way.<br /> My mom was a maid like I am. Or was. Either way, she served the palace too, specifically as a handmaiden to the former Queen. My dad was a gardener. She died from deadly flu five years ago, and he followed right after.<br /> Back then, I thought this was unfair. How could they leave me in this world alone? I was resentful. But eventually, I realized that it may have been out of love. He was never able to be apart from her for any period of time, and not even death could stop him from chasing after her.<br /> They told me that they met each other at a gathering for servants, and my father fell in love with my mother when he first heard her sing. I honestly can’t blame him. She had the most wonderful voice, and he always said that I had that beautiful voice too. I never really knew if he was just making that up, but the ones who heard me sing also told me that I do have a pretty voice.<br /> The memory brings a smile to my face, and as I approach their graves, I find myself humming along to the tune of my mother’s lullaby.<br /> Their graves are now covered in ivy. I sweep some of the leaves away and light a candle for them.<br /> I sit there for a while, watching the light flicker on their gravestones. I reach out and feel the warmth, opening my mouth to talk to them like I always did, but that’s when something strikes me.<br /> The sour, rotten smell.<br /> My entire body freezes. I shoot to my feet, clutching my bags closer to me as I look around. My heart is beating in my ears and I almost want to whimper, but it only gets worse when I finally see a single Rogue.<br /> It’s hiding behind gravestones in the distance, its eyes gleaming with hunger and malice as they focus on me. Its low growls make the ground hum. There’s tension in the air, thick and suffocating, telling me it’s been stalking me like prey for a while now. It’s still far but ready to spring. Ready to chase and feed.<br /> And I know that if I take one step back, it will come out and kill me.<br /> I slowly exhale, stepping back and feeling it move with me, keeping the distance between us the same.<br /> Bit by bit, I ease my bags off my shoulders and set them down. The eyes of the Rogue follow my movement like two laser pointers. I slip my hand in my pocket, looking for the silver knife that Maia gave me as a parting gift, ready to it down.<br /> As though on cue, the Rogue leaps into the air as soon as I raise the knife.<br /> But I’m ready this time. I don’t come to meet it. Instead, I stand my ground, waiting for the perfect moment. As soon as it flies midair to pounce on me, I duck right under it and run the knife along its throat.<br /> The Rogue falls to the ground with a whimper. It scrambles to get upright again, but before it can do so, I stomp its fragile head flat with my boot, its blood spattering everywhere.<br /> “Thank the gods,” I mutter, but that’s when I realize that I spoke too soon.<br /> As soon as the Rogue stops moving, the forest seems to come alive right before me. More Rogues emerge from the trees, sniffing and snarling, their eyes alight with joy when they see a perfectly good meal severely outnumbered.<br /> All at once, they jump toward me.<br /> A scream breaks out of my lips. I raise my bags to shield myself, but at this point, it’s only a matter of time before they take me down and feast on me. I’m only waiting for the pain now….<br /> But before it can come, I hear loud bangs in the distance. Gunshots. Followed by the loud thuds of the Rogues hitting the ground, dropping like dead flies.<br /> I lower my bags in horror. All the Rogues are dead, their heads bleeding from a single smoking puncture wound between their eyes. I’m about to turn around to see my savior, but then I feel the still-hot muzzle of the gun against my back.<br /> “Drop your knife if you want to live. Who are you and what do you need?”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 8<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The first thing that rises out of me is not frustration from being told what to do, but embarrassment from forgetting about the big event. I know that Carlos just had a bad injury that he’s still most likely dealing with, but I have a situation on my hands that I just can’t shake off, but I can&#039;t help but avert my gaze in shame.<br /> Carlos, Kiernan, and the two head staff are staring at me expectantly, and I just want to sink into the ground and never reappear.<br /> I look over at Kiernan, who gives me a small shrug like he’s telling me that it’s all up to me.<br /> The obvious thing to do is to just delay the festival and focus on the very important task of finding Claudia. But I know that my people are counting on this one single happy day among all the bad ones. They need this. And as much as I need Claudia here with me, they come first.<br /> I take a deep, steadying breath. ‘I apologize. It must have slipped my mind. Prepare the decorations and we shall have a lunch banquet in the throne room.’<br /> Carlos nods and repeats my words to the head staff. Then, he turns back to me and asks, “How about the evening celebrations?”<br /> ‘We’ll see,’ I sign to him.<br /> With that, the head staff both bow and leave. Now it’s only the three of us, and they look pained.<br /> “So what’s been happening?” Carlos splutters at last. “Where are you going?”<br /> Kiernan is the one who answers for him. “He kicked out the maid, Claudia, and now he has to bring her back because the Moon Goddess told him so in a dream. He wants to go out there himself.”<br /> ‘I have to,’ I tell them both. &#039;I still do, but with the festival...&quot;<br /> And of course, they just look at me like they feel sorry for me. I’m about to tell them both to supervise so I can go, but then Kiernan sighs and says, “I’ll get some of our warriors, and we will go and find her.”<br /> Without giving me a chance to say anything about this, Kiernan leaves. Carlos then looks at me and beckons me to go up the stairs.<br /> “After you, Alpha. Let’s give the people a good celebration.”<br /> * * *<br /> When I arrive at the throne room after changing into my formal suit, it is already decked with blue and silver decorations fit for the winter solstice theme. Food is flowing in, music is playing, and it seems that all the citizens are gathering.<br /> When Carlos and I enter, it takes me a whole while to notice that the throne room isn’t even halfway filled. As I sit on my throne, I see that my people are not eating, drinking, or having fun at all. They are just gathered at the little tables, engaged in serious conversation.<br /> More people are coming in, greeted by the butlers by the door. I keep thinking that this new batch will come and let loose, but they just gather like the rest of the guests.<br /> It’s starting to make me nervous. I agreed to this party thinking it would be best for their morale, but it seems that they’re just as uninterested in the occasion as I was.<br /> ‘This is not going well,’ I tell Carlos, who’s standing on my right side. He’s not fully recovered yet, but he insisted on coming here. ‘It would be best to cut this short.’<br /> As soon as I say those words, guilt starts to drum in my chest. I know that I should try to make things more festive instead of thinking about Claudia, but not knowing how things are on that front is almost as bad as being here and seeing my people feeling blue.<br /> “I think it would be best if you go down and communicate with them personally,” Carlos says, and I can’t believe I never thought of that before.<br /> I get up from my throne with the full intent of going around, but then I see a familiar face by the door. Someone I really don’t want to see.<br /> Alpha Tristan.<br /> He’s still wearing a coat, speckled with snow. The butler tries to take it from him but he pushes him away, which makes me tense up, immediately ready for a fight. However, he’s not alone. Walking behind him like lapdogs are the Alphas of his neighboring packs: Giorgio, Anthony, and Larkin.<br /> Their auras are so domineering and so distracting that the people in the throne room stop what they’re doing and just watch them approach me. But instead of meeting them halfway, I remain standing in front of the throne with the steps of the dais separating us.<br /> None of them bows down to me.<br /> “What are you doing here?” Carlos asks, and it perfectly reflects what’s in my mind, just more polite.<br /> Tristan flashes me a smirk. “We’re here because we’re tired of the preposterous games that Sangria Amori is playing. We need change!”<br /> Even though I can’t hear him, I can feel the vibrations of his scream on the walls and the floor. He’s livid, and because of this, the people in the room are tuning in.<br /> I don’t like the admiring and interested looks on their faces. I look at Carlos. ‘We shouldn’t have this talk here.’<br /> “Alpha Tristan.” Carlos gives him a strained smile, motioning him to come along. “We shall move this conversation to a more private location and perhaps—”<br /> “Get your hands off me.” Tristan pushes past him and squares up to me. “What you’re doing to these people is sickening. Making them show up here, forced to have fun, when they are suffering from problems you would never know about from your high throne. You’re making a mockery of their situation, flaunting your privilege in their faces.”<br /> I want to push him down the steps and pound his face into a pulp, but I restrain myself. Instead, I just sign something that Carlos translates with perfect contempt.<br /> “Get out, right now.”<br /> Tristan only scoffs, facing the people. “Last night, instead of meeting with the rest of the Alphas and coming up with a way to erase the Rogues, Alpha King Achilles was late. He left us on our own when we had a Rogue attack. It’s painfully obvious that his disabilities have made him selfish, and unfit to rule our land.”<br /> This time, my temper gets the best of me. I grab him by the arm with the full intent of punching him in the face as soon as he turns, but I stop when the people gasp.<br /> They’re now looking at me in horror.<br /> I slowly let him go. He starts to walk away, step by step, not taking his eyes off me. There’s a certain gleam in his eyes that I can’t identify, but the hairs on the back of my neck are standing on end.<br /> Only when he’s standing by the door do I know why.<br /> “We will no longer take orders from the Alpha King,” Tristan declares, his gaze still on me. “We will handle the Rogues our way, the right way. And those who want to join us would be offered full protection.”<br /> With that, he leaves.<br /> And I watch in horror as some of my citizens begin to get up from their seats, following him out.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 9<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> “Don’t shoot me,” I mutter, and I cringe when I hear the fear in my voice. I hate that I faced that single Rogue like a boss only to fold like this. “I’m not a danger to anyone. I’m a local here. I just moved for work at the palace…”<br /> I stop when I realize I’m about to ramble. I just drop the knife. As soon as it clatters on the floor, I feel the muzzle of the gun easing off my back. I take this as a cue to turn around, and I come face to face with a young man about my age, with straw-colored hair and brown eyes. He’s carrying a massive silver shotgun with rounds of big silver bullets around his body.<br /> He’s studying me closely, fixing his flannel shirt. “Who are you?”<br /> “Claudia Hale,” I say shakily. I even bow, which is dumb, but I guess it’s not so stupid if it stops him from shooting me. “I just came here to visit my parents.”<br /> At first, he doesn’t say anything. My nerves are starting to act up and I find myself basically skipping in my spot. But finally, he asks, “Hale, huh? Do you happen to be related to Ruth?”<br /> My eyes go wide. “Yes! Ruth is my cousin.”<br /> The man’s shoulders relax. He cracks a smile, and suddenly he doesn’t seem so scary anymore. “You must be the cousin she talks about a lot. The singer. I’m Max, by the way. Follow me.”<br /> We shake hands, and I can’t help but feel giddy.<br /> My cousin Ruth is here. I can’t believe it. We were very close as kids, even though we only saw each other over the summers. She left Nightshade Springs when we were both eighteen, and the last thing I heard about her was that she got married to a mason from the nearby village. We saw each other at my dad’s funeral, but we didn’t get to talk much because of my own grief.<br /> But now, I’m going to see her. I wonder if she has kids now.<br /> The thought of little babies running around makes me so excited, so much so that I almost forget to follow Max as he leads me out of the cemetery through an unfamiliar path. I quickly pick up the knife and run after him.<br /> I frown as I pull level with Max. &quot;Why are we using this path?&quot;<br /> The moment the question leaves my lips, the answer comes to me when we turn a corner.<br /> For the first time, I come face to face with the aftermath of the Rogue infestation.<br /> The village is now completely deserted. The houses are dilapidated, empty and broken. The smell of Rogues is present, but distant, which tells me that the place is visited frequently but they&#039;re not actually here. Dried blood is scattered all over the ground like paint.<br /> &quot;That&#039;s animal blood,&quot; Max explains, following the direction of my gaze. &quot;We vacated this place a long time ago. We still live in this area, but we decided to stick close together to protect ourselves from the Rogues. We figured that it would be best if we show them a strong front. The Kingdom doesn&#039;t really do much for us, so we have to take matters into our own hands.&quot;<br /> I swallow hard, averting my gaze as we turn another corner, a hidden path behind a small hill.<br /> &quot;Does the Kingdom not visit the villages at all?&quot; I ask.<br /> Max shakes his head. &quot;Nope. Not at all. They send guards from time to time, but you see how many Rogues there are. You know how violent they can be. We needed weapons to protect ourselves, but they just won&#039;t provide that. I think they keep it to themselves, leave everyone else defenseless.&quot;<br /> I keep quiet. I don&#039;t know what to say. Part of me wants to defend the palace. I mean, I know they have it hard, and Achilles is doing his best. But then again, who am I to dismiss their suffering?<br /> I open my mouth to ask where they got their weapons, but then we arrive at a fenced part of the village. Barbed wires are set on tall metal walls, behind which small compact buildings stand proud.<br /> He opens the gate carefully, and we both enter. There are a couple of villages standing watch, carrying guns similar to his. They stare at me, and I have to lower my head to avoid the intensity of their looks.<br /> I want to tell Max that I just want to see Ruth, but before I can get the question out, I see two people running towards me.<br /> I look up and my heart nearly gives out when I see that it&#039;s Ruth, together with a tall bearded man who must be her husband.<br /> &quot;Claudia!&quot; she squeals, and before I can even drop my bags, she scoops me up into a big hug. &quot;You&#039;re home! It&#039;s been so long!&quot;<br /> I blink the tears away when she lets me go. &quot;I figured it was time to retire and just stay here.&quot;<br /> I feel guilty. I lied to Maia and now I&#039;m lying to Ruth.<br /> “You loved that job, but I do understand,” she says, and I can’t help but be thankful that she didn’t press me for more details. “This is my husband, Henry. We live in one of the apartments. You can stay with us if you like, but I think it would be best if you get your own room.”<br /> “It’s nice to meet you,” Henry says, taking my bags from me. “I will take these up to your room.”<br /> I smile. “Thank you so much.”<br /> He and Max leave, and Ruth takes my arm, steering me into a small structure at the foot of one of the buildings. I can hear cheers and smell food from outside, and I find myself relaxing when I see that it’s a pub. Men and women alike are laughing and talking, downing jugs of beer and eating fried food. It’s quite fascinating to see so much life and joy in a single space in this lost land, but I can’t help but feel grateful.<br /> Ruth and I sit on the counter. The bartender slides two jugs of beer and a platter of steaming chips. I grab the chips even though they’re hot, stuffing them all in my mouth and drinking the beer. Everything is strangely fresh, and I can’t help but gobble it all up. Ruth watches me with amusement as she sips her drink.<br /> “Do they not feed you up there?” she jokes, shaking her head. “Honestly, I don’t blame you for going home. It must have been hell there.”<br /> My appetite suddenly vanishes. “Well, it’s not so bad. But nothing like home, yes.” I clear my throat, desperate for a change of topic. “So, Max found me in the cemetery. He’s… an interesting character.”<br /> “I know, he mind-linked it to me.” She shrugs. “Max is kind of an asshole, but I get why. He had to step up as our leader when the palace guards left us. He looted all those guns that we use now, so the only thing we have to forge are bullets. Screw the Kingdom and that deaf-mute idiot who rules it.”<br /> My face goes hot. I want to defend Achilles. I want to tell Ruth not to call him that, but then again, he kicked me out for defending him.<br /> “Is everyone doing the same?” I start to ask, but then a small commotion breaks out in the corner of the pub where the entrance is.<br /> “Hey, keep that bastard out!” I hear some of the men yelling.<br /> “He barged right in and demanded entry!”<br /> “It’s one of those palace fuckers!”<br /> I freeze. Ruth and I both slide out of our stools, looking over at the chaos.<br /> My heart jumps right into my throat when I see Gamma Kiernan trying to force his way inside the pub.<br /> “Bring me Claudia Hale, and we will not have any problems.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 10<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Panic takes a hold of me. Suddenly, I feel my entire body going numb. I can feel Ruth beside me and I can hear her saying something, but it’s like my mind is tuning out. All I can hear are muffled voices. All I can feel is my heart hammering inside my ribs like it wants to get out.<br /> I blink a couple of times as we get pushed back by the ongoing commotion. For a moment I’m certain that I’m not seeing things correctly, but I’m wrong.<br /> Gamma Kiernan is really here, and he’s looking for me.<br /> “No way you’re getting in,” the men at the entrance keep telling him. “Pack it up and leave!”<br /> “I will not leave until you bring Claudia Hale here,” he insists. “I can smell her scent in the air. I know you’re hiding her. Back off, and no one gets hurt.”<br /> “How dare you threaten us?”<br /> With that, the chaos ensues. Now there are so many men blocking his way, and soon enough, women are clamoring to shoo him out of the pub too. I can see his expression. I know that he can take these men down if he wants to, but he’s restraining himself.<br /> The urge to step up and show myself before things get ugly overcomes me, but then Ruth wheels around and dunks my head down, preventing me from getting seen.<br /> “Why the hell are they looking for you?” Ruth demands. “Did you do something?”<br /> “No,” I begin to say, but that’s when I feel a strong hand dragging me back.<br /> “Ow!” I complain under my breath, feeling myself getting yanked back into the corner by this strong person. I turn around and see Max. He’s squeezing my arm so hard that I can almost feel the bruises appearing. “Let me go!”<br /> He just glares at me. “You are not going to show yourself to that upstart. You’re going to stay here behind the bar. Understand?”<br /> “No!” I snatch my arm back from him. “Do you want your people to get hurt?”<br /> His eyes flash with anger. “You’re really assuming we’re the ones who’d get hurt? You put too much faith in those men who don’t do anything but sit on their asses and command the lower people to fight for them.”<br /> I realize that he’s referring to the palace royals, including Achilles. His claims are so false that I square up to him, shoving him back. “You have no idea what you’re talking about! Those men risk their lives for us!”<br /> “Maybe for you,” Max growls dryly, “but never for me.”<br /> The next events happen so fast. So much so that I don’t even get the time to react. Max just grabs me by the shoulders, pushes me right into the broom closet, and props a chair against the doorknob to basically lock it from outside. I fall on the floor, flat on my behind, but then I spring up to my feet to try to ram it down.<br /> “Let me out!” I scream, but I doubt anyone would hear me from the absolute meltdown happening outside.<br /> I could shift into my wolf and break the door, but I think I would end up demolishing half the pub in the process. So even though I want to end this, I just stay by the door, pressing my ear against it and listening as best as I can.<br /> That’s when I hear Max announcing, “Silence, everyone. Let the man speak.”<br /> The people immediately shut up, which surprises me. It seems that everyone really recognizes him as their leader. I can almost picture him stepping up to Gamma Kiernan.<br /> “Thank you,” Gamma Kiernan says. “As I was trying to say before I got swarmed, I need Claudia Hale.”<br /> “Why?” Max asks in a calm, almost lazy tone.<br /> “Because the Alpha King says so,” Gamma Kiernan replies in a similar voice. “We don’t want any trouble with the King, do we?”<br /> “Oh, no, we don’t,” Max answers, but this time, he sounds perfectly sarcastic. I can hear the others around him letting out a laugh. “We really don’t. But you see, Claudia isn’t here.”<br /> Silence fills the air. I want to scream at the top of my lungs to alert everyone of my presence, but I’m stunned. Petrified, really. Did the Gamma really say that it’s Alpha Achilles who’s asking for me?<br /> But why? Why would he look for me? It hasn’t even been a day since I left. Does he regret all the things he did, all the things he said to me? Did he realize that I didn’t actually do anything wrong, and he punished me out of pure pride and possibly stupidity?<br /> Now that’s something I want to hear. I want him to say sorry.<br /> I’m about to scream when suddenly, I hear Gamma Kiernan saying, “I can smell her. Do not fucking lie to me.”<br /> Somehow, I’m able to sense something about to go wrong before it even transpires. I make a move to ram the door down before things can break out, but it’s too late.<br /> Before I can even do anything, I hear Max saying in a low voice, “Deal with this bastard.”<br /> And then, hell breaks loose.<br /> It’s so loud I can almost see it. The men in the pub all yell for battle and the sounds that follow root me to my spot. More screams. Thuds from bodies hitting the floor and the walls. Broken glass. Snapping wood. Arrows whizzing. Wolves howling. Gunshots. So many gunshots….<br /> Soon enough, the smell of blood fills the air, and my heart nearly stops.<br /> It seems to go on forever, the sound and the smell and the carnage. I can make out specific voices like Gamma Kiernan’s, telling his men to stand down and leave. I can hear Max telling his people to pursue them, to drive them back and make sure they learn their lesson. On and on and on it goes.<br /> But just when I think that it’s never going to end, silence follows.<br /> It’s almost eerie. One can hear a pin drop. Who got shot? Did anyone die?<br /> The thought of death because of me is what finally breaks me. I ram down the door without shifting into my wolf form, but when I arrive at the bar, it’s too late. I can hear the sound of horses whinnying outside, their hooves hitting the ground in loud thuds as they run fast. I see the flash of the red carriage through the broken windows.<br /> I look all over the floor to see if anyone has fallen, but aside from the smears of blood, it seems that everyone made it out alive.<br /> At least, from this party.<br /> I don’t know if I can say the same about the people from the palace.<br /> Suddenly, Max enters the pub, sporting a broken nose. He tears off a piece of his shirt and uses it to dab on the blood, but I march toward him and snatch it right out of his hand. “What did you do?”<br /> “Showed them that they have no business here,” he says simply, taking the strip of fabric back from me. “The only thing I should be hearing from you is thank you, unless…”<br /> Everyone in the pub looks at me.<br /> Ruth is the one who gets up and turns to me. “What did you do, Claudia? Why are they looking for you?”<br /> Max crosses his arms. &quot;Give us a good reason why we shouldn&#039;t kick you out of here. Now.&quot;		Popular Novels		15	https://facebook.com/100091852266052	0		LEARN_MORE						1712214000		View Edit Delete
1245257	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713199007	1734922024		532		405998018729673	1	7.4427677435033E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	100365976129594		0	Puzzles & Chaos			120206549330560257		play.google.com	Play game		NONE	video	How good is your math?		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.global.pnck		1711009573	1.0036597612959E+14	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433550324_1446645049603600_5136389505035088405_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QzG9g7DRtTAAb5Mo3OX&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAVrVHunPk8D9xmN6D5OggAcaFAe2Q1mnJXuT97B01xWA&oe=662313FB	person_profile	0	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433634132_399204216395138_8647582468373768612_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=rqkmRncMal8Ab4fTe8o&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAIWriyw5fKa-6hwDwaWMKyI_x5EKjn6cU403g7OIJp-Q&oe=66232F37			0	3	Every decision matters. 🧮<br /> Try it yourself!		Puzzles & Chaos		11827	https://facebook.com/PuzzlesAndChaos	0		PLAY_GAME						1711004400		View Edit Delete
1245034	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198949	1734922024		532		690004706465416	1	4.5303494043365E+14		1712300400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	127476320437895		0	Joylit Novel			120209381871910155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712247653	1.274763204379E+14	Joylit Novel	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434556834_303239556118622_5498646322134783509_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hK04XdwceaAAb6EqSEZ&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB3Ia08cBokgCPYLJ3XtwA6sF9uj5p4yAv7J7-9BqulgA&oe=662328B2	person_profile	0	Joylit Novel	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435508956_1469620883907092_7033058298699478901_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=GgxBLw4nXLIAb4YvheA&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDed7kSavpUFy2XyXagteBzPKBd2H774miPpXXYa2oMRA&oe=66233BA2			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 6<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> I wake up with a gasp, sitting up abruptly like a marionette whose strings got yanked. My head starts to spin, but it’s not because there was no gentle introduction to the waking world.<br /> It’s because of the dream.<br /> Because of Claudia.<br /> I clutch my chest and feel that my heart is going haywire. My back is slick with sweat and I can almost feel it soaking my sheets. I close my eyes for a moment, gathering my thoughts, but the first thing I see in the darkness is Claudia’s face. Her voice is ringing in my ears, the first voice I have heard in so many years.<br /> She’s the Siren, the Moon Goddess said. The Alpha’s Voice.<br /> What does that mean? What does it have to do with me? What does that make her? I have more questions than answers and the frustration building up inside me is turning into anger. I don’t want that. I have to focus.<br /> Because if there is one thing I know, it’s that I fucked up by demanding her to leave.<br /> And I need to get her back.<br /> Fueled by the sudden fiery desire to chase after her and hold her down in the castle if I need to, I jump out of bed. I push open the door and startle the guards. I can see them mouthing, “What is the trouble, Alpha?”<br /> I ignore all of them. I just run along the hallway until I find Kiernan’s room. The guards step aside when they see me, so I push open the door, stumbling inside like a sweaty, clumsy ogre.<br /> Meanwhile, Kiernan is still awake, staring through the window. My heart sinks when I see that it’s already daylight outside, but I still have to try. I need to.<br /> Kiernan turns around, frowns at me, and asks, “Your Majesty. What brings you here?”<br /> He knows that it irks me when he calls me that, but I ignore it anyway. &#039;I need to find the maid, Claudia.&#039;<br /> I thought he would ask why, but he just narrows his eyes. “The maid you kicked out last night? I found her in the freezing cold, just staring into the distance like she couldn’t believe what happened. I actually told her I would talk to you about it, but when I got to your room, you were already asleep.”<br /> His words hit me like arrows to the heart. I can almost picture Claudia standing where I left her, crying and wondering what she did wrong, all the while I was sleeping soundly with no care in the world….<br /> No. I can’t think about that. It hurts too much.<br /> I step back, the tightness in my chest so extreme that I have to inhale and exhale slowly. Every time I blink I see her distraught face and hear her broken voice, appealing her case and showing me that she deserved to stay.<br /> And what did I do? I kicked her right out like she meant nothing.<br /> Like we never had anything together.<br /> I swallow hard. ‘I need her back here. I made a mistake.’<br /> “Then let’s go to the maids’ quarters,” Kiernan offers. “Maybe she’s still there.”<br /> I nod, and together, we barge into the lower floor where the maids stay. The rooms are already empty as they start their day at dawn. Every empty room we pass makes me want to punch something in regret, but I can still catch the sweet scent of Claudia in the air, lingering like a whisper. Finally, we arrive at her room, where her scent is strongest. The door is still closed.<br /> Kiernan lifts his hand to knock, but I’m desperate. I open the door.<br /> And there is one person inside the room. But it’s not Claudia.<br /> It’s a maid I remember as Maia, her best friend here. She whips around as soon as we get in, and I immediately see her swollen eyes and red face.<br /> “Alpha,” she mutters, sinking into a bow. “Gamma. I will go to work as soon as possible.”<br /> “No, take the time you need,” Kiernan says. “You are obviously in distress. What happened?”<br /> My breath gets stuck in my throat. I already know what she’s going to say, but I find myself searching the room in hopes of finding any proof that Claudia actually chose to stay.<br /> However, the room is blissfully empty. Vacated for the next maid.<br /> “Claudia left, Gamma,” she answers. “She said she needed to go back to her family. It was just so unexpected. I asked her if it had something to do with the meeting, and she said no. She said she’s tired of working. I don’t believe that. She always loved working here….”<br /> I freeze in shock. Kiernan glances at me pointedly before turning back to Maia. “I completely understand. Please, take the day off and rest. The Alpha and I will get going now.”<br /> He grabs me by the arm and pulls me out of the room, closing the door behind us. I can’t even walk properly. I can’t believe what I just heard.<br /> After all the bad things I said to her, she still chose to cover for me.<br /> I stop moving as soon as we reach the foyer. I hold onto the stair banister for support, my throat closed up.<br /> Kiernan stands next to me. “What happened, Your Majesty?”<br /> ‘Don’t call me that,’ I sign to him. ‘Go prepare a carriage—no. A horse. Ready a horse for me. I will be setting out soon—’<br /> “No, you’re not,” he interjects, his eyebrows scrunched up. “You are the Alpha King. Do you know what it would mean to the Rogues if they took down the head of the whole land? The revolution would be over!”<br /> ‘Fine, I will do it myself.’ I try to push past him but he blocks me. ‘Move out of my way. I need Claudia back here right now.’<br /> He shakes his head, putting a firm hand on my chest. “You’d have to kill me if you want to leave alone.”<br /> Kiernan is one of my oldest friends and most loyal men. We’ve butted heads many times before, but not like this. I can see his quiet anger, and I know from the look in his eyes that he can feel mine. Still, he stands his ground, staring at me like he’s daring me to attack him right now.<br /> And I almost want to. The thought of Claudia getting farther and farther away is tearing my soul apart.<br /> But I take a deep breath to steady myself. ‘You don’t understand.’<br /> “Then make me understand.”<br /> ‘Claudia is important to me,’ I tell him after a pause. ‘The Moon Goddess told me so. She is the Siren and the Alpha’s Voice. I have to get her back or else—’<br /> “Alpha Achilles.”<br /> He signals me to turn around. I see Carlos standing by the end of the stairs, his torso still wrapped in bandages.<br /> However, he’s not alone. Standing next to him are the Housekeeper and the Chief Butler. Both of them are carrying files, laid out as though they’re asking for advice.<br /> ‘What is this?’ I signal to Carlos. ‘I don’t need any interruptions right now. I have somewhere else to go.’<br /> Carlos shakes his head to stop me. “Alpha… today is the Winter Solstice festival. Our pack is hosting. You cannot go anywhere.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 7<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> The journey from Sangria Amori to my hometown feels long and short at the same time. As I sit there in the carriage watching the palace disappear behind a mountain in the distance and begin to see the tall magnolia trees surrounding the famous springs of my home, I can’t help but feel a mixture of longing and relief.<br /> Longing because it’s been my home for years and years. I have made good memories and bonded with amazing people. I overcame a lot of bad things. I met the one I thought I would know forever.<br /> But the relief comes from the loss of all of that. From the knowledge that from now on, I would be free from that palace and everyone in it.<br /> Especially Achilles.<br /> My heart still makes a little flip at the simple thought of his name. I still have to clench my hands and pierce my own palms with my nails to remind myself that I shouldn’t be thinking about him. But thankfully, I don’t have to acknowledge it because the carriage finally stops. The coachman Peter calls out from the front, smacking the carriage door with his cane. “You’re here now, girl. It’s time to move out.”<br /> I gather all my bags and sling them all on my shoulders, slightly struggling with the weight as I climb down the rickety old carriage. “Thank you so much, Peter.”<br /> I give him a happy salute, about to head to the arch that reads Nightshade Springs. But then, I hear him calling out, “Are you sure you’re going to be safe from here on?”<br /> That makes me pause. So far, throughout the whole journey, I haven’t sensed any Rogues at all. But Peter has a point. The infestation of Rogues is very much real and rampant, and I haven’t been to my hometown in five years. I honestly don’t know what’s waiting in store for me here.<br /> But still, I don’t want to bother him. If there is any danger out here, I would rather face it; I know that he has a family.<br /> So I just smile at him. “I got it, Peter. Thank you again and be careful on your way back!”<br /> He looks uncertain, but he leaves anyway, whipping the horses until they gallop faster. Soon enough, he’s gone.<br /> And I’m alone in the middle of the woods, surrounded by the familiar fresh scent of springs and pine.<br /> The scent of home.<br /> A soft smile appears on my face as I start to walk, following the stone path that leads to the edge of the village where the cemetery is.<br /> I suppose it’s a grim thing to start with, but I’ve been meaning to visit my parents’ graves for the past years. Grief and the start of the revolution put a halt to all of that, so now I feel quite happy that I get to see them, even if it’s just this way.<br /> My mom was a maid like I am. Or was. Either way, she served the palace too, specifically as a handmaiden to the former Queen. My dad was a gardener. She died from deadly flu five years ago, and he followed right after.<br /> Back then, I thought this was unfair. How could they leave me in this world alone? I was resentful. But eventually, I realized that it may have been out of love. He was never able to be apart from her for any period of time, and not even death could stop him from chasing after her.<br /> They told me that they met each other at a gathering for servants, and my father fell in love with my mother when he first heard her sing. I honestly can’t blame him. She had the most wonderful voice, and he always said that I had that beautiful voice too. I never really knew if he was just making that up, but the ones who heard me sing also told me that I do have a pretty voice.<br /> The memory brings a smile to my face, and as I approach their graves, I find myself humming along to the tune of my mother’s lullaby.<br /> Their graves are now covered in ivy. I sweep some of the leaves away and light a candle for them.<br /> I sit there for a while, watching the light flicker on their gravestones. I reach out and feel the warmth, opening my mouth to talk to them like I always did, but that’s when something strikes me.<br /> The sour, rotten smell.<br /> My entire body freezes. I shoot to my feet, clutching my bags closer to me as I look around. My heart is beating in my ears and I almost want to whimper, but it only gets worse when I finally see a single Rogue.<br /> It’s hiding behind gravestones in the distance, its eyes gleaming with hunger and malice as they focus on me. Its low growls make the ground hum. There’s tension in the air, thick and suffocating, telling me it’s been stalking me like prey for a while now. It’s still far but ready to spring. Ready to chase and feed.<br /> And I know that if I take one step back, it will come out and kill me.<br /> I slowly exhale, stepping back and feeling it move with me, keeping the distance between us the same.<br /> Bit by bit, I ease my bags off my shoulders and set them down. The eyes of the Rogue follow my movement like two laser pointers. I slip my hand in my pocket, looking for the silver knife that Maia gave me as a parting gift, ready to it down.<br /> As though on cue, the Rogue leaps into the air as soon as I raise the knife.<br /> But I’m ready this time. I don’t come to meet it. Instead, I stand my ground, waiting for the perfect moment. As soon as it flies midair to pounce on me, I duck right under it and run the knife along its throat.<br /> The Rogue falls to the ground with a whimper. It scrambles to get upright again, but before it can do so, I stomp its fragile head flat with my boot, its blood spattering everywhere.<br /> “Thank the gods,” I mutter, but that’s when I realize that I spoke too soon.<br /> As soon as the Rogue stops moving, the forest seems to come alive right before me. More Rogues emerge from the trees, sniffing and snarling, their eyes alight with joy when they see a perfectly good meal severely outnumbered.<br /> All at once, they jump toward me.<br /> A scream breaks out of my lips. I raise my bags to shield myself, but at this point, it’s only a matter of time before they take me down and feast on me. I’m only waiting for the pain now….<br /> But before it can come, I hear loud bangs in the distance. Gunshots. Followed by the loud thuds of the Rogues hitting the ground, dropping like dead flies.<br /> I lower my bags in horror. All the Rogues are dead, their heads bleeding from a single smoking puncture wound between their eyes. I’m about to turn around to see my savior, but then I feel the still-hot muzzle of the gun against my back.<br /> “Drop your knife if you want to live. Who are you and what do you need?”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 8<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The first thing that rises out of me is not frustration from being told what to do, but embarrassment from forgetting about the big event. I know that Carlos just had a bad injury that he’s still most likely dealing with, but I have a situation on my hands that I just can’t shake off, but I can&#039;t help but avert my gaze in shame.<br /> Carlos, Kiernan, and the two head staff are staring at me expectantly, and I just want to sink into the ground and never reappear.<br /> I look over at Kiernan, who gives me a small shrug like he’s telling me that it’s all up to me.<br /> The obvious thing to do is to just delay the festival and focus on the very important task of finding Claudia. But I know that my people are counting on this one single happy day among all the bad ones. They need this. And as much as I need Claudia here with me, they come first.<br /> I take a deep, steadying breath. ‘I apologize. It must have slipped my mind. Prepare the decorations and we shall have a lunch banquet in the throne room.’<br /> Carlos nods and repeats my words to the head staff. Then, he turns back to me and asks, “How about the evening celebrations?”<br /> ‘We’ll see,’ I sign to him.<br /> With that, the head staff both bow and leave. Now it’s only the three of us, and they look pained.<br /> “So what’s been happening?” Carlos splutters at last. “Where are you going?”<br /> Kiernan is the one who answers for him. “He kicked out the maid, Claudia, and now he has to bring her back because the Moon Goddess told him so in a dream. He wants to go out there himself.”<br /> ‘I have to,’ I tell them both. &#039;I still do, but with the festival...&quot;<br /> And of course, they just look at me like they feel sorry for me. I’m about to tell them both to supervise so I can go, but then Kiernan sighs and says, “I’ll get some of our warriors, and we will go and find her.”<br /> Without giving me a chance to say anything about this, Kiernan leaves. Carlos then looks at me and beckons me to go up the stairs.<br /> “After you, Alpha. Let’s give the people a good celebration.”<br /> * * *<br /> When I arrive at the throne room after changing into my formal suit, it is already decked with blue and silver decorations fit for the winter solstice theme. Food is flowing in, music is playing, and it seems that all the citizens are gathering.<br /> When Carlos and I enter, it takes me a whole while to notice that the throne room isn’t even halfway filled. As I sit on my throne, I see that my people are not eating, drinking, or having fun at all. They are just gathered at the little tables, engaged in serious conversation.<br /> More people are coming in, greeted by the butlers by the door. I keep thinking that this new batch will come and let loose, but they just gather like the rest of the guests.<br /> It’s starting to make me nervous. I agreed to this party thinking it would be best for their morale, but it seems that they’re just as uninterested in the occasion as I was.<br /> ‘This is not going well,’ I tell Carlos, who’s standing on my right side. He’s not fully recovered yet, but he insisted on coming here. ‘It would be best to cut this short.’<br /> As soon as I say those words, guilt starts to drum in my chest. I know that I should try to make things more festive instead of thinking about Claudia, but not knowing how things are on that front is almost as bad as being here and seeing my people feeling blue.<br /> “I think it would be best if you go down and communicate with them personally,” Carlos says, and I can’t believe I never thought of that before.<br /> I get up from my throne with the full intent of going around, but then I see a familiar face by the door. Someone I really don’t want to see.<br /> Alpha Tristan.<br /> He’s still wearing a coat, speckled with snow. The butler tries to take it from him but he pushes him away, which makes me tense up, immediately ready for a fight. However, he’s not alone. Walking behind him like lapdogs are the Alphas of his neighboring packs: Giorgio, Anthony, and Larkin.<br /> Their auras are so domineering and so distracting that the people in the throne room stop what they’re doing and just watch them approach me. But instead of meeting them halfway, I remain standing in front of the throne with the steps of the dais separating us.<br /> None of them bows down to me.<br /> “What are you doing here?” Carlos asks, and it perfectly reflects what’s in my mind, just more polite.<br /> Tristan flashes me a smirk. “We’re here because we’re tired of the preposterous games that Sangria Amori is playing. We need change!”<br /> Even though I can’t hear him, I can feel the vibrations of his scream on the walls and the floor. He’s livid, and because of this, the people in the room are tuning in.<br /> I don’t like the admiring and interested looks on their faces. I look at Carlos. ‘We shouldn’t have this talk here.’<br /> “Alpha Tristan.” Carlos gives him a strained smile, motioning him to come along. “We shall move this conversation to a more private location and perhaps—”<br /> “Get your hands off me.” Tristan pushes past him and squares up to me. “What you’re doing to these people is sickening. Making them show up here, forced to have fun, when they are suffering from problems you would never know about from your high throne. You’re making a mockery of their situation, flaunting your privilege in their faces.”<br /> I want to push him down the steps and pound his face into a pulp, but I restrain myself. Instead, I just sign something that Carlos translates with perfect contempt.<br /> “Get out, right now.”<br /> Tristan only scoffs, facing the people. “Last night, instead of meeting with the rest of the Alphas and coming up with a way to erase the Rogues, Alpha King Achilles was late. He left us on our own when we had a Rogue attack. It’s painfully obvious that his disabilities have made him selfish, and unfit to rule our land.”<br /> This time, my temper gets the best of me. I grab him by the arm with the full intent of punching him in the face as soon as he turns, but I stop when the people gasp.<br /> They’re now looking at me in horror.<br /> I slowly let him go. He starts to walk away, step by step, not taking his eyes off me. There’s a certain gleam in his eyes that I can’t identify, but the hairs on the back of my neck are standing on end.<br /> Only when he’s standing by the door do I know why.<br /> “We will no longer take orders from the Alpha King,” Tristan declares, his gaze still on me. “We will handle the Rogues our way, the right way. And those who want to join us would be offered full protection.”<br /> With that, he leaves.<br /> And I watch in horror as some of my citizens begin to get up from their seats, following him out.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 9<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> “Don’t shoot me,” I mutter, and I cringe when I hear the fear in my voice. I hate that I faced that single Rogue like a boss only to fold like this. “I’m not a danger to anyone. I’m a local here. I just moved for work at the palace…”<br /> I stop when I realize I’m about to ramble. I just drop the knife. As soon as it clatters on the floor, I feel the muzzle of the gun easing off my back. I take this as a cue to turn around, and I come face to face with a young man about my age, with straw-colored hair and brown eyes. He’s carrying a massive silver shotgun with rounds of big silver bullets around his body.<br /> He’s studying me closely, fixing his flannel shirt. “Who are you?”<br /> “Claudia Hale,” I say shakily. I even bow, which is dumb, but I guess it’s not so stupid if it stops him from shooting me. “I just came here to visit my parents.”<br /> At first, he doesn’t say anything. My nerves are starting to act up and I find myself basically skipping in my spot. But finally, he asks, “Hale, huh? Do you happen to be related to Ruth?”<br /> My eyes go wide. “Yes! Ruth is my cousin.”<br /> The man’s shoulders relax. He cracks a smile, and suddenly he doesn’t seem so scary anymore. “You must be the cousin she talks about a lot. The singer. I’m Max, by the way. Follow me.”<br /> We shake hands, and I can’t help but feel giddy.<br /> My cousin Ruth is here. I can’t believe it. We were very close as kids, even though we only saw each other over the summers. She left Nightshade Springs when we were both eighteen, and the last thing I heard about her was that she got married to a mason from the nearby village. We saw each other at my dad’s funeral, but we didn’t get to talk much because of my own grief.<br /> But now, I’m going to see her. I wonder if she has kids now.<br /> The thought of little babies running around makes me so excited, so much so that I almost forget to follow Max as he leads me out of the cemetery through an unfamiliar path. I quickly pick up the knife and run after him.<br /> I frown as I pull level with Max. &quot;Why are we using this path?&quot;<br /> The moment the question leaves my lips, the answer comes to me when we turn a corner.<br /> For the first time, I come face to face with the aftermath of the Rogue infestation.<br /> The village is now completely deserted. The houses are dilapidated, empty and broken. The smell of Rogues is present, but distant, which tells me that the place is visited frequently but they&#039;re not actually here. Dried blood is scattered all over the ground like paint.<br /> &quot;That&#039;s animal blood,&quot; Max explains, following the direction of my gaze. &quot;We vacated this place a long time ago. We still live in this area, but we decided to stick close together to protect ourselves from the Rogues. We figured that it would be best if we show them a strong front. The Kingdom doesn&#039;t really do much for us, so we have to take matters into our own hands.&quot;<br /> I swallow hard, averting my gaze as we turn another corner, a hidden path behind a small hill.<br /> &quot;Does the Kingdom not visit the villages at all?&quot; I ask.<br /> Max shakes his head. &quot;Nope. Not at all. They send guards from time to time, but you see how many Rogues there are. You know how violent they can be. We needed weapons to protect ourselves, but they just won&#039;t provide that. I think they keep it to themselves, leave everyone else defenseless.&quot;<br /> I keep quiet. I don&#039;t know what to say. Part of me wants to defend the palace. I mean, I know they have it hard, and Achilles is doing his best. But then again, who am I to dismiss their suffering?<br /> I open my mouth to ask where they got their weapons, but then we arrive at a fenced part of the village. Barbed wires are set on tall metal walls, behind which small compact buildings stand proud.<br /> He opens the gate carefully, and we both enter. There are a couple of villages standing watch, carrying guns similar to his. They stare at me, and I have to lower my head to avoid the intensity of their looks.<br /> I want to tell Max that I just want to see Ruth, but before I can get the question out, I see two people running towards me.<br /> I look up and my heart nearly gives out when I see that it&#039;s Ruth, together with a tall bearded man who must be her husband.<br /> &quot;Claudia!&quot; she squeals, and before I can even drop my bags, she scoops me up into a big hug. &quot;You&#039;re home! It&#039;s been so long!&quot;<br /> I blink the tears away when she lets me go. &quot;I figured it was time to retire and just stay here.&quot;<br /> I feel guilty. I lied to Maia and now I&#039;m lying to Ruth.<br /> “You loved that job, but I do understand,” she says, and I can’t help but be thankful that she didn’t press me for more details. “This is my husband, Henry. We live in one of the apartments. You can stay with us if you like, but I think it would be best if you get your own room.”<br /> “It’s nice to meet you,” Henry says, taking my bags from me. “I will take these up to your room.”<br /> I smile. “Thank you so much.”<br /> He and Max leave, and Ruth takes my arm, steering me into a small structure at the foot of one of the buildings. I can hear cheers and smell food from outside, and I find myself relaxing when I see that it’s a pub. Men and women alike are laughing and talking, downing jugs of beer and eating fried food. It’s quite fascinating to see so much life and joy in a single space in this lost land, but I can’t help but feel grateful.<br /> Ruth and I sit on the counter. The bartender slides two jugs of beer and a platter of steaming chips. I grab the chips even though they’re hot, stuffing them all in my mouth and drinking the beer. Everything is strangely fresh, and I can’t help but gobble it all up. Ruth watches me with amusement as she sips her drink.<br /> “Do they not feed you up there?” she jokes, shaking her head. “Honestly, I don’t blame you for going home. It must have been hell there.”<br /> My appetite suddenly vanishes. “Well, it’s not so bad. But nothing like home, yes.” I clear my throat, desperate for a change of topic. “So, Max found me in the cemetery. He’s… an interesting character.”<br /> “I know, he mind-linked it to me.” She shrugs. “Max is kind of an asshole, but I get why. He had to step up as our leader when the palace guards left us. He looted all those guns that we use now, so the only thing we have to forge are bullets. Screw the Kingdom and that deaf-mute idiot who rules it.”<br /> My face goes hot. I want to defend Achilles. I want to tell Ruth not to call him that, but then again, he kicked me out for defending him.<br /> “Is everyone doing the same?” I start to ask, but then a small commotion breaks out in the corner of the pub where the entrance is.<br /> “Hey, keep that bastard out!” I hear some of the men yelling.<br /> “He barged right in and demanded entry!”<br /> “It’s one of those palace fuckers!”<br /> I freeze. Ruth and I both slide out of our stools, looking over at the chaos.<br /> My heart jumps right into my throat when I see Gamma Kiernan trying to force his way inside the pub.<br /> “Bring me Claudia Hale, and we will not have any problems.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 10<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Panic takes a hold of me. Suddenly, I feel my entire body going numb. I can feel Ruth beside me and I can hear her saying something, but it’s like my mind is tuning out. All I can hear are muffled voices. All I can feel is my heart hammering inside my ribs like it wants to get out.<br /> I blink a couple of times as we get pushed back by the ongoing commotion. For a moment I’m certain that I’m not seeing things correctly, but I’m wrong.<br /> Gamma Kiernan is really here, and he’s looking for me.<br /> “No way you’re getting in,” the men at the entrance keep telling him. “Pack it up and leave!”<br /> “I will not leave until you bring Claudia Hale here,” he insists. “I can smell her scent in the air. I know you’re hiding her. Back off, and no one gets hurt.”<br /> “How dare you threaten us?”<br /> With that, the chaos ensues. Now there are so many men blocking his way, and soon enough, women are clamoring to shoo him out of the pub too. I can see his expression. I know that he can take these men down if he wants to, but he’s restraining himself.<br /> The urge to step up and show myself before things get ugly overcomes me, but then Ruth wheels around and dunks my head down, preventing me from getting seen.<br /> “Why the hell are they looking for you?” Ruth demands. “Did you do something?”<br /> “No,” I begin to say, but that’s when I feel a strong hand dragging me back.<br /> “Ow!” I complain under my breath, feeling myself getting yanked back into the corner by this strong person. I turn around and see Max. He’s squeezing my arm so hard that I can almost feel the bruises appearing. “Let me go!”<br /> He just glares at me. “You are not going to show yourself to that upstart. You’re going to stay here behind the bar. Understand?”<br /> “No!” I snatch my arm back from him. “Do you want your people to get hurt?”<br /> His eyes flash with anger. “You’re really assuming we’re the ones who’d get hurt? You put too much faith in those men who don’t do anything but sit on their asses and command the lower people to fight for them.”<br /> I realize that he’s referring to the palace royals, including Achilles. His claims are so false that I square up to him, shoving him back. “You have no idea what you’re talking about! Those men risk their lives for us!”<br /> “Maybe for you,” Max growls dryly, “but never for me.”<br /> The next events happen so fast. So much so that I don’t even get the time to react. Max just grabs me by the shoulders, pushes me right into the broom closet, and props a chair against the doorknob to basically lock it from outside. I fall on the floor, flat on my behind, but then I spring up to my feet to try to ram it down.<br /> “Let me out!” I scream, but I doubt anyone would hear me from the absolute meltdown happening outside.<br /> I could shift into my wolf and break the door, but I think I would end up demolishing half the pub in the process. So even though I want to end this, I just stay by the door, pressing my ear against it and listening as best as I can.<br /> That’s when I hear Max announcing, “Silence, everyone. Let the man speak.”<br /> The people immediately shut up, which surprises me. It seems that everyone really recognizes him as their leader. I can almost picture him stepping up to Gamma Kiernan.<br /> “Thank you,” Gamma Kiernan says. “As I was trying to say before I got swarmed, I need Claudia Hale.”<br /> “Why?” Max asks in a calm, almost lazy tone.<br /> “Because the Alpha King says so,” Gamma Kiernan replies in a similar voice. “We don’t want any trouble with the King, do we?”<br /> “Oh, no, we don’t,” Max answers, but this time, he sounds perfectly sarcastic. I can hear the others around him letting out a laugh. “We really don’t. But you see, Claudia isn’t here.”<br /> Silence fills the air. I want to scream at the top of my lungs to alert everyone of my presence, but I’m stunned. Petrified, really. Did the Gamma really say that it’s Alpha Achilles who’s asking for me?<br /> But why? Why would he look for me? It hasn’t even been a day since I left. Does he regret all the things he did, all the things he said to me? Did he realize that I didn’t actually do anything wrong, and he punished me out of pure pride and possibly stupidity?<br /> Now that’s something I want to hear. I want him to say sorry.<br /> I’m about to scream when suddenly, I hear Gamma Kiernan saying, “I can smell her. Do not fucking lie to me.”<br /> Somehow, I’m able to sense something about to go wrong before it even transpires. I make a move to ram the door down before things can break out, but it’s too late.<br /> Before I can even do anything, I hear Max saying in a low voice, “Deal with this bastard.”<br /> And then, hell breaks loose.<br /> It’s so loud I can almost see it. The men in the pub all yell for battle and the sounds that follow root me to my spot. More screams. Thuds from bodies hitting the floor and the walls. Broken glass. Snapping wood. Arrows whizzing. Wolves howling. Gunshots. So many gunshots….<br /> Soon enough, the smell of blood fills the air, and my heart nearly stops.<br /> It seems to go on forever, the sound and the smell and the carnage. I can make out specific voices like Gamma Kiernan’s, telling his men to stand down and leave. I can hear Max telling his people to pursue them, to drive them back and make sure they learn their lesson. On and on and on it goes.<br /> But just when I think that it’s never going to end, silence follows.<br /> It’s almost eerie. One can hear a pin drop. Who got shot? Did anyone die?<br /> The thought of death because of me is what finally breaks me. I ram down the door without shifting into my wolf form, but when I arrive at the bar, it’s too late. I can hear the sound of horses whinnying outside, their hooves hitting the ground in loud thuds as they run fast. I see the flash of the red carriage through the broken windows.<br /> I look all over the floor to see if anyone has fallen, but aside from the smears of blood, it seems that everyone made it out alive.<br /> At least, from this party.<br /> I don’t know if I can say the same about the people from the palace.<br /> Suddenly, Max enters the pub, sporting a broken nose. He tears off a piece of his shirt and uses it to dab on the blood, but I march toward him and snatch it right out of his hand. “What did you do?”<br /> “Showed them that they have no business here,” he says simply, taking the strip of fabric back from me. “The only thing I should be hearing from you is thank you, unless…”<br /> Everyone in the pub looks at me.<br /> Ruth is the one who gets up and turns to me. “What did you do, Claudia? Why are they looking for you?”<br /> Max crosses his arms. &quot;Give us a good reason why we shouldn&#039;t kick you out of here. Now.&quot;		Joylit Novel		142	https://facebook.com/61550512629703	0		LEARN_MORE						1712214000		View Edit Delete
1245035	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198949	1734922024		532		729862859303671	1	9.4336873082946E+14		1712300400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	118879321169142		0	Popular Novels			120209381868700155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712247651	1.1887932116914E+14	Popular Novels	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435871294_268780336201714_7090718203150770316_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=OK7z6xNQq5AAb6LixyI&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBkbeD1fruI6cKaZJ6OJm7hmU5h0FVT59AdCLaCnqlu_w&oe=66233966	person_profile	0	Popular Novels	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435725707_3482169868595778_6641576492577955232_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nE5N0-ISAekAb4wYIaB&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD2AtlQo9C6KjoziKgFga1AGXPSFeQVMwnya66zU3PeCQ&oe=6623279D			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 6<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> I wake up with a gasp, sitting up abruptly like a marionette whose strings got yanked. My head starts to spin, but it’s not because there was no gentle introduction to the waking world.<br /> It’s because of the dream.<br /> Because of Claudia.<br /> I clutch my chest and feel that my heart is going haywire. My back is slick with sweat and I can almost feel it soaking my sheets. I close my eyes for a moment, gathering my thoughts, but the first thing I see in the darkness is Claudia’s face. Her voice is ringing in my ears, the first voice I have heard in so many years.<br /> She’s the Siren, the Moon Goddess said. The Alpha’s Voice.<br /> What does that mean? What does it have to do with me? What does that make her? I have more questions than answers and the frustration building up inside me is turning into anger. I don’t want that. I have to focus.<br /> Because if there is one thing I know, it’s that I fucked up by demanding her to leave.<br /> And I need to get her back.<br /> Fueled by the sudden fiery desire to chase after her and hold her down in the castle if I need to, I jump out of bed. I push open the door and startle the guards. I can see them mouthing, “What is the trouble, Alpha?”<br /> I ignore all of them. I just run along the hallway until I find Kiernan’s room. The guards step aside when they see me, so I push open the door, stumbling inside like a sweaty, clumsy ogre.<br /> Meanwhile, Kiernan is still awake, staring through the window. My heart sinks when I see that it’s already daylight outside, but I still have to try. I need to.<br /> Kiernan turns around, frowns at me, and asks, “Your Majesty. What brings you here?”<br /> He knows that it irks me when he calls me that, but I ignore it anyway. &#039;I need to find the maid, Claudia.&#039;<br /> I thought he would ask why, but he just narrows his eyes. “The maid you kicked out last night? I found her in the freezing cold, just staring into the distance like she couldn’t believe what happened. I actually told her I would talk to you about it, but when I got to your room, you were already asleep.”<br /> His words hit me like arrows to the heart. I can almost picture Claudia standing where I left her, crying and wondering what she did wrong, all the while I was sleeping soundly with no care in the world….<br /> No. I can’t think about that. It hurts too much.<br /> I step back, the tightness in my chest so extreme that I have to inhale and exhale slowly. Every time I blink I see her distraught face and hear her broken voice, appealing her case and showing me that she deserved to stay.<br /> And what did I do? I kicked her right out like she meant nothing.<br /> Like we never had anything together.<br /> I swallow hard. ‘I need her back here. I made a mistake.’<br /> “Then let’s go to the maids’ quarters,” Kiernan offers. “Maybe she’s still there.”<br /> I nod, and together, we barge into the lower floor where the maids stay. The rooms are already empty as they start their day at dawn. Every empty room we pass makes me want to punch something in regret, but I can still catch the sweet scent of Claudia in the air, lingering like a whisper. Finally, we arrive at her room, where her scent is strongest. The door is still closed.<br /> Kiernan lifts his hand to knock, but I’m desperate. I open the door.<br /> And there is one person inside the room. But it’s not Claudia.<br /> It’s a maid I remember as Maia, her best friend here. She whips around as soon as we get in, and I immediately see her swollen eyes and red face.<br /> “Alpha,” she mutters, sinking into a bow. “Gamma. I will go to work as soon as possible.”<br /> “No, take the time you need,” Kiernan says. “You are obviously in distress. What happened?”<br /> My breath gets stuck in my throat. I already know what she’s going to say, but I find myself searching the room in hopes of finding any proof that Claudia actually chose to stay.<br /> However, the room is blissfully empty. Vacated for the next maid.<br /> “Claudia left, Gamma,” she answers. “She said she needed to go back to her family. It was just so unexpected. I asked her if it had something to do with the meeting, and she said no. She said she’s tired of working. I don’t believe that. She always loved working here….”<br /> I freeze in shock. Kiernan glances at me pointedly before turning back to Maia. “I completely understand. Please, take the day off and rest. The Alpha and I will get going now.”<br /> He grabs me by the arm and pulls me out of the room, closing the door behind us. I can’t even walk properly. I can’t believe what I just heard.<br /> After all the bad things I said to her, she still chose to cover for me.<br /> I stop moving as soon as we reach the foyer. I hold onto the stair banister for support, my throat closed up.<br /> Kiernan stands next to me. “What happened, Your Majesty?”<br /> ‘Don’t call me that,’ I sign to him. ‘Go prepare a carriage—no. A horse. Ready a horse for me. I will be setting out soon—’<br /> “No, you’re not,” he interjects, his eyebrows scrunched up. “You are the Alpha King. Do you know what it would mean to the Rogues if they took down the head of the whole land? The revolution would be over!”<br /> ‘Fine, I will do it myself.’ I try to push past him but he blocks me. ‘Move out of my way. I need Claudia back here right now.’<br /> He shakes his head, putting a firm hand on my chest. “You’d have to kill me if you want to leave alone.”<br /> Kiernan is one of my oldest friends and most loyal men. We’ve butted heads many times before, but not like this. I can see his quiet anger, and I know from the look in his eyes that he can feel mine. Still, he stands his ground, staring at me like he’s daring me to attack him right now.<br /> And I almost want to. The thought of Claudia getting farther and farther away is tearing my soul apart.<br /> But I take a deep breath to steady myself. ‘You don’t understand.’<br /> “Then make me understand.”<br /> ‘Claudia is important to me,’ I tell him after a pause. ‘The Moon Goddess told me so. She is the Siren and the Alpha’s Voice. I have to get her back or else—’<br /> “Alpha Achilles.”<br /> He signals me to turn around. I see Carlos standing by the end of the stairs, his torso still wrapped in bandages.<br /> However, he’s not alone. Standing next to him are the Housekeeper and the Chief Butler. Both of them are carrying files, laid out as though they’re asking for advice.<br /> ‘What is this?’ I signal to Carlos. ‘I don’t need any interruptions right now. I have somewhere else to go.’<br /> Carlos shakes his head to stop me. “Alpha… today is the Winter Solstice festival. Our pack is hosting. You cannot go anywhere.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 7<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> The journey from Sangria Amori to my hometown feels long and short at the same time. As I sit there in the carriage watching the palace disappear behind a mountain in the distance and begin to see the tall magnolia trees surrounding the famous springs of my home, I can’t help but feel a mixture of longing and relief.<br /> Longing because it’s been my home for years and years. I have made good memories and bonded with amazing people. I overcame a lot of bad things. I met the one I thought I would know forever.<br /> But the relief comes from the loss of all of that. From the knowledge that from now on, I would be free from that palace and everyone in it.<br /> Especially Achilles.<br /> My heart still makes a little flip at the simple thought of his name. I still have to clench my hands and pierce my own palms with my nails to remind myself that I shouldn’t be thinking about him. But thankfully, I don’t have to acknowledge it because the carriage finally stops. The coachman Peter calls out from the front, smacking the carriage door with his cane. “You’re here now, girl. It’s time to move out.”<br /> I gather all my bags and sling them all on my shoulders, slightly struggling with the weight as I climb down the rickety old carriage. “Thank you so much, Peter.”<br /> I give him a happy salute, about to head to the arch that reads Nightshade Springs. But then, I hear him calling out, “Are you sure you’re going to be safe from here on?”<br /> That makes me pause. So far, throughout the whole journey, I haven’t sensed any Rogues at all. But Peter has a point. The infestation of Rogues is very much real and rampant, and I haven’t been to my hometown in five years. I honestly don’t know what’s waiting in store for me here.<br /> But still, I don’t want to bother him. If there is any danger out here, I would rather face it; I know that he has a family.<br /> So I just smile at him. “I got it, Peter. Thank you again and be careful on your way back!”<br /> He looks uncertain, but he leaves anyway, whipping the horses until they gallop faster. Soon enough, he’s gone.<br /> And I’m alone in the middle of the woods, surrounded by the familiar fresh scent of springs and pine.<br /> The scent of home.<br /> A soft smile appears on my face as I start to walk, following the stone path that leads to the edge of the village where the cemetery is.<br /> I suppose it’s a grim thing to start with, but I’ve been meaning to visit my parents’ graves for the past years. Grief and the start of the revolution put a halt to all of that, so now I feel quite happy that I get to see them, even if it’s just this way.<br /> My mom was a maid like I am. Or was. Either way, she served the palace too, specifically as a handmaiden to the former Queen. My dad was a gardener. She died from deadly flu five years ago, and he followed right after.<br /> Back then, I thought this was unfair. How could they leave me in this world alone? I was resentful. But eventually, I realized that it may have been out of love. He was never able to be apart from her for any period of time, and not even death could stop him from chasing after her.<br /> They told me that they met each other at a gathering for servants, and my father fell in love with my mother when he first heard her sing. I honestly can’t blame him. She had the most wonderful voice, and he always said that I had that beautiful voice too. I never really knew if he was just making that up, but the ones who heard me sing also told me that I do have a pretty voice.<br /> The memory brings a smile to my face, and as I approach their graves, I find myself humming along to the tune of my mother’s lullaby.<br /> Their graves are now covered in ivy. I sweep some of the leaves away and light a candle for them.<br /> I sit there for a while, watching the light flicker on their gravestones. I reach out and feel the warmth, opening my mouth to talk to them like I always did, but that’s when something strikes me.<br /> The sour, rotten smell.<br /> My entire body freezes. I shoot to my feet, clutching my bags closer to me as I look around. My heart is beating in my ears and I almost want to whimper, but it only gets worse when I finally see a single Rogue.<br /> It’s hiding behind gravestones in the distance, its eyes gleaming with hunger and malice as they focus on me. Its low growls make the ground hum. There’s tension in the air, thick and suffocating, telling me it’s been stalking me like prey for a while now. It’s still far but ready to spring. Ready to chase and feed.<br /> And I know that if I take one step back, it will come out and kill me.<br /> I slowly exhale, stepping back and feeling it move with me, keeping the distance between us the same.<br /> Bit by bit, I ease my bags off my shoulders and set them down. The eyes of the Rogue follow my movement like two laser pointers. I slip my hand in my pocket, looking for the silver knife that Maia gave me as a parting gift, ready to it down.<br /> As though on cue, the Rogue leaps into the air as soon as I raise the knife.<br /> But I’m ready this time. I don’t come to meet it. Instead, I stand my ground, waiting for the perfect moment. As soon as it flies midair to pounce on me, I duck right under it and run the knife along its throat.<br /> The Rogue falls to the ground with a whimper. It scrambles to get upright again, but before it can do so, I stomp its fragile head flat with my boot, its blood spattering everywhere.<br /> “Thank the gods,” I mutter, but that’s when I realize that I spoke too soon.<br /> As soon as the Rogue stops moving, the forest seems to come alive right before me. More Rogues emerge from the trees, sniffing and snarling, their eyes alight with joy when they see a perfectly good meal severely outnumbered.<br /> All at once, they jump toward me.<br /> A scream breaks out of my lips. I raise my bags to shield myself, but at this point, it’s only a matter of time before they take me down and feast on me. I’m only waiting for the pain now….<br /> But before it can come, I hear loud bangs in the distance. Gunshots. Followed by the loud thuds of the Rogues hitting the ground, dropping like dead flies.<br /> I lower my bags in horror. All the Rogues are dead, their heads bleeding from a single smoking puncture wound between their eyes. I’m about to turn around to see my savior, but then I feel the still-hot muzzle of the gun against my back.<br /> “Drop your knife if you want to live. Who are you and what do you need?”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 8<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The first thing that rises out of me is not frustration from being told what to do, but embarrassment from forgetting about the big event. I know that Carlos just had a bad injury that he’s still most likely dealing with, but I have a situation on my hands that I just can’t shake off, but I can&#039;t help but avert my gaze in shame.<br /> Carlos, Kiernan, and the two head staff are staring at me expectantly, and I just want to sink into the ground and never reappear.<br /> I look over at Kiernan, who gives me a small shrug like he’s telling me that it’s all up to me.<br /> The obvious thing to do is to just delay the festival and focus on the very important task of finding Claudia. But I know that my people are counting on this one single happy day among all the bad ones. They need this. And as much as I need Claudia here with me, they come first.<br /> I take a deep, steadying breath. ‘I apologize. It must have slipped my mind. Prepare the decorations and we shall have a lunch banquet in the throne room.’<br /> Carlos nods and repeats my words to the head staff. Then, he turns back to me and asks, “How about the evening celebrations?”<br /> ‘We’ll see,’ I sign to him.<br /> With that, the head staff both bow and leave. Now it’s only the three of us, and they look pained.<br /> “So what’s been happening?” Carlos splutters at last. “Where are you going?”<br /> Kiernan is the one who answers for him. “He kicked out the maid, Claudia, and now he has to bring her back because the Moon Goddess told him so in a dream. He wants to go out there himself.”<br /> ‘I have to,’ I tell them both. &#039;I still do, but with the festival...&quot;<br /> And of course, they just look at me like they feel sorry for me. I’m about to tell them both to supervise so I can go, but then Kiernan sighs and says, “I’ll get some of our warriors, and we will go and find her.”<br /> Without giving me a chance to say anything about this, Kiernan leaves. Carlos then looks at me and beckons me to go up the stairs.<br /> “After you, Alpha. Let’s give the people a good celebration.”<br /> * * *<br /> When I arrive at the throne room after changing into my formal suit, it is already decked with blue and silver decorations fit for the winter solstice theme. Food is flowing in, music is playing, and it seems that all the citizens are gathering.<br /> When Carlos and I enter, it takes me a whole while to notice that the throne room isn’t even halfway filled. As I sit on my throne, I see that my people are not eating, drinking, or having fun at all. They are just gathered at the little tables, engaged in serious conversation.<br /> More people are coming in, greeted by the butlers by the door. I keep thinking that this new batch will come and let loose, but they just gather like the rest of the guests.<br /> It’s starting to make me nervous. I agreed to this party thinking it would be best for their morale, but it seems that they’re just as uninterested in the occasion as I was.<br /> ‘This is not going well,’ I tell Carlos, who’s standing on my right side. He’s not fully recovered yet, but he insisted on coming here. ‘It would be best to cut this short.’<br /> As soon as I say those words, guilt starts to drum in my chest. I know that I should try to make things more festive instead of thinking about Claudia, but not knowing how things are on that front is almost as bad as being here and seeing my people feeling blue.<br /> “I think it would be best if you go down and communicate with them personally,” Carlos says, and I can’t believe I never thought of that before.<br /> I get up from my throne with the full intent of going around, but then I see a familiar face by the door. Someone I really don’t want to see.<br /> Alpha Tristan.<br /> He’s still wearing a coat, speckled with snow. The butler tries to take it from him but he pushes him away, which makes me tense up, immediately ready for a fight. However, he’s not alone. Walking behind him like lapdogs are the Alphas of his neighboring packs: Giorgio, Anthony, and Larkin.<br /> Their auras are so domineering and so distracting that the people in the throne room stop what they’re doing and just watch them approach me. But instead of meeting them halfway, I remain standing in front of the throne with the steps of the dais separating us.<br /> None of them bows down to me.<br /> “What are you doing here?” Carlos asks, and it perfectly reflects what’s in my mind, just more polite.<br /> Tristan flashes me a smirk. “We’re here because we’re tired of the preposterous games that Sangria Amori is playing. We need change!”<br /> Even though I can’t hear him, I can feel the vibrations of his scream on the walls and the floor. He’s livid, and because of this, the people in the room are tuning in.<br /> I don’t like the admiring and interested looks on their faces. I look at Carlos. ‘We shouldn’t have this talk here.’<br /> “Alpha Tristan.” Carlos gives him a strained smile, motioning him to come along. “We shall move this conversation to a more private location and perhaps—”<br /> “Get your hands off me.” Tristan pushes past him and squares up to me. “What you’re doing to these people is sickening. Making them show up here, forced to have fun, when they are suffering from problems you would never know about from your high throne. You’re making a mockery of their situation, flaunting your privilege in their faces.”<br /> I want to push him down the steps and pound his face into a pulp, but I restrain myself. Instead, I just sign something that Carlos translates with perfect contempt.<br /> “Get out, right now.”<br /> Tristan only scoffs, facing the people. “Last night, instead of meeting with the rest of the Alphas and coming up with a way to erase the Rogues, Alpha King Achilles was late. He left us on our own when we had a Rogue attack. It’s painfully obvious that his disabilities have made him selfish, and unfit to rule our land.”<br /> This time, my temper gets the best of me. I grab him by the arm with the full intent of punching him in the face as soon as he turns, but I stop when the people gasp.<br /> They’re now looking at me in horror.<br /> I slowly let him go. He starts to walk away, step by step, not taking his eyes off me. There’s a certain gleam in his eyes that I can’t identify, but the hairs on the back of my neck are standing on end.<br /> Only when he’s standing by the door do I know why.<br /> “We will no longer take orders from the Alpha King,” Tristan declares, his gaze still on me. “We will handle the Rogues our way, the right way. And those who want to join us would be offered full protection.”<br /> With that, he leaves.<br /> And I watch in horror as some of my citizens begin to get up from their seats, following him out.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 9<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> “Don’t shoot me,” I mutter, and I cringe when I hear the fear in my voice. I hate that I faced that single Rogue like a boss only to fold like this. “I’m not a danger to anyone. I’m a local here. I just moved for work at the palace…”<br /> I stop when I realize I’m about to ramble. I just drop the knife. As soon as it clatters on the floor, I feel the muzzle of the gun easing off my back. I take this as a cue to turn around, and I come face to face with a young man about my age, with straw-colored hair and brown eyes. He’s carrying a massive silver shotgun with rounds of big silver bullets around his body.<br /> He’s studying me closely, fixing his flannel shirt. “Who are you?”<br /> “Claudia Hale,” I say shakily. I even bow, which is dumb, but I guess it’s not so stupid if it stops him from shooting me. “I just came here to visit my parents.”<br /> At first, he doesn’t say anything. My nerves are starting to act up and I find myself basically skipping in my spot. But finally, he asks, “Hale, huh? Do you happen to be related to Ruth?”<br /> My eyes go wide. “Yes! Ruth is my cousin.”<br /> The man’s shoulders relax. He cracks a smile, and suddenly he doesn’t seem so scary anymore. “You must be the cousin she talks about a lot. The singer. I’m Max, by the way. Follow me.”<br /> We shake hands, and I can’t help but feel giddy.<br /> My cousin Ruth is here. I can’t believe it. We were very close as kids, even though we only saw each other over the summers. She left Nightshade Springs when we were both eighteen, and the last thing I heard about her was that she got married to a mason from the nearby village. We saw each other at my dad’s funeral, but we didn’t get to talk much because of my own grief.<br /> But now, I’m going to see her. I wonder if she has kids now.<br /> The thought of little babies running around makes me so excited, so much so that I almost forget to follow Max as he leads me out of the cemetery through an unfamiliar path. I quickly pick up the knife and run after him.<br /> I frown as I pull level with Max. &quot;Why are we using this path?&quot;<br /> The moment the question leaves my lips, the answer comes to me when we turn a corner.<br /> For the first time, I come face to face with the aftermath of the Rogue infestation.<br /> The village is now completely deserted. The houses are dilapidated, empty and broken. The smell of Rogues is present, but distant, which tells me that the place is visited frequently but they&#039;re not actually here. Dried blood is scattered all over the ground like paint.<br /> &quot;That&#039;s animal blood,&quot; Max explains, following the direction of my gaze. &quot;We vacated this place a long time ago. We still live in this area, but we decided to stick close together to protect ourselves from the Rogues. We figured that it would be best if we show them a strong front. The Kingdom doesn&#039;t really do much for us, so we have to take matters into our own hands.&quot;<br /> I swallow hard, averting my gaze as we turn another corner, a hidden path behind a small hill.<br /> &quot;Does the Kingdom not visit the villages at all?&quot; I ask.<br /> Max shakes his head. &quot;Nope. Not at all. They send guards from time to time, but you see how many Rogues there are. You know how violent they can be. We needed weapons to protect ourselves, but they just won&#039;t provide that. I think they keep it to themselves, leave everyone else defenseless.&quot;<br /> I keep quiet. I don&#039;t know what to say. Part of me wants to defend the palace. I mean, I know they have it hard, and Achilles is doing his best. But then again, who am I to dismiss their suffering?<br /> I open my mouth to ask where they got their weapons, but then we arrive at a fenced part of the village. Barbed wires are set on tall metal walls, behind which small compact buildings stand proud.<br /> He opens the gate carefully, and we both enter. There are a couple of villages standing watch, carrying guns similar to his. They stare at me, and I have to lower my head to avoid the intensity of their looks.<br /> I want to tell Max that I just want to see Ruth, but before I can get the question out, I see two people running towards me.<br /> I look up and my heart nearly gives out when I see that it&#039;s Ruth, together with a tall bearded man who must be her husband.<br /> &quot;Claudia!&quot; she squeals, and before I can even drop my bags, she scoops me up into a big hug. &quot;You&#039;re home! It&#039;s been so long!&quot;<br /> I blink the tears away when she lets me go. &quot;I figured it was time to retire and just stay here.&quot;<br /> I feel guilty. I lied to Maia and now I&#039;m lying to Ruth.<br /> “You loved that job, but I do understand,” she says, and I can’t help but be thankful that she didn’t press me for more details. “This is my husband, Henry. We live in one of the apartments. You can stay with us if you like, but I think it would be best if you get your own room.”<br /> “It’s nice to meet you,” Henry says, taking my bags from me. “I will take these up to your room.”<br /> I smile. “Thank you so much.”<br /> He and Max leave, and Ruth takes my arm, steering me into a small structure at the foot of one of the buildings. I can hear cheers and smell food from outside, and I find myself relaxing when I see that it’s a pub. Men and women alike are laughing and talking, downing jugs of beer and eating fried food. It’s quite fascinating to see so much life and joy in a single space in this lost land, but I can’t help but feel grateful.<br /> Ruth and I sit on the counter. The bartender slides two jugs of beer and a platter of steaming chips. I grab the chips even though they’re hot, stuffing them all in my mouth and drinking the beer. Everything is strangely fresh, and I can’t help but gobble it all up. Ruth watches me with amusement as she sips her drink.<br /> “Do they not feed you up there?” she jokes, shaking her head. “Honestly, I don’t blame you for going home. It must have been hell there.”<br /> My appetite suddenly vanishes. “Well, it’s not so bad. But nothing like home, yes.” I clear my throat, desperate for a change of topic. “So, Max found me in the cemetery. He’s… an interesting character.”<br /> “I know, he mind-linked it to me.” She shrugs. “Max is kind of an asshole, but I get why. He had to step up as our leader when the palace guards left us. He looted all those guns that we use now, so the only thing we have to forge are bullets. Screw the Kingdom and that deaf-mute idiot who rules it.”<br /> My face goes hot. I want to defend Achilles. I want to tell Ruth not to call him that, but then again, he kicked me out for defending him.<br /> “Is everyone doing the same?” I start to ask, but then a small commotion breaks out in the corner of the pub where the entrance is.<br /> “Hey, keep that bastard out!” I hear some of the men yelling.<br /> “He barged right in and demanded entry!”<br /> “It’s one of those palace fuckers!”<br /> I freeze. Ruth and I both slide out of our stools, looking over at the chaos.<br /> My heart jumps right into my throat when I see Gamma Kiernan trying to force his way inside the pub.<br /> “Bring me Claudia Hale, and we will not have any problems.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 10<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Panic takes a hold of me. Suddenly, I feel my entire body going numb. I can feel Ruth beside me and I can hear her saying something, but it’s like my mind is tuning out. All I can hear are muffled voices. All I can feel is my heart hammering inside my ribs like it wants to get out.<br /> I blink a couple of times as we get pushed back by the ongoing commotion. For a moment I’m certain that I’m not seeing things correctly, but I’m wrong.<br /> Gamma Kiernan is really here, and he’s looking for me.<br /> “No way you’re getting in,” the men at the entrance keep telling him. “Pack it up and leave!”<br /> “I will not leave until you bring Claudia Hale here,” he insists. “I can smell her scent in the air. I know you’re hiding her. Back off, and no one gets hurt.”<br /> “How dare you threaten us?”<br /> With that, the chaos ensues. Now there are so many men blocking his way, and soon enough, women are clamoring to shoo him out of the pub too. I can see his expression. I know that he can take these men down if he wants to, but he’s restraining himself.<br /> The urge to step up and show myself before things get ugly overcomes me, but then Ruth wheels around and dunks my head down, preventing me from getting seen.<br /> “Why the hell are they looking for you?” Ruth demands. “Did you do something?”<br /> “No,” I begin to say, but that’s when I feel a strong hand dragging me back.<br /> “Ow!” I complain under my breath, feeling myself getting yanked back into the corner by this strong person. I turn around and see Max. He’s squeezing my arm so hard that I can almost feel the bruises appearing. “Let me go!”<br /> He just glares at me. “You are not going to show yourself to that upstart. You’re going to stay here behind the bar. Understand?”<br /> “No!” I snatch my arm back from him. “Do you want your people to get hurt?”<br /> His eyes flash with anger. “You’re really assuming we’re the ones who’d get hurt? You put too much faith in those men who don’t do anything but sit on their asses and command the lower people to fight for them.”<br /> I realize that he’s referring to the palace royals, including Achilles. His claims are so false that I square up to him, shoving him back. “You have no idea what you’re talking about! Those men risk their lives for us!”<br /> “Maybe for you,” Max growls dryly, “but never for me.”<br /> The next events happen so fast. So much so that I don’t even get the time to react. Max just grabs me by the shoulders, pushes me right into the broom closet, and props a chair against the doorknob to basically lock it from outside. I fall on the floor, flat on my behind, but then I spring up to my feet to try to ram it down.<br /> “Let me out!” I scream, but I doubt anyone would hear me from the absolute meltdown happening outside.<br /> I could shift into my wolf and break the door, but I think I would end up demolishing half the pub in the process. So even though I want to end this, I just stay by the door, pressing my ear against it and listening as best as I can.<br /> That’s when I hear Max announcing, “Silence, everyone. Let the man speak.”<br /> The people immediately shut up, which surprises me. It seems that everyone really recognizes him as their leader. I can almost picture him stepping up to Gamma Kiernan.<br /> “Thank you,” Gamma Kiernan says. “As I was trying to say before I got swarmed, I need Claudia Hale.”<br /> “Why?” Max asks in a calm, almost lazy tone.<br /> “Because the Alpha King says so,” Gamma Kiernan replies in a similar voice. “We don’t want any trouble with the King, do we?”<br /> “Oh, no, we don’t,” Max answers, but this time, he sounds perfectly sarcastic. I can hear the others around him letting out a laugh. “We really don’t. But you see, Claudia isn’t here.”<br /> Silence fills the air. I want to scream at the top of my lungs to alert everyone of my presence, but I’m stunned. Petrified, really. Did the Gamma really say that it’s Alpha Achilles who’s asking for me?<br /> But why? Why would he look for me? It hasn’t even been a day since I left. Does he regret all the things he did, all the things he said to me? Did he realize that I didn’t actually do anything wrong, and he punished me out of pure pride and possibly stupidity?<br /> Now that’s something I want to hear. I want him to say sorry.<br /> I’m about to scream when suddenly, I hear Gamma Kiernan saying, “I can smell her. Do not fucking lie to me.”<br /> Somehow, I’m able to sense something about to go wrong before it even transpires. I make a move to ram the door down before things can break out, but it’s too late.<br /> Before I can even do anything, I hear Max saying in a low voice, “Deal with this bastard.”<br /> And then, hell breaks loose.<br /> It’s so loud I can almost see it. The men in the pub all yell for battle and the sounds that follow root me to my spot. More screams. Thuds from bodies hitting the floor and the walls. Broken glass. Snapping wood. Arrows whizzing. Wolves howling. Gunshots. So many gunshots….<br /> Soon enough, the smell of blood fills the air, and my heart nearly stops.<br /> It seems to go on forever, the sound and the smell and the carnage. I can make out specific voices like Gamma Kiernan’s, telling his men to stand down and leave. I can hear Max telling his people to pursue them, to drive them back and make sure they learn their lesson. On and on and on it goes.<br /> But just when I think that it’s never going to end, silence follows.<br /> It’s almost eerie. One can hear a pin drop. Who got shot? Did anyone die?<br /> The thought of death because of me is what finally breaks me. I ram down the door without shifting into my wolf form, but when I arrive at the bar, it’s too late. I can hear the sound of horses whinnying outside, their hooves hitting the ground in loud thuds as they run fast. I see the flash of the red carriage through the broken windows.<br /> I look all over the floor to see if anyone has fallen, but aside from the smears of blood, it seems that everyone made it out alive.<br /> At least, from this party.<br /> I don’t know if I can say the same about the people from the palace.<br /> Suddenly, Max enters the pub, sporting a broken nose. He tears off a piece of his shirt and uses it to dab on the blood, but I march toward him and snatch it right out of his hand. “What did you do?”<br /> “Showed them that they have no business here,” he says simply, taking the strip of fabric back from me. “The only thing I should be hearing from you is thank you, unless…”<br /> Everyone in the pub looks at me.<br /> Ruth is the one who gets up and turns to me. “What did you do, Claudia? Why are they looking for you?”<br /> Max crosses his arms. &quot;Give us a good reason why we shouldn&#039;t kick you out of here. Now.&quot;		Popular Novels		15	https://facebook.com/100091852266052	0		LEARN_MORE						1712214000		View Edit Delete
1245036	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198949	1734922024		532		967078871711778	1	1.0939182285625E+15		1712300400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	118879321169142		0	Popular Novels			120209381872320155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712247847	1.1887932116914E+14	Popular Novels	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432934698_1110824366822990_7068130820373047831_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YZka7J0bWNoAb4c5bAZ&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDWv8tKgC8Huo66o3Hp41A1NHUQMpx_7-grWI6F6AmbgA&oe=662318A8	person_profile	0	Popular Novels	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434725080_412091451551709_6634062048683338633_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NAgJd4ts4E4Ab7kz-40&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD3BM65T0HnVLZWBBmgXJ-fbp83yivnlN6DNxP5u_ApcQ&oe=6623284D			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 6<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> I wake up with a gasp, sitting up abruptly like a marionette whose strings got yanked. My head starts to spin, but it’s not because there was no gentle introduction to the waking world.<br /> It’s because of the dream.<br /> Because of Claudia.<br /> I clutch my chest and feel that my heart is going haywire. My back is slick with sweat and I can almost feel it soaking my sheets. I close my eyes for a moment, gathering my thoughts, but the first thing I see in the darkness is Claudia’s face. Her voice is ringing in my ears, the first voice I have heard in so many years.<br /> She’s the Siren, the Moon Goddess said. The Alpha’s Voice.<br /> What does that mean? What does it have to do with me? What does that make her? I have more questions than answers and the frustration building up inside me is turning into anger. I don’t want that. I have to focus.<br /> Because if there is one thing I know, it’s that I fucked up by demanding her to leave.<br /> And I need to get her back.<br /> Fueled by the sudden fiery desire to chase after her and hold her down in the castle if I need to, I jump out of bed. I push open the door and startle the guards. I can see them mouthing, “What is the trouble, Alpha?”<br /> I ignore all of them. I just run along the hallway until I find Kiernan’s room. The guards step aside when they see me, so I push open the door, stumbling inside like a sweaty, clumsy ogre.<br /> Meanwhile, Kiernan is still awake, staring through the window. My heart sinks when I see that it’s already daylight outside, but I still have to try. I need to.<br /> Kiernan turns around, frowns at me, and asks, “Your Majesty. What brings you here?”<br /> He knows that it irks me when he calls me that, but I ignore it anyway. &#039;I need to find the maid, Claudia.&#039;<br /> I thought he would ask why, but he just narrows his eyes. “The maid you kicked out last night? I found her in the freezing cold, just staring into the distance like she couldn’t believe what happened. I actually told her I would talk to you about it, but when I got to your room, you were already asleep.”<br /> His words hit me like arrows to the heart. I can almost picture Claudia standing where I left her, crying and wondering what she did wrong, all the while I was sleeping soundly with no care in the world….<br /> No. I can’t think about that. It hurts too much.<br /> I step back, the tightness in my chest so extreme that I have to inhale and exhale slowly. Every time I blink I see her distraught face and hear her broken voice, appealing her case and showing me that she deserved to stay.<br /> And what did I do? I kicked her right out like she meant nothing.<br /> Like we never had anything together.<br /> I swallow hard. ‘I need her back here. I made a mistake.’<br /> “Then let’s go to the maids’ quarters,” Kiernan offers. “Maybe she’s still there.”<br /> I nod, and together, we barge into the lower floor where the maids stay. The rooms are already empty as they start their day at dawn. Every empty room we pass makes me want to punch something in regret, but I can still catch the sweet scent of Claudia in the air, lingering like a whisper. Finally, we arrive at her room, where her scent is strongest. The door is still closed.<br /> Kiernan lifts his hand to knock, but I’m desperate. I open the door.<br /> And there is one person inside the room. But it’s not Claudia.<br /> It’s a maid I remember as Maia, her best friend here. She whips around as soon as we get in, and I immediately see her swollen eyes and red face.<br /> “Alpha,” she mutters, sinking into a bow. “Gamma. I will go to work as soon as possible.”<br /> “No, take the time you need,” Kiernan says. “You are obviously in distress. What happened?”<br /> My breath gets stuck in my throat. I already know what she’s going to say, but I find myself searching the room in hopes of finding any proof that Claudia actually chose to stay.<br /> However, the room is blissfully empty. Vacated for the next maid.<br /> “Claudia left, Gamma,” she answers. “She said she needed to go back to her family. It was just so unexpected. I asked her if it had something to do with the meeting, and she said no. She said she’s tired of working. I don’t believe that. She always loved working here….”<br /> I freeze in shock. Kiernan glances at me pointedly before turning back to Maia. “I completely understand. Please, take the day off and rest. The Alpha and I will get going now.”<br /> He grabs me by the arm and pulls me out of the room, closing the door behind us. I can’t even walk properly. I can’t believe what I just heard.<br /> After all the bad things I said to her, she still chose to cover for me.<br /> I stop moving as soon as we reach the foyer. I hold onto the stair banister for support, my throat closed up.<br /> Kiernan stands next to me. “What happened, Your Majesty?”<br /> ‘Don’t call me that,’ I sign to him. ‘Go prepare a carriage—no. A horse. Ready a horse for me. I will be setting out soon—’<br /> “No, you’re not,” he interjects, his eyebrows scrunched up. “You are the Alpha King. Do you know what it would mean to the Rogues if they took down the head of the whole land? The revolution would be over!”<br /> ‘Fine, I will do it myself.’ I try to push past him but he blocks me. ‘Move out of my way. I need Claudia back here right now.’<br /> He shakes his head, putting a firm hand on my chest. “You’d have to kill me if you want to leave alone.”<br /> Kiernan is one of my oldest friends and most loyal men. We’ve butted heads many times before, but not like this. I can see his quiet anger, and I know from the look in his eyes that he can feel mine. Still, he stands his ground, staring at me like he’s daring me to attack him right now.<br /> And I almost want to. The thought of Claudia getting farther and farther away is tearing my soul apart.<br /> But I take a deep breath to steady myself. ‘You don’t understand.’<br /> “Then make me understand.”<br /> ‘Claudia is important to me,’ I tell him after a pause. ‘The Moon Goddess told me so. She is the Siren and the Alpha’s Voice. I have to get her back or else—’<br /> “Alpha Achilles.”<br /> He signals me to turn around. I see Carlos standing by the end of the stairs, his torso still wrapped in bandages.<br /> However, he’s not alone. Standing next to him are the Housekeeper and the Chief Butler. Both of them are carrying files, laid out as though they’re asking for advice.<br /> ‘What is this?’ I signal to Carlos. ‘I don’t need any interruptions right now. I have somewhere else to go.’<br /> Carlos shakes his head to stop me. “Alpha… today is the Winter Solstice festival. Our pack is hosting. You cannot go anywhere.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 7<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> The journey from Sangria Amori to my hometown feels long and short at the same time. As I sit there in the carriage watching the palace disappear behind a mountain in the distance and begin to see the tall magnolia trees surrounding the famous springs of my home, I can’t help but feel a mixture of longing and relief.<br /> Longing because it’s been my home for years and years. I have made good memories and bonded with amazing people. I overcame a lot of bad things. I met the one I thought I would know forever.<br /> But the relief comes from the loss of all of that. From the knowledge that from now on, I would be free from that palace and everyone in it.<br /> Especially Achilles.<br /> My heart still makes a little flip at the simple thought of his name. I still have to clench my hands and pierce my own palms with my nails to remind myself that I shouldn’t be thinking about him. But thankfully, I don’t have to acknowledge it because the carriage finally stops. The coachman Peter calls out from the front, smacking the carriage door with his cane. “You’re here now, girl. It’s time to move out.”<br /> I gather all my bags and sling them all on my shoulders, slightly struggling with the weight as I climb down the rickety old carriage. “Thank you so much, Peter.”<br /> I give him a happy salute, about to head to the arch that reads Nightshade Springs. But then, I hear him calling out, “Are you sure you’re going to be safe from here on?”<br /> That makes me pause. So far, throughout the whole journey, I haven’t sensed any Rogues at all. But Peter has a point. The infestation of Rogues is very much real and rampant, and I haven’t been to my hometown in five years. I honestly don’t know what’s waiting in store for me here.<br /> But still, I don’t want to bother him. If there is any danger out here, I would rather face it; I know that he has a family.<br /> So I just smile at him. “I got it, Peter. Thank you again and be careful on your way back!”<br /> He looks uncertain, but he leaves anyway, whipping the horses until they gallop faster. Soon enough, he’s gone.<br /> And I’m alone in the middle of the woods, surrounded by the familiar fresh scent of springs and pine.<br /> The scent of home.<br /> A soft smile appears on my face as I start to walk, following the stone path that leads to the edge of the village where the cemetery is.<br /> I suppose it’s a grim thing to start with, but I’ve been meaning to visit my parents’ graves for the past years. Grief and the start of the revolution put a halt to all of that, so now I feel quite happy that I get to see them, even if it’s just this way.<br /> My mom was a maid like I am. Or was. Either way, she served the palace too, specifically as a handmaiden to the former Queen. My dad was a gardener. She died from deadly flu five years ago, and he followed right after.<br /> Back then, I thought this was unfair. How could they leave me in this world alone? I was resentful. But eventually, I realized that it may have been out of love. He was never able to be apart from her for any period of time, and not even death could stop him from chasing after her.<br /> They told me that they met each other at a gathering for servants, and my father fell in love with my mother when he first heard her sing. I honestly can’t blame him. She had the most wonderful voice, and he always said that I had that beautiful voice too. I never really knew if he was just making that up, but the ones who heard me sing also told me that I do have a pretty voice.<br /> The memory brings a smile to my face, and as I approach their graves, I find myself humming along to the tune of my mother’s lullaby.<br /> Their graves are now covered in ivy. I sweep some of the leaves away and light a candle for them.<br /> I sit there for a while, watching the light flicker on their gravestones. I reach out and feel the warmth, opening my mouth to talk to them like I always did, but that’s when something strikes me.<br /> The sour, rotten smell.<br /> My entire body freezes. I shoot to my feet, clutching my bags closer to me as I look around. My heart is beating in my ears and I almost want to whimper, but it only gets worse when I finally see a single Rogue.<br /> It’s hiding behind gravestones in the distance, its eyes gleaming with hunger and malice as they focus on me. Its low growls make the ground hum. There’s tension in the air, thick and suffocating, telling me it’s been stalking me like prey for a while now. It’s still far but ready to spring. Ready to chase and feed.<br /> And I know that if I take one step back, it will come out and kill me.<br /> I slowly exhale, stepping back and feeling it move with me, keeping the distance between us the same.<br /> Bit by bit, I ease my bags off my shoulders and set them down. The eyes of the Rogue follow my movement like two laser pointers. I slip my hand in my pocket, looking for the silver knife that Maia gave me as a parting gift, ready to it down.<br /> As though on cue, the Rogue leaps into the air as soon as I raise the knife.<br /> But I’m ready this time. I don’t come to meet it. Instead, I stand my ground, waiting for the perfect moment. As soon as it flies midair to pounce on me, I duck right under it and run the knife along its throat.<br /> The Rogue falls to the ground with a whimper. It scrambles to get upright again, but before it can do so, I stomp its fragile head flat with my boot, its blood spattering everywhere.<br /> “Thank the gods,” I mutter, but that’s when I realize that I spoke too soon.<br /> As soon as the Rogue stops moving, the forest seems to come alive right before me. More Rogues emerge from the trees, sniffing and snarling, their eyes alight with joy when they see a perfectly good meal severely outnumbered.<br /> All at once, they jump toward me.<br /> A scream breaks out of my lips. I raise my bags to shield myself, but at this point, it’s only a matter of time before they take me down and feast on me. I’m only waiting for the pain now….<br /> But before it can come, I hear loud bangs in the distance. Gunshots. Followed by the loud thuds of the Rogues hitting the ground, dropping like dead flies.<br /> I lower my bags in horror. All the Rogues are dead, their heads bleeding from a single smoking puncture wound between their eyes. I’m about to turn around to see my savior, but then I feel the still-hot muzzle of the gun against my back.<br /> “Drop your knife if you want to live. Who are you and what do you need?”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 8<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The first thing that rises out of me is not frustration from being told what to do, but embarrassment from forgetting about the big event. I know that Carlos just had a bad injury that he’s still most likely dealing with, but I have a situation on my hands that I just can’t shake off, but I can&#039;t help but avert my gaze in shame.<br /> Carlos, Kiernan, and the two head staff are staring at me expectantly, and I just want to sink into the ground and never reappear.<br /> I look over at Kiernan, who gives me a small shrug like he’s telling me that it’s all up to me.<br /> The obvious thing to do is to just delay the festival and focus on the very important task of finding Claudia. But I know that my people are counting on this one single happy day among all the bad ones. They need this. And as much as I need Claudia here with me, they come first.<br /> I take a deep, steadying breath. ‘I apologize. It must have slipped my mind. Prepare the decorations and we shall have a lunch banquet in the throne room.’<br /> Carlos nods and repeats my words to the head staff. Then, he turns back to me and asks, “How about the evening celebrations?”<br /> ‘We’ll see,’ I sign to him.<br /> With that, the head staff both bow and leave. Now it’s only the three of us, and they look pained.<br /> “So what’s been happening?” Carlos splutters at last. “Where are you going?”<br /> Kiernan is the one who answers for him. “He kicked out the maid, Claudia, and now he has to bring her back because the Moon Goddess told him so in a dream. He wants to go out there himself.”<br /> ‘I have to,’ I tell them both. &#039;I still do, but with the festival...&quot;<br /> And of course, they just look at me like they feel sorry for me. I’m about to tell them both to supervise so I can go, but then Kiernan sighs and says, “I’ll get some of our warriors, and we will go and find her.”<br /> Without giving me a chance to say anything about this, Kiernan leaves. Carlos then looks at me and beckons me to go up the stairs.<br /> “After you, Alpha. Let’s give the people a good celebration.”<br /> * * *<br /> When I arrive at the throne room after changing into my formal suit, it is already decked with blue and silver decorations fit for the winter solstice theme. Food is flowing in, music is playing, and it seems that all the citizens are gathering.<br /> When Carlos and I enter, it takes me a whole while to notice that the throne room isn’t even halfway filled. As I sit on my throne, I see that my people are not eating, drinking, or having fun at all. They are just gathered at the little tables, engaged in serious conversation.<br /> More people are coming in, greeted by the butlers by the door. I keep thinking that this new batch will come and let loose, but they just gather like the rest of the guests.<br /> It’s starting to make me nervous. I agreed to this party thinking it would be best for their morale, but it seems that they’re just as uninterested in the occasion as I was.<br /> ‘This is not going well,’ I tell Carlos, who’s standing on my right side. He’s not fully recovered yet, but he insisted on coming here. ‘It would be best to cut this short.’<br /> As soon as I say those words, guilt starts to drum in my chest. I know that I should try to make things more festive instead of thinking about Claudia, but not knowing how things are on that front is almost as bad as being here and seeing my people feeling blue.<br /> “I think it would be best if you go down and communicate with them personally,” Carlos says, and I can’t believe I never thought of that before.<br /> I get up from my throne with the full intent of going around, but then I see a familiar face by the door. Someone I really don’t want to see.<br /> Alpha Tristan.<br /> He’s still wearing a coat, speckled with snow. The butler tries to take it from him but he pushes him away, which makes me tense up, immediately ready for a fight. However, he’s not alone. Walking behind him like lapdogs are the Alphas of his neighboring packs: Giorgio, Anthony, and Larkin.<br /> Their auras are so domineering and so distracting that the people in the throne room stop what they’re doing and just watch them approach me. But instead of meeting them halfway, I remain standing in front of the throne with the steps of the dais separating us.<br /> None of them bows down to me.<br /> “What are you doing here?” Carlos asks, and it perfectly reflects what’s in my mind, just more polite.<br /> Tristan flashes me a smirk. “We’re here because we’re tired of the preposterous games that Sangria Amori is playing. We need change!”<br /> Even though I can’t hear him, I can feel the vibrations of his scream on the walls and the floor. He’s livid, and because of this, the people in the room are tuning in.<br /> I don’t like the admiring and interested looks on their faces. I look at Carlos. ‘We shouldn’t have this talk here.’<br /> “Alpha Tristan.” Carlos gives him a strained smile, motioning him to come along. “We shall move this conversation to a more private location and perhaps—”<br /> “Get your hands off me.” Tristan pushes past him and squares up to me. “What you’re doing to these people is sickening. Making them show up here, forced to have fun, when they are suffering from problems you would never know about from your high throne. You’re making a mockery of their situation, flaunting your privilege in their faces.”<br /> I want to push him down the steps and pound his face into a pulp, but I restrain myself. Instead, I just sign something that Carlos translates with perfect contempt.<br /> “Get out, right now.”<br /> Tristan only scoffs, facing the people. “Last night, instead of meeting with the rest of the Alphas and coming up with a way to erase the Rogues, Alpha King Achilles was late. He left us on our own when we had a Rogue attack. It’s painfully obvious that his disabilities have made him selfish, and unfit to rule our land.”<br /> This time, my temper gets the best of me. I grab him by the arm with the full intent of punching him in the face as soon as he turns, but I stop when the people gasp.<br /> They’re now looking at me in horror.<br /> I slowly let him go. He starts to walk away, step by step, not taking his eyes off me. There’s a certain gleam in his eyes that I can’t identify, but the hairs on the back of my neck are standing on end.<br /> Only when he’s standing by the door do I know why.<br /> “We will no longer take orders from the Alpha King,” Tristan declares, his gaze still on me. “We will handle the Rogues our way, the right way. And those who want to join us would be offered full protection.”<br /> With that, he leaves.<br /> And I watch in horror as some of my citizens begin to get up from their seats, following him out.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 9<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> “Don’t shoot me,” I mutter, and I cringe when I hear the fear in my voice. I hate that I faced that single Rogue like a boss only to fold like this. “I’m not a danger to anyone. I’m a local here. I just moved for work at the palace…”<br /> I stop when I realize I’m about to ramble. I just drop the knife. As soon as it clatters on the floor, I feel the muzzle of the gun easing off my back. I take this as a cue to turn around, and I come face to face with a young man about my age, with straw-colored hair and brown eyes. He’s carrying a massive silver shotgun with rounds of big silver bullets around his body.<br /> He’s studying me closely, fixing his flannel shirt. “Who are you?”<br /> “Claudia Hale,” I say shakily. I even bow, which is dumb, but I guess it’s not so stupid if it stops him from shooting me. “I just came here to visit my parents.”<br /> At first, he doesn’t say anything. My nerves are starting to act up and I find myself basically skipping in my spot. But finally, he asks, “Hale, huh? Do you happen to be related to Ruth?”<br /> My eyes go wide. “Yes! Ruth is my cousin.”<br /> The man’s shoulders relax. He cracks a smile, and suddenly he doesn’t seem so scary anymore. “You must be the cousin she talks about a lot. The singer. I’m Max, by the way. Follow me.”<br /> We shake hands, and I can’t help but feel giddy.<br /> My cousin Ruth is here. I can’t believe it. We were very close as kids, even though we only saw each other over the summers. She left Nightshade Springs when we were both eighteen, and the last thing I heard about her was that she got married to a mason from the nearby village. We saw each other at my dad’s funeral, but we didn’t get to talk much because of my own grief.<br /> But now, I’m going to see her. I wonder if she has kids now.<br /> The thought of little babies running around makes me so excited, so much so that I almost forget to follow Max as he leads me out of the cemetery through an unfamiliar path. I quickly pick up the knife and run after him.<br /> I frown as I pull level with Max. &quot;Why are we using this path?&quot;<br /> The moment the question leaves my lips, the answer comes to me when we turn a corner.<br /> For the first time, I come face to face with the aftermath of the Rogue infestation.<br /> The village is now completely deserted. The houses are dilapidated, empty and broken. The smell of Rogues is present, but distant, which tells me that the place is visited frequently but they&#039;re not actually here. Dried blood is scattered all over the ground like paint.<br /> &quot;That&#039;s animal blood,&quot; Max explains, following the direction of my gaze. &quot;We vacated this place a long time ago. We still live in this area, but we decided to stick close together to protect ourselves from the Rogues. We figured that it would be best if we show them a strong front. The Kingdom doesn&#039;t really do much for us, so we have to take matters into our own hands.&quot;<br /> I swallow hard, averting my gaze as we turn another corner, a hidden path behind a small hill.<br /> &quot;Does the Kingdom not visit the villages at all?&quot; I ask.<br /> Max shakes his head. &quot;Nope. Not at all. They send guards from time to time, but you see how many Rogues there are. You know how violent they can be. We needed weapons to protect ourselves, but they just won&#039;t provide that. I think they keep it to themselves, leave everyone else defenseless.&quot;<br /> I keep quiet. I don&#039;t know what to say. Part of me wants to defend the palace. I mean, I know they have it hard, and Achilles is doing his best. But then again, who am I to dismiss their suffering?<br /> I open my mouth to ask where they got their weapons, but then we arrive at a fenced part of the village. Barbed wires are set on tall metal walls, behind which small compact buildings stand proud.<br /> He opens the gate carefully, and we both enter. There are a couple of villages standing watch, carrying guns similar to his. They stare at me, and I have to lower my head to avoid the intensity of their looks.<br /> I want to tell Max that I just want to see Ruth, but before I can get the question out, I see two people running towards me.<br /> I look up and my heart nearly gives out when I see that it&#039;s Ruth, together with a tall bearded man who must be her husband.<br /> &quot;Claudia!&quot; she squeals, and before I can even drop my bags, she scoops me up into a big hug. &quot;You&#039;re home! It&#039;s been so long!&quot;<br /> I blink the tears away when she lets me go. &quot;I figured it was time to retire and just stay here.&quot;<br /> I feel guilty. I lied to Maia and now I&#039;m lying to Ruth.<br /> “You loved that job, but I do understand,” she says, and I can’t help but be thankful that she didn’t press me for more details. “This is my husband, Henry. We live in one of the apartments. You can stay with us if you like, but I think it would be best if you get your own room.”<br /> “It’s nice to meet you,” Henry says, taking my bags from me. “I will take these up to your room.”<br /> I smile. “Thank you so much.”<br /> He and Max leave, and Ruth takes my arm, steering me into a small structure at the foot of one of the buildings. I can hear cheers and smell food from outside, and I find myself relaxing when I see that it’s a pub. Men and women alike are laughing and talking, downing jugs of beer and eating fried food. It’s quite fascinating to see so much life and joy in a single space in this lost land, but I can’t help but feel grateful.<br /> Ruth and I sit on the counter. The bartender slides two jugs of beer and a platter of steaming chips. I grab the chips even though they’re hot, stuffing them all in my mouth and drinking the beer. Everything is strangely fresh, and I can’t help but gobble it all up. Ruth watches me with amusement as she sips her drink.<br /> “Do they not feed you up there?” she jokes, shaking her head. “Honestly, I don’t blame you for going home. It must have been hell there.”<br /> My appetite suddenly vanishes. “Well, it’s not so bad. But nothing like home, yes.” I clear my throat, desperate for a change of topic. “So, Max found me in the cemetery. He’s… an interesting character.”<br /> “I know, he mind-linked it to me.” She shrugs. “Max is kind of an asshole, but I get why. He had to step up as our leader when the palace guards left us. He looted all those guns that we use now, so the only thing we have to forge are bullets. Screw the Kingdom and that deaf-mute idiot who rules it.”<br /> My face goes hot. I want to defend Achilles. I want to tell Ruth not to call him that, but then again, he kicked me out for defending him.<br /> “Is everyone doing the same?” I start to ask, but then a small commotion breaks out in the corner of the pub where the entrance is.<br /> “Hey, keep that bastard out!” I hear some of the men yelling.<br /> “He barged right in and demanded entry!”<br /> “It’s one of those palace fuckers!”<br /> I freeze. Ruth and I both slide out of our stools, looking over at the chaos.<br /> My heart jumps right into my throat when I see Gamma Kiernan trying to force his way inside the pub.<br /> “Bring me Claudia Hale, and we will not have any problems.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 10<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Panic takes a hold of me. Suddenly, I feel my entire body going numb. I can feel Ruth beside me and I can hear her saying something, but it’s like my mind is tuning out. All I can hear are muffled voices. All I can feel is my heart hammering inside my ribs like it wants to get out.<br /> I blink a couple of times as we get pushed back by the ongoing commotion. For a moment I’m certain that I’m not seeing things correctly, but I’m wrong.<br /> Gamma Kiernan is really here, and he’s looking for me.<br /> “No way you’re getting in,” the men at the entrance keep telling him. “Pack it up and leave!”<br /> “I will not leave until you bring Claudia Hale here,” he insists. “I can smell her scent in the air. I know you’re hiding her. Back off, and no one gets hurt.”<br /> “How dare you threaten us?”<br /> With that, the chaos ensues. Now there are so many men blocking his way, and soon enough, women are clamoring to shoo him out of the pub too. I can see his expression. I know that he can take these men down if he wants to, but he’s restraining himself.<br /> The urge to step up and show myself before things get ugly overcomes me, but then Ruth wheels around and dunks my head down, preventing me from getting seen.<br /> “Why the hell are they looking for you?” Ruth demands. “Did you do something?”<br /> “No,” I begin to say, but that’s when I feel a strong hand dragging me back.<br /> “Ow!” I complain under my breath, feeling myself getting yanked back into the corner by this strong person. I turn around and see Max. He’s squeezing my arm so hard that I can almost feel the bruises appearing. “Let me go!”<br /> He just glares at me. “You are not going to show yourself to that upstart. You’re going to stay here behind the bar. Understand?”<br /> “No!” I snatch my arm back from him. “Do you want your people to get hurt?”<br /> His eyes flash with anger. “You’re really assuming we’re the ones who’d get hurt? You put too much faith in those men who don’t do anything but sit on their asses and command the lower people to fight for them.”<br /> I realize that he’s referring to the palace royals, including Achilles. His claims are so false that I square up to him, shoving him back. “You have no idea what you’re talking about! Those men risk their lives for us!”<br /> “Maybe for you,” Max growls dryly, “but never for me.”<br /> The next events happen so fast. So much so that I don’t even get the time to react. Max just grabs me by the shoulders, pushes me right into the broom closet, and props a chair against the doorknob to basically lock it from outside. I fall on the floor, flat on my behind, but then I spring up to my feet to try to ram it down.<br /> “Let me out!” I scream, but I doubt anyone would hear me from the absolute meltdown happening outside.<br /> I could shift into my wolf and break the door, but I think I would end up demolishing half the pub in the process. So even though I want to end this, I just stay by the door, pressing my ear against it and listening as best as I can.<br /> That’s when I hear Max announcing, “Silence, everyone. Let the man speak.”<br /> The people immediately shut up, which surprises me. It seems that everyone really recognizes him as their leader. I can almost picture him stepping up to Gamma Kiernan.<br /> “Thank you,” Gamma Kiernan says. “As I was trying to say before I got swarmed, I need Claudia Hale.”<br /> “Why?” Max asks in a calm, almost lazy tone.<br /> “Because the Alpha King says so,” Gamma Kiernan replies in a similar voice. “We don’t want any trouble with the King, do we?”<br /> “Oh, no, we don’t,” Max answers, but this time, he sounds perfectly sarcastic. I can hear the others around him letting out a laugh. “We really don’t. But you see, Claudia isn’t here.”<br /> Silence fills the air. I want to scream at the top of my lungs to alert everyone of my presence, but I’m stunned. Petrified, really. Did the Gamma really say that it’s Alpha Achilles who’s asking for me?<br /> But why? Why would he look for me? It hasn’t even been a day since I left. Does he regret all the things he did, all the things he said to me? Did he realize that I didn’t actually do anything wrong, and he punished me out of pure pride and possibly stupidity?<br /> Now that’s something I want to hear. I want him to say sorry.<br /> I’m about to scream when suddenly, I hear Gamma Kiernan saying, “I can smell her. Do not fucking lie to me.”<br /> Somehow, I’m able to sense something about to go wrong before it even transpires. I make a move to ram the door down before things can break out, but it’s too late.<br /> Before I can even do anything, I hear Max saying in a low voice, “Deal with this bastard.”<br /> And then, hell breaks loose.<br /> It’s so loud I can almost see it. The men in the pub all yell for battle and the sounds that follow root me to my spot. More screams. Thuds from bodies hitting the floor and the walls. Broken glass. Snapping wood. Arrows whizzing. Wolves howling. Gunshots. So many gunshots….<br /> Soon enough, the smell of blood fills the air, and my heart nearly stops.<br /> It seems to go on forever, the sound and the smell and the carnage. I can make out specific voices like Gamma Kiernan’s, telling his men to stand down and leave. I can hear Max telling his people to pursue them, to drive them back and make sure they learn their lesson. On and on and on it goes.<br /> But just when I think that it’s never going to end, silence follows.<br /> It’s almost eerie. One can hear a pin drop. Who got shot? Did anyone die?<br /> The thought of death because of me is what finally breaks me. I ram down the door without shifting into my wolf form, but when I arrive at the bar, it’s too late. I can hear the sound of horses whinnying outside, their hooves hitting the ground in loud thuds as they run fast. I see the flash of the red carriage through the broken windows.<br /> I look all over the floor to see if anyone has fallen, but aside from the smears of blood, it seems that everyone made it out alive.<br /> At least, from this party.<br /> I don’t know if I can say the same about the people from the palace.<br /> Suddenly, Max enters the pub, sporting a broken nose. He tears off a piece of his shirt and uses it to dab on the blood, but I march toward him and snatch it right out of his hand. “What did you do?”<br /> “Showed them that they have no business here,” he says simply, taking the strip of fabric back from me. “The only thing I should be hearing from you is thank you, unless…”<br /> Everyone in the pub looks at me.<br /> Ruth is the one who gets up and turns to me. “What did you do, Claudia? Why are they looking for you?”<br /> Max crosses his arms. &quot;Give us a good reason why we shouldn&#039;t kick you out of here. Now.&quot;		Popular Novels		15	https://facebook.com/100091852266052	0		LEARN_MORE						1712214000		View Edit Delete
1245091	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198961	1734922024		532		1167149221389159		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869140695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152783	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434592584_972723790858518_3132420980488247753_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_dJFYCvepKsAb5Gs5Mc&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDmxRsp4KjNbqhLw6282rnd8T1aPIC0VY11zOCsTdfICw&oe=66233847	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435408133_1154690705677143_4842117877651758900_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qYUSQBw32X0Ab41lmYa&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBGQ58lOH3p0qasUE5jrDXt11OK2ayWY-ZkhfozsOdDhQ&oe=66232406			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245092	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198961	1734922024		532		1167149221389159		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869140695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152783	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434592584_972723790858518_3132420980488247753_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_dJFYCvepKsAb5Gs5Mc&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDmxRsp4KjNbqhLw6282rnd8T1aPIC0VY11zOCsTdfICw&oe=66233847	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435408133_1154690705677143_4842117877651758900_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qYUSQBw32X0Ab41lmYa&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBGQ58lOH3p0qasUE5jrDXt11OK2ayWY-ZkhfozsOdDhQ&oe=66232406			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245093	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198961	1734922024		532		1167149221389159		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869140695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152783	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434592584_972723790858518_3132420980488247753_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_dJFYCvepKsAb5Gs5Mc&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDmxRsp4KjNbqhLw6282rnd8T1aPIC0VY11zOCsTdfICw&oe=66233847	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435408133_1154690705677143_4842117877651758900_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qYUSQBw32X0Ab41lmYa&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBGQ58lOH3p0qasUE5jrDXt11OK2ayWY-ZkhfozsOdDhQ&oe=66232406			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245037	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198950	1734922024		532		1548134302400123	1	9.1787296981223E+14		1712300400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	118879321169142		0	Popular Novels			120209381871740155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712247851	1.1887932116914E+14	Popular Novels	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433947232_783689993825900_4359386558660951353_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FWjcl-UBp7QAb5OvmDC&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCZZ7TYlyeJW29A8zrLZlSeLdgbEtXCLJ55UiHzfjGczA&oe=66234014	person_profile	0	Popular Novels	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434024289_1484195795500910_4044385771164008805_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=q-lkhE2LI84Ab4K0DnJ&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDSJp4UTCr4j8AeUmh3lzIxY36jVR5YJWLKMXDWnq6bRA&oe=662323CF			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 6<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> I wake up with a gasp, sitting up abruptly like a marionette whose strings got yanked. My head starts to spin, but it’s not because there was no gentle introduction to the waking world.<br /> It’s because of the dream.<br /> Because of Claudia.<br /> I clutch my chest and feel that my heart is going haywire. My back is slick with sweat and I can almost feel it soaking my sheets. I close my eyes for a moment, gathering my thoughts, but the first thing I see in the darkness is Claudia’s face. Her voice is ringing in my ears, the first voice I have heard in so many years.<br /> She’s the Siren, the Moon Goddess said. The Alpha’s Voice.<br /> What does that mean? What does it have to do with me? What does that make her? I have more questions than answers and the frustration building up inside me is turning into anger. I don’t want that. I have to focus.<br /> Because if there is one thing I know, it’s that I fucked up by demanding her to leave.<br /> And I need to get her back.<br /> Fueled by the sudden fiery desire to chase after her and hold her down in the castle if I need to, I jump out of bed. I push open the door and startle the guards. I can see them mouthing, “What is the trouble, Alpha?”<br /> I ignore all of them. I just run along the hallway until I find Kiernan’s room. The guards step aside when they see me, so I push open the door, stumbling inside like a sweaty, clumsy ogre.<br /> Meanwhile, Kiernan is still awake, staring through the window. My heart sinks when I see that it’s already daylight outside, but I still have to try. I need to.<br /> Kiernan turns around, frowns at me, and asks, “Your Majesty. What brings you here?”<br /> He knows that it irks me when he calls me that, but I ignore it anyway. &#039;I need to find the maid, Claudia.&#039;<br /> I thought he would ask why, but he just narrows his eyes. “The maid you kicked out last night? I found her in the freezing cold, just staring into the distance like she couldn’t believe what happened. I actually told her I would talk to you about it, but when I got to your room, you were already asleep.”<br /> His words hit me like arrows to the heart. I can almost picture Claudia standing where I left her, crying and wondering what she did wrong, all the while I was sleeping soundly with no care in the world….<br /> No. I can’t think about that. It hurts too much.<br /> I step back, the tightness in my chest so extreme that I have to inhale and exhale slowly. Every time I blink I see her distraught face and hear her broken voice, appealing her case and showing me that she deserved to stay.<br /> And what did I do? I kicked her right out like she meant nothing.<br /> Like we never had anything together.<br /> I swallow hard. ‘I need her back here. I made a mistake.’<br /> “Then let’s go to the maids’ quarters,” Kiernan offers. “Maybe she’s still there.”<br /> I nod, and together, we barge into the lower floor where the maids stay. The rooms are already empty as they start their day at dawn. Every empty room we pass makes me want to punch something in regret, but I can still catch the sweet scent of Claudia in the air, lingering like a whisper. Finally, we arrive at her room, where her scent is strongest. The door is still closed.<br /> Kiernan lifts his hand to knock, but I’m desperate. I open the door.<br /> And there is one person inside the room. But it’s not Claudia.<br /> It’s a maid I remember as Maia, her best friend here. She whips around as soon as we get in, and I immediately see her swollen eyes and red face.<br /> “Alpha,” she mutters, sinking into a bow. “Gamma. I will go to work as soon as possible.”<br /> “No, take the time you need,” Kiernan says. “You are obviously in distress. What happened?”<br /> My breath gets stuck in my throat. I already know what she’s going to say, but I find myself searching the room in hopes of finding any proof that Claudia actually chose to stay.<br /> However, the room is blissfully empty. Vacated for the next maid.<br /> “Claudia left, Gamma,” she answers. “She said she needed to go back to her family. It was just so unexpected. I asked her if it had something to do with the meeting, and she said no. She said she’s tired of working. I don’t believe that. She always loved working here….”<br /> I freeze in shock. Kiernan glances at me pointedly before turning back to Maia. “I completely understand. Please, take the day off and rest. The Alpha and I will get going now.”<br /> He grabs me by the arm and pulls me out of the room, closing the door behind us. I can’t even walk properly. I can’t believe what I just heard.<br /> After all the bad things I said to her, she still chose to cover for me.<br /> I stop moving as soon as we reach the foyer. I hold onto the stair banister for support, my throat closed up.<br /> Kiernan stands next to me. “What happened, Your Majesty?”<br /> ‘Don’t call me that,’ I sign to him. ‘Go prepare a carriage—no. A horse. Ready a horse for me. I will be setting out soon—’<br /> “No, you’re not,” he interjects, his eyebrows scrunched up. “You are the Alpha King. Do you know what it would mean to the Rogues if they took down the head of the whole land? The revolution would be over!”<br /> ‘Fine, I will do it myself.’ I try to push past him but he blocks me. ‘Move out of my way. I need Claudia back here right now.’<br /> He shakes his head, putting a firm hand on my chest. “You’d have to kill me if you want to leave alone.”<br /> Kiernan is one of my oldest friends and most loyal men. We’ve butted heads many times before, but not like this. I can see his quiet anger, and I know from the look in his eyes that he can feel mine. Still, he stands his ground, staring at me like he’s daring me to attack him right now.<br /> And I almost want to. The thought of Claudia getting farther and farther away is tearing my soul apart.<br /> But I take a deep breath to steady myself. ‘You don’t understand.’<br /> “Then make me understand.”<br /> ‘Claudia is important to me,’ I tell him after a pause. ‘The Moon Goddess told me so. She is the Siren and the Alpha’s Voice. I have to get her back or else—’<br /> “Alpha Achilles.”<br /> He signals me to turn around. I see Carlos standing by the end of the stairs, his torso still wrapped in bandages.<br /> However, he’s not alone. Standing next to him are the Housekeeper and the Chief Butler. Both of them are carrying files, laid out as though they’re asking for advice.<br /> ‘What is this?’ I signal to Carlos. ‘I don’t need any interruptions right now. I have somewhere else to go.’<br /> Carlos shakes his head to stop me. “Alpha… today is the Winter Solstice festival. Our pack is hosting. You cannot go anywhere.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 7<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> The journey from Sangria Amori to my hometown feels long and short at the same time. As I sit there in the carriage watching the palace disappear behind a mountain in the distance and begin to see the tall magnolia trees surrounding the famous springs of my home, I can’t help but feel a mixture of longing and relief.<br /> Longing because it’s been my home for years and years. I have made good memories and bonded with amazing people. I overcame a lot of bad things. I met the one I thought I would know forever.<br /> But the relief comes from the loss of all of that. From the knowledge that from now on, I would be free from that palace and everyone in it.<br /> Especially Achilles.<br /> My heart still makes a little flip at the simple thought of his name. I still have to clench my hands and pierce my own palms with my nails to remind myself that I shouldn’t be thinking about him. But thankfully, I don’t have to acknowledge it because the carriage finally stops. The coachman Peter calls out from the front, smacking the carriage door with his cane. “You’re here now, girl. It’s time to move out.”<br /> I gather all my bags and sling them all on my shoulders, slightly struggling with the weight as I climb down the rickety old carriage. “Thank you so much, Peter.”<br /> I give him a happy salute, about to head to the arch that reads Nightshade Springs. But then, I hear him calling out, “Are you sure you’re going to be safe from here on?”<br /> That makes me pause. So far, throughout the whole journey, I haven’t sensed any Rogues at all. But Peter has a point. The infestation of Rogues is very much real and rampant, and I haven’t been to my hometown in five years. I honestly don’t know what’s waiting in store for me here.<br /> But still, I don’t want to bother him. If there is any danger out here, I would rather face it; I know that he has a family.<br /> So I just smile at him. “I got it, Peter. Thank you again and be careful on your way back!”<br /> He looks uncertain, but he leaves anyway, whipping the horses until they gallop faster. Soon enough, he’s gone.<br /> And I’m alone in the middle of the woods, surrounded by the familiar fresh scent of springs and pine.<br /> The scent of home.<br /> A soft smile appears on my face as I start to walk, following the stone path that leads to the edge of the village where the cemetery is.<br /> I suppose it’s a grim thing to start with, but I’ve been meaning to visit my parents’ graves for the past years. Grief and the start of the revolution put a halt to all of that, so now I feel quite happy that I get to see them, even if it’s just this way.<br /> My mom was a maid like I am. Or was. Either way, she served the palace too, specifically as a handmaiden to the former Queen. My dad was a gardener. She died from deadly flu five years ago, and he followed right after.<br /> Back then, I thought this was unfair. How could they leave me in this world alone? I was resentful. But eventually, I realized that it may have been out of love. He was never able to be apart from her for any period of time, and not even death could stop him from chasing after her.<br /> They told me that they met each other at a gathering for servants, and my father fell in love with my mother when he first heard her sing. I honestly can’t blame him. She had the most wonderful voice, and he always said that I had that beautiful voice too. I never really knew if he was just making that up, but the ones who heard me sing also told me that I do have a pretty voice.<br /> The memory brings a smile to my face, and as I approach their graves, I find myself humming along to the tune of my mother’s lullaby.<br /> Their graves are now covered in ivy. I sweep some of the leaves away and light a candle for them.<br /> I sit there for a while, watching the light flicker on their gravestones. I reach out and feel the warmth, opening my mouth to talk to them like I always did, but that’s when something strikes me.<br /> The sour, rotten smell.<br /> My entire body freezes. I shoot to my feet, clutching my bags closer to me as I look around. My heart is beating in my ears and I almost want to whimper, but it only gets worse when I finally see a single Rogue.<br /> It’s hiding behind gravestones in the distance, its eyes gleaming with hunger and malice as they focus on me. Its low growls make the ground hum. There’s tension in the air, thick and suffocating, telling me it’s been stalking me like prey for a while now. It’s still far but ready to spring. Ready to chase and feed.<br /> And I know that if I take one step back, it will come out and kill me.<br /> I slowly exhale, stepping back and feeling it move with me, keeping the distance between us the same.<br /> Bit by bit, I ease my bags off my shoulders and set them down. The eyes of the Rogue follow my movement like two laser pointers. I slip my hand in my pocket, looking for the silver knife that Maia gave me as a parting gift, ready to it down.<br /> As though on cue, the Rogue leaps into the air as soon as I raise the knife.<br /> But I’m ready this time. I don’t come to meet it. Instead, I stand my ground, waiting for the perfect moment. As soon as it flies midair to pounce on me, I duck right under it and run the knife along its throat.<br /> The Rogue falls to the ground with a whimper. It scrambles to get upright again, but before it can do so, I stomp its fragile head flat with my boot, its blood spattering everywhere.<br /> “Thank the gods,” I mutter, but that’s when I realize that I spoke too soon.<br /> As soon as the Rogue stops moving, the forest seems to come alive right before me. More Rogues emerge from the trees, sniffing and snarling, their eyes alight with joy when they see a perfectly good meal severely outnumbered.<br /> All at once, they jump toward me.<br /> A scream breaks out of my lips. I raise my bags to shield myself, but at this point, it’s only a matter of time before they take me down and feast on me. I’m only waiting for the pain now….<br /> But before it can come, I hear loud bangs in the distance. Gunshots. Followed by the loud thuds of the Rogues hitting the ground, dropping like dead flies.<br /> I lower my bags in horror. All the Rogues are dead, their heads bleeding from a single smoking puncture wound between their eyes. I’m about to turn around to see my savior, but then I feel the still-hot muzzle of the gun against my back.<br /> “Drop your knife if you want to live. Who are you and what do you need?”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 8<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The first thing that rises out of me is not frustration from being told what to do, but embarrassment from forgetting about the big event. I know that Carlos just had a bad injury that he’s still most likely dealing with, but I have a situation on my hands that I just can’t shake off, but I can&#039;t help but avert my gaze in shame.<br /> Carlos, Kiernan, and the two head staff are staring at me expectantly, and I just want to sink into the ground and never reappear.<br /> I look over at Kiernan, who gives me a small shrug like he’s telling me that it’s all up to me.<br /> The obvious thing to do is to just delay the festival and focus on the very important task of finding Claudia. But I know that my people are counting on this one single happy day among all the bad ones. They need this. And as much as I need Claudia here with me, they come first.<br /> I take a deep, steadying breath. ‘I apologize. It must have slipped my mind. Prepare the decorations and we shall have a lunch banquet in the throne room.’<br /> Carlos nods and repeats my words to the head staff. Then, he turns back to me and asks, “How about the evening celebrations?”<br /> ‘We’ll see,’ I sign to him.<br /> With that, the head staff both bow and leave. Now it’s only the three of us, and they look pained.<br /> “So what’s been happening?” Carlos splutters at last. “Where are you going?”<br /> Kiernan is the one who answers for him. “He kicked out the maid, Claudia, and now he has to bring her back because the Moon Goddess told him so in a dream. He wants to go out there himself.”<br /> ‘I have to,’ I tell them both. &#039;I still do, but with the festival...&quot;<br /> And of course, they just look at me like they feel sorry for me. I’m about to tell them both to supervise so I can go, but then Kiernan sighs and says, “I’ll get some of our warriors, and we will go and find her.”<br /> Without giving me a chance to say anything about this, Kiernan leaves. Carlos then looks at me and beckons me to go up the stairs.<br /> “After you, Alpha. Let’s give the people a good celebration.”<br /> * * *<br /> When I arrive at the throne room after changing into my formal suit, it is already decked with blue and silver decorations fit for the winter solstice theme. Food is flowing in, music is playing, and it seems that all the citizens are gathering.<br /> When Carlos and I enter, it takes me a whole while to notice that the throne room isn’t even halfway filled. As I sit on my throne, I see that my people are not eating, drinking, or having fun at all. They are just gathered at the little tables, engaged in serious conversation.<br /> More people are coming in, greeted by the butlers by the door. I keep thinking that this new batch will come and let loose, but they just gather like the rest of the guests.<br /> It’s starting to make me nervous. I agreed to this party thinking it would be best for their morale, but it seems that they’re just as uninterested in the occasion as I was.<br /> ‘This is not going well,’ I tell Carlos, who’s standing on my right side. He’s not fully recovered yet, but he insisted on coming here. ‘It would be best to cut this short.’<br /> As soon as I say those words, guilt starts to drum in my chest. I know that I should try to make things more festive instead of thinking about Claudia, but not knowing how things are on that front is almost as bad as being here and seeing my people feeling blue.<br /> “I think it would be best if you go down and communicate with them personally,” Carlos says, and I can’t believe I never thought of that before.<br /> I get up from my throne with the full intent of going around, but then I see a familiar face by the door. Someone I really don’t want to see.<br /> Alpha Tristan.<br /> He’s still wearing a coat, speckled with snow. The butler tries to take it from him but he pushes him away, which makes me tense up, immediately ready for a fight. However, he’s not alone. Walking behind him like lapdogs are the Alphas of his neighboring packs: Giorgio, Anthony, and Larkin.<br /> Their auras are so domineering and so distracting that the people in the throne room stop what they’re doing and just watch them approach me. But instead of meeting them halfway, I remain standing in front of the throne with the steps of the dais separating us.<br /> None of them bows down to me.<br /> “What are you doing here?” Carlos asks, and it perfectly reflects what’s in my mind, just more polite.<br /> Tristan flashes me a smirk. “We’re here because we’re tired of the preposterous games that Sangria Amori is playing. We need change!”<br /> Even though I can’t hear him, I can feel the vibrations of his scream on the walls and the floor. He’s livid, and because of this, the people in the room are tuning in.<br /> I don’t like the admiring and interested looks on their faces. I look at Carlos. ‘We shouldn’t have this talk here.’<br /> “Alpha Tristan.” Carlos gives him a strained smile, motioning him to come along. “We shall move this conversation to a more private location and perhaps—”<br /> “Get your hands off me.” Tristan pushes past him and squares up to me. “What you’re doing to these people is sickening. Making them show up here, forced to have fun, when they are suffering from problems you would never know about from your high throne. You’re making a mockery of their situation, flaunting your privilege in their faces.”<br /> I want to push him down the steps and pound his face into a pulp, but I restrain myself. Instead, I just sign something that Carlos translates with perfect contempt.<br /> “Get out, right now.”<br /> Tristan only scoffs, facing the people. “Last night, instead of meeting with the rest of the Alphas and coming up with a way to erase the Rogues, Alpha King Achilles was late. He left us on our own when we had a Rogue attack. It’s painfully obvious that his disabilities have made him selfish, and unfit to rule our land.”<br /> This time, my temper gets the best of me. I grab him by the arm with the full intent of punching him in the face as soon as he turns, but I stop when the people gasp.<br /> They’re now looking at me in horror.<br /> I slowly let him go. He starts to walk away, step by step, not taking his eyes off me. There’s a certain gleam in his eyes that I can’t identify, but the hairs on the back of my neck are standing on end.<br /> Only when he’s standing by the door do I know why.<br /> “We will no longer take orders from the Alpha King,” Tristan declares, his gaze still on me. “We will handle the Rogues our way, the right way. And those who want to join us would be offered full protection.”<br /> With that, he leaves.<br /> And I watch in horror as some of my citizens begin to get up from their seats, following him out.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 9<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> “Don’t shoot me,” I mutter, and I cringe when I hear the fear in my voice. I hate that I faced that single Rogue like a boss only to fold like this. “I’m not a danger to anyone. I’m a local here. I just moved for work at the palace…”<br /> I stop when I realize I’m about to ramble. I just drop the knife. As soon as it clatters on the floor, I feel the muzzle of the gun easing off my back. I take this as a cue to turn around, and I come face to face with a young man about my age, with straw-colored hair and brown eyes. He’s carrying a massive silver shotgun with rounds of big silver bullets around his body.<br /> He’s studying me closely, fixing his flannel shirt. “Who are you?”<br /> “Claudia Hale,” I say shakily. I even bow, which is dumb, but I guess it’s not so stupid if it stops him from shooting me. “I just came here to visit my parents.”<br /> At first, he doesn’t say anything. My nerves are starting to act up and I find myself basically skipping in my spot. But finally, he asks, “Hale, huh? Do you happen to be related to Ruth?”<br /> My eyes go wide. “Yes! Ruth is my cousin.”<br /> The man’s shoulders relax. He cracks a smile, and suddenly he doesn’t seem so scary anymore. “You must be the cousin she talks about a lot. The singer. I’m Max, by the way. Follow me.”<br /> We shake hands, and I can’t help but feel giddy.<br /> My cousin Ruth is here. I can’t believe it. We were very close as kids, even though we only saw each other over the summers. She left Nightshade Springs when we were both eighteen, and the last thing I heard about her was that she got married to a mason from the nearby village. We saw each other at my dad’s funeral, but we didn’t get to talk much because of my own grief.<br /> But now, I’m going to see her. I wonder if she has kids now.<br /> The thought of little babies running around makes me so excited, so much so that I almost forget to follow Max as he leads me out of the cemetery through an unfamiliar path. I quickly pick up the knife and run after him.<br /> I frown as I pull level with Max. &quot;Why are we using this path?&quot;<br /> The moment the question leaves my lips, the answer comes to me when we turn a corner.<br /> For the first time, I come face to face with the aftermath of the Rogue infestation.<br /> The village is now completely deserted. The houses are dilapidated, empty and broken. The smell of Rogues is present, but distant, which tells me that the place is visited frequently but they&#039;re not actually here. Dried blood is scattered all over the ground like paint.<br /> &quot;That&#039;s animal blood,&quot; Max explains, following the direction of my gaze. &quot;We vacated this place a long time ago. We still live in this area, but we decided to stick close together to protect ourselves from the Rogues. We figured that it would be best if we show them a strong front. The Kingdom doesn&#039;t really do much for us, so we have to take matters into our own hands.&quot;<br /> I swallow hard, averting my gaze as we turn another corner, a hidden path behind a small hill.<br /> &quot;Does the Kingdom not visit the villages at all?&quot; I ask.<br /> Max shakes his head. &quot;Nope. Not at all. They send guards from time to time, but you see how many Rogues there are. You know how violent they can be. We needed weapons to protect ourselves, but they just won&#039;t provide that. I think they keep it to themselves, leave everyone else defenseless.&quot;<br /> I keep quiet. I don&#039;t know what to say. Part of me wants to defend the palace. I mean, I know they have it hard, and Achilles is doing his best. But then again, who am I to dismiss their suffering?<br /> I open my mouth to ask where they got their weapons, but then we arrive at a fenced part of the village. Barbed wires are set on tall metal walls, behind which small compact buildings stand proud.<br /> He opens the gate carefully, and we both enter. There are a couple of villages standing watch, carrying guns similar to his. They stare at me, and I have to lower my head to avoid the intensity of their looks.<br /> I want to tell Max that I just want to see Ruth, but before I can get the question out, I see two people running towards me.<br /> I look up and my heart nearly gives out when I see that it&#039;s Ruth, together with a tall bearded man who must be her husband.<br /> &quot;Claudia!&quot; she squeals, and before I can even drop my bags, she scoops me up into a big hug. &quot;You&#039;re home! It&#039;s been so long!&quot;<br /> I blink the tears away when she lets me go. &quot;I figured it was time to retire and just stay here.&quot;<br /> I feel guilty. I lied to Maia and now I&#039;m lying to Ruth.<br /> “You loved that job, but I do understand,” she says, and I can’t help but be thankful that she didn’t press me for more details. “This is my husband, Henry. We live in one of the apartments. You can stay with us if you like, but I think it would be best if you get your own room.”<br /> “It’s nice to meet you,” Henry says, taking my bags from me. “I will take these up to your room.”<br /> I smile. “Thank you so much.”<br /> He and Max leave, and Ruth takes my arm, steering me into a small structure at the foot of one of the buildings. I can hear cheers and smell food from outside, and I find myself relaxing when I see that it’s a pub. Men and women alike are laughing and talking, downing jugs of beer and eating fried food. It’s quite fascinating to see so much life and joy in a single space in this lost land, but I can’t help but feel grateful.<br /> Ruth and I sit on the counter. The bartender slides two jugs of beer and a platter of steaming chips. I grab the chips even though they’re hot, stuffing them all in my mouth and drinking the beer. Everything is strangely fresh, and I can’t help but gobble it all up. Ruth watches me with amusement as she sips her drink.<br /> “Do they not feed you up there?” she jokes, shaking her head. “Honestly, I don’t blame you for going home. It must have been hell there.”<br /> My appetite suddenly vanishes. “Well, it’s not so bad. But nothing like home, yes.” I clear my throat, desperate for a change of topic. “So, Max found me in the cemetery. He’s… an interesting character.”<br /> “I know, he mind-linked it to me.” She shrugs. “Max is kind of an asshole, but I get why. He had to step up as our leader when the palace guards left us. He looted all those guns that we use now, so the only thing we have to forge are bullets. Screw the Kingdom and that deaf-mute idiot who rules it.”<br /> My face goes hot. I want to defend Achilles. I want to tell Ruth not to call him that, but then again, he kicked me out for defending him.<br /> “Is everyone doing the same?” I start to ask, but then a small commotion breaks out in the corner of the pub where the entrance is.<br /> “Hey, keep that bastard out!” I hear some of the men yelling.<br /> “He barged right in and demanded entry!”<br /> “It’s one of those palace fuckers!”<br /> I freeze. Ruth and I both slide out of our stools, looking over at the chaos.<br /> My heart jumps right into my throat when I see Gamma Kiernan trying to force his way inside the pub.<br /> “Bring me Claudia Hale, and we will not have any problems.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 10<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Panic takes a hold of me. Suddenly, I feel my entire body going numb. I can feel Ruth beside me and I can hear her saying something, but it’s like my mind is tuning out. All I can hear are muffled voices. All I can feel is my heart hammering inside my ribs like it wants to get out.<br /> I blink a couple of times as we get pushed back by the ongoing commotion. For a moment I’m certain that I’m not seeing things correctly, but I’m wrong.<br /> Gamma Kiernan is really here, and he’s looking for me.<br /> “No way you’re getting in,” the men at the entrance keep telling him. “Pack it up and leave!”<br /> “I will not leave until you bring Claudia Hale here,” he insists. “I can smell her scent in the air. I know you’re hiding her. Back off, and no one gets hurt.”<br /> “How dare you threaten us?”<br /> With that, the chaos ensues. Now there are so many men blocking his way, and soon enough, women are clamoring to shoo him out of the pub too. I can see his expression. I know that he can take these men down if he wants to, but he’s restraining himself.<br /> The urge to step up and show myself before things get ugly overcomes me, but then Ruth wheels around and dunks my head down, preventing me from getting seen.<br /> “Why the hell are they looking for you?” Ruth demands. “Did you do something?”<br /> “No,” I begin to say, but that’s when I feel a strong hand dragging me back.<br /> “Ow!” I complain under my breath, feeling myself getting yanked back into the corner by this strong person. I turn around and see Max. He’s squeezing my arm so hard that I can almost feel the bruises appearing. “Let me go!”<br /> He just glares at me. “You are not going to show yourself to that upstart. You’re going to stay here behind the bar. Understand?”<br /> “No!” I snatch my arm back from him. “Do you want your people to get hurt?”<br /> His eyes flash with anger. “You’re really assuming we’re the ones who’d get hurt? You put too much faith in those men who don’t do anything but sit on their asses and command the lower people to fight for them.”<br /> I realize that he’s referring to the palace royals, including Achilles. His claims are so false that I square up to him, shoving him back. “You have no idea what you’re talking about! Those men risk their lives for us!”<br /> “Maybe for you,” Max growls dryly, “but never for me.”<br /> The next events happen so fast. So much so that I don’t even get the time to react. Max just grabs me by the shoulders, pushes me right into the broom closet, and props a chair against the doorknob to basically lock it from outside. I fall on the floor, flat on my behind, but then I spring up to my feet to try to ram it down.<br /> “Let me out!” I scream, but I doubt anyone would hear me from the absolute meltdown happening outside.<br /> I could shift into my wolf and break the door, but I think I would end up demolishing half the pub in the process. So even though I want to end this, I just stay by the door, pressing my ear against it and listening as best as I can.<br /> That’s when I hear Max announcing, “Silence, everyone. Let the man speak.”<br /> The people immediately shut up, which surprises me. It seems that everyone really recognizes him as their leader. I can almost picture him stepping up to Gamma Kiernan.<br /> “Thank you,” Gamma Kiernan says. “As I was trying to say before I got swarmed, I need Claudia Hale.”<br /> “Why?” Max asks in a calm, almost lazy tone.<br /> “Because the Alpha King says so,” Gamma Kiernan replies in a similar voice. “We don’t want any trouble with the King, do we?”<br /> “Oh, no, we don’t,” Max answers, but this time, he sounds perfectly sarcastic. I can hear the others around him letting out a laugh. “We really don’t. But you see, Claudia isn’t here.”<br /> Silence fills the air. I want to scream at the top of my lungs to alert everyone of my presence, but I’m stunned. Petrified, really. Did the Gamma really say that it’s Alpha Achilles who’s asking for me?<br /> But why? Why would he look for me? It hasn’t even been a day since I left. Does he regret all the things he did, all the things he said to me? Did he realize that I didn’t actually do anything wrong, and he punished me out of pure pride and possibly stupidity?<br /> Now that’s something I want to hear. I want him to say sorry.<br /> I’m about to scream when suddenly, I hear Gamma Kiernan saying, “I can smell her. Do not fucking lie to me.”<br /> Somehow, I’m able to sense something about to go wrong before it even transpires. I make a move to ram the door down before things can break out, but it’s too late.<br /> Before I can even do anything, I hear Max saying in a low voice, “Deal with this bastard.”<br /> And then, hell breaks loose.<br /> It’s so loud I can almost see it. The men in the pub all yell for battle and the sounds that follow root me to my spot. More screams. Thuds from bodies hitting the floor and the walls. Broken glass. Snapping wood. Arrows whizzing. Wolves howling. Gunshots. So many gunshots….<br /> Soon enough, the smell of blood fills the air, and my heart nearly stops.<br /> It seems to go on forever, the sound and the smell and the carnage. I can make out specific voices like Gamma Kiernan’s, telling his men to stand down and leave. I can hear Max telling his people to pursue them, to drive them back and make sure they learn their lesson. On and on and on it goes.<br /> But just when I think that it’s never going to end, silence follows.<br /> It’s almost eerie. One can hear a pin drop. Who got shot? Did anyone die?<br /> The thought of death because of me is what finally breaks me. I ram down the door without shifting into my wolf form, but when I arrive at the bar, it’s too late. I can hear the sound of horses whinnying outside, their hooves hitting the ground in loud thuds as they run fast. I see the flash of the red carriage through the broken windows.<br /> I look all over the floor to see if anyone has fallen, but aside from the smears of blood, it seems that everyone made it out alive.<br /> At least, from this party.<br /> I don’t know if I can say the same about the people from the palace.<br /> Suddenly, Max enters the pub, sporting a broken nose. He tears off a piece of his shirt and uses it to dab on the blood, but I march toward him and snatch it right out of his hand. “What did you do?”<br /> “Showed them that they have no business here,” he says simply, taking the strip of fabric back from me. “The only thing I should be hearing from you is thank you, unless…”<br /> Everyone in the pub looks at me.<br /> Ruth is the one who gets up and turns to me. “What did you do, Claudia? Why are they looking for you?”<br /> Max crosses his arms. &quot;Give us a good reason why we shouldn&#039;t kick you out of here. Now.&quot;		Popular Novels		15	https://facebook.com/100091852266052	0		LEARN_MORE						1712214000		View Edit Delete
1245366	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713199026	1734922025		532		926691635448056	1	9.3179262820987E+14		1710486000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	217316998627741		0	Frost & Flame：King of Avalon			120206854027290751		itunes.apple.com	Play game		NONE	video	Play for FREE!		http://itunes.apple.com/app/id1084930849		1709891576	2.1731699862774E+14	Frost & Flame：King of Avalon	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432162566_1157952788907286_7796736370592406881_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HPEGjZCJhEsAb5azSqC&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD-G-8tMfTivI8jExx_VcomO7K1BEfFaQWzA_tWLdA2wA&oe=662331AA	person_profile	0	King of Avalon	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431562590_1086975382453760_6166737432628581841_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yJ3vCayyC_IAb6lpfYS&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB8n_5p4AHnK9Uz7HXmCpCXD16-G7A1PDGQ4NRXapEO_g&oe=66233D01			0	3	That Game Everyone&#039;s Playing! Join Now!		Frost & Flame：King of Avalon		1212636	https://facebook.com/koadw	0		PLAY_GAME						1709884800		View Edit Delete
1245038	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198950	1734922025		532		1878396422583238	1	9.8745158604594E+14		1712300400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	127476320437895		0	Joylit Novel			120209381868170155		cdn.joylitnovel.com	Learn more		NONE	video	👇 Click here to continue reading		https://cdn.joylitnovel.com/pages/aae98514-07be-4ed9-91fd-7d3b91cd671e.html?p0=10n5m3ce&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}		1712247658	1.274763204379E+14	Joylit Novel	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435365176_1815684825600496_7237409358955529173_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JkM_F7ZITAgAb570KjL&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCWDvG8HR0DFtWheozsqQIJCvAZbr4W2ZCI0K5YSvGlZA&oe=66231855	person_profile	0	Joylit Novel	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435490057_755677253299480_2944357745188530611_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mb-D7QtgeH0Ab6mtnC7&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDVTKA8PwxIp6nkNclSnqN8HMELLNoaOOe4q4Pi2yfW3Q&oe=66231B9E			0	3	CLAUDIA.<br /> “Attention, calling all maids to the throne room.”<br /> I freeze as the announcement blares through the speakers. I’m in the maid’s quarters, looking for something in my drawers, and I have to admit that this is an interruption.<br /> My friend Maia, another maid, watches me with boredom as the announcement continues to echo in the room. “Give it up, Claudia. Stop trying to prove that you were friends with the Alpha King when you were kids. You’re a maid and what would Alpha Achilles want to do with you?”<br /> I don’t answer her. I just flip over my bottom drawer until all my socks fall out. But along with the socks comes a small folded parchment, containing the words, “To Claudia, from Achilles.”<br /> “Aha!” I shove the paper right into her hands. “Feast on that.”<br /> Maia rolls her eyes, but she just reads it aloud. “Dear Claudia, I hope this note finds you well. I refused to open the door for you because I believe I made things clear. We are no longer friends.” She chucks the paper at me. “How old is this note?”<br /> My face heats up. “Maybe eighteen years?”<br /> “So he sent that to you when he was twelve and you were… six?”<br /> “Yes,” I mutter, pocketing the note. “It’s important to me, okay?”<br /> She laughs at me. “Why? Because you’re hoping you could be close again? He’s the Alpha King now, Claudia. And our duty is to keep this place and the people running. Get over yourself and let’s go before we get thrown out.”<br /> Everything she said was right. It’s a stupid thing to hold onto, but I can’t let it go.<br /> Even when Maia drags me to the throne room, I find myself bursting with hope. All the maids are now gathered for some sort of meeting, and instead of worrying about what it’s for, I’m craning my neck, trying to look at the golden thrones on the dais.<br /> But the only person I find standing there is Beta Carlos, a tanned, dark-haired unit of a man who handles everything minor for Alpha Achilles.<br /> He surveys the room with indifference, as a person of his standing usually does, clearing his throat before speaking. “I gathered you all here because we need one maid to come with us to the Moonlight Grove Pack for the annual winter solstice meeting tonight. Since we are short-staffed, we decided to see if anyone volunteers first.”<br /> I wait for hands to shoot into the air, but there are only whispers rippling among the crowd. The maids are all avoiding Beta Carlos’s eyes as though they would evaporate if they made eye contact with him. <br /> I understand why. Rogue attacks have been notorious lately. Our pack, Sangria Amori, is the biggest and the strongest, which is the reason why we haven’t experienced any breaches yet. But the smaller packs have, and it’s enough for some of our maids to quit to be with their families.<br /> The only ones who are stuck here are the single maids or the ones who are desperate for money. Then you have people like me, loyal servants for generations.<br /> Beta Carlos’s frustration is clear now. He opens his mouth to say something but he stops when the curtains behind him suddenly open.<br /> And out comes the Alpha King himself, Achilles.<br /> The world stops. My heart picks up its pace, beating so fast that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I stare at him as he stands next to Beta Carlos, towering over him by half a foot. Everyone inside the room sinks into a bow, but I don’t. I can’t. The only thing I can do is stare at him.<br /> It’s like he has his own gravitational pull on me. I’m unable to look away from the shiny waves of his black hair and the coolness of his blue eyes. Despite the raging snow outside, his skin has a touch of gold, complimenting the bloodred coat he’s wearing. His presence is almost divine. Even the chandelier lights from above seem to be drawn to him.<br /> As though it can’t get any better, he meets my eyes.<br /> And just like that, I raise my hand. “I volunteer to come to the solstice meeting.”<br /> “What are you thinking?” Maia hisses at me, trying to tug at my uniform to get me to lower my hand.<br /> But Beta Carlos already saw me. Alpha Achilles did too.<br /> However, his face darkens with disapproval.<br /> I clear my throat and speak louder. “I volunteer! I will serve—”<br /> “Claudia, is it?” Beta Carlos interjects. “Have you forgotten that our Alpha King… can’t hear you?”<br /> The silence that follows is almost loud. Loud enough to make my ears pop. Only then do I realize my mistake.<br /> Alpha Achilles is deaf and mute. For some reason, this has also affected his ability to mind-link. These are details that I shouldn’t be forgetting, but then again, he and I have a history, and he didn’t use to be that way. <br /> We played together a lot as kids. He would take me to the forests behind the palace so we could pretend to spar. We were inseparable, until one night. All I can remember was waking up in the infirmary dripping wet and cold. Achilles wasn’t with me, but I was told he was in his room.<br /> I didn’t know what happened, and I still don’t. But the first day I tried to visit him in his room was when I received his note.<br /> Fast forward six years. He was eighteen, I was twelve. He got crowned as the next Alpha King. He could no longer hear or speak.<br /> Some say it was a curse from the Moon Goddess. Some say it was a developing disease in his body that reached its peak. It’s been twelve years since that reveal. He’s thirty now, and I’m twenty-four. No one knows the truth yet.<br /> I want to tell him that I’m sorry through sign language, but I don’t know how. He just turns to Beta Carlos and shakes his head ever so subtly.<br /> He doesn’t want me to come.<br /> Beta Carlos swallows. “Claudia… would you come up here, please? The rest are dismissed.”<br /> As I make my way to the dais, the maids start to file out of the throne room. Maia catches my eyes for a second and shakes her head, but I continue to walk until I’m standing in front of them.<br /> “No one else wants to come,” I point out in a shaky voice. “I… I want to go. I want to help.”<br /> Beta Carlos looks at Alpha Achilles pointedly. I don’t know what kind of communication is happening between them, but it seems that Beta Carlos is urging him to give it a chance, probably because they have no other choice. Alpha Achilles doesn’t seem to want to, but in the end, he relents and stands close to me. <br /> So close that I can catch his scent. So close that I can see the flecks of green in his eyes.<br /> So close that he can kiss me if he wants to.<br /> My breath hitches in my throat. Longing fills my heart. How many times have I wished this to happen? I want to say so much to him. I feel like so much time has been stolen from us. Our friendship was so amazing….<br /> “I will do well,” I whisper. “I won’t let you down.”<br /> Alpha Achilles stares at me for a couple more seconds, then he just turns around and walks away.<br /> Beta Carlos sighs and starts to follow him, turning to me at the last second as though I’m an afterthought. “Follow me.”<br /> I run after him through the tunnel behind the throne room, but his long legs are carrying him so far and I have to jog to keep up. Finally, we arrive at the back lawn of the palace. The cold hits me like a punch in the gut, but Beta Carlos tosses me a fur coat. I wriggle into it as a carriage pulls up in front of us, with a sleek red and gold body, pulled by two palomino horses.<br /> “Get in,” he says blandly, and I climb into the carriage with him behind me.<br /> Alpha Achilles is already inside, staring through the window, completely ignoring my presence.<br /> I try to communicate with him, but Beta Carlos gets in and pushes me into the corner as the carriage starts to move.<br /> The seats are cushioned and the walls are upholstered with red velvet, but I still get hurt as the carriage basically leaps and crashes on the cold snowy ground. The horses are running at full speed, which I understand, because we are about two hours until dusk, and Moonlight Grove Pack is one hour away.<br /> The coachman whips the horses, rallying them into a frenzied sprint faster than before. I gasp as I fly off my seat. I thought things would settle after a while, but something seemed to be off.<br /> The horses are whinnying. The silent path is now riddled with a mix of thuds and heavy breaths. A strange smell permeates the air. A putrid stench, a mix of rot and blood and savagery.<br /> The scent of Rogues.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 2<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Fear grips my throat like a vice. I look over at Alpha Achilles and Beta Carlos, and it seems that they noticed the stench too. <br /> “We’re being followed,” Beta Carlos tells me. “When I tell you to hide, you hide, alright? We will outrun them and kill them at the same time.”<br /> I just nod, paralyzed in the corner as growls and howls start to fill the air. <br /> This isn’t my first time to encounter Rogues. I ran into a small pack of them once when I was one of the maids assigned to do the shopping for the palace. This was two years ago, but I still remember it so vividly. Our carriage, much older and less stable than this one, passed by their hideout, and I managed to catch a glimpse of five Rogues tearing apart a dead guard in uniform. <br /> The first thing that hit me was the smell. The distinct combination of decay and fresh death. It was in the air like a bad perfume. Strangely enough, it was so fitting with the scene laid out in front of me. As they broke into the meat of the guard, the smell seemed to get stronger.<br /> I wasn’t able to eat meat for months. Even now, it still repulses me sometimes.<br /> Since then, armed deliveries have been made to the palace.<br /> But I will never forget.<br /> In fact, the whole scene is flashing in my mind now as Alpha Achilles opens a chest at the side of the seats. He pulls out a silver crossbow with a quiver of arrows. Beta Carlos opens the windows, and Alpha Achilles sticks his entire upper body out, firing the bow with unimaginable strength as the carriage moves faster.<br /> I didn’t want to look, but I turned around and stared through the back window.<br /> There are about a dozen Rogues running after us, snarling and biting and wandering just too close to the carriage. But one by one, the big black Rogues start to falter. The closest ones are hit directly in the eye, the silver arrow piercing right through their skulls and instantly killing them. <br /> Alpha Achilles continues to shoot them all down. As more of them topple, more Rogues start to back off. Eventually, the path behind us is clear.<br /> But the smell lingers in the air.<br /> “There’s more of them around,” I whisper, and Beta Carlos looks at me.<br /> “You’re right.”<br /> Alpha Achilles slides back into the carriage, slamming the window shut. He looks enraged. I can almost feel it emanating from him as he throws the bow and arrows back into the chest and kicks it back into place. He slides a map toward the coachman, who slows down for a few miles and then completely swerves in a different direction.<br /> I want to ask what’s wrong, but when even Beta Carlos looks wary, it’s best to be quiet.<br /> We sit in that awful silence for a couple more moments. The coachman is really pushing it, whipping the horses more and more frequently. But since we changed routes, we arrive at the meeting after three hours.<br /> The big iron gates open for us, and I see the gigantic wall surrounding the pack. The pack mansion looms into view. Men in black uniforms are carrying silver weapons, staring at our carriage as it pulls up.<br /> We jump out of the carriage and run into the mansion, and standing in the foyer are the other Alphas.<br /> Alpha Tristan of the hosting pack, a brutish monster of a man with copper-colored hair and gray eyes, steps forward.<br /> “You’re late,” he spits out at Alpha Achilles. “We were expecting you more than an hour ago. Do you simply not respect anyone else’s time?”<br /> Alpha Achilles turns to Beta Carlos to sign his response and have him relay it. I’m about to step aside when I suddenly hear a voice in my mind, loud and clear: &#039;Tell him we had to find another route because of the Rogues around his pack.&#039;<br /> My heart drops. I turn back around, and I realize that the exact thing I heard is what Beta Carlos is relaying to the group now. “Alpha Achilles wishes to inform everyone that we had to find another route, seeing as there were Rogues around the property.” <br /> I freeze. Did I just hear Alpha Achilles mind-link his words to me? I blink hard to shake off the possibility of hallucination, but nothing happens. I know I heard him. I know that was him.<br /> Alpha Tristan scoffs. “There are no Rogues here. We drove them all back. We killed all of them. One can even say that my pack is now safer than yours, Alpha Achilles.”<br /> Needless to say, Alpha Achilles does not take that well. He squares up against Alpha Tristan, his lips pulled back in a snarl. He motions something to Beta Carlos, who goes pale. He shakes his head, telling him that he can’t understand.<br /> But I can. I hear the voice in my head again. ‘You’re a liar. You didn’t kill a single Rogue. Your pack is in danger, and you’re too high up in your ass to admit it.’<br /> I can understand Alpha Achilles.<br /> I can hear his voice when no one else can.<br /> “Well?” Alpha Tristan prompts. “What is he saying?” <br /> Beta Carlos still doesn’t understand, and Alpha Achilles is visibly frustrated now. The other Alphas are starting to whisper among themselves, obviously not pleased by this inconvenience. <br /> “What is he saying?” they keep asking, while Beta Carlos is red-faced, trying desperately to communicate.<br /> I know I should probably shut up. My job here in the first place is to assist in the meeting, a mere delivery girl for snacks and anything else that the Alphas might need. But I just can’t help seeing the helpless hint in Alpha Achilles’s eyes when no one can understand what he’s saying. <br /> So I step forward, relaying the words I just heard. “Alpha Achilles said that you’re a liar. The Rogues are alive, and you’re too arrogant to admit it.”<br /> The entire room goes silent. The Alphas are at a standstill, all looking at me with varying expressions of shock. The world seems to freeze for a moment as I slowly come to the realization that I messed up.<br /> “I’m so sorry,” I quickly amend. “I… I just heard the Alpha King—”<br /> “Heard?” Alpha Tristan echoes. “You heard him? He’s mute, you imbecile!”<br /> The other Alphas laugh. I lower my head, but as I do so, I catch sight of Alpha Achilles looking at me. <br /> His eyes are wide with shock, but I’m surprised to find just a tiny hint of fascination in there amid the rage. That minuscule drop of positive attention almost made me forget the heaviness of the words I just said for him, but the other Alphas didn’t. Especially Alpha Tristan.<br /> “Get this little bitch out of my sight,” he splutters. “If she dares to speak a single word, I will shut her up myself.” <br /> My heart stops. Beta Carlos approaches me as quick as lightning, ushering me back into the carriage. But then, Alpha Achilles steps in between us and grabs me by the arm. <br /> Once again, his voice rings in my head. ‘Touch her, and I will chop your head off.’<br /> “What is this?” Alpha Tristan demands. “What’s he saying this time?” <br /> Beta Carlos swallows hard. “He wishes to say that if you touch the girl, he will chop your head off.” <br /> I thought that the silence earlier was bad enough, but this time it ends up being inexplicably worse.<br /> It’s the silence that makes it feel like the walls are closing in on me, suffocating me. I can almost hear the snow falling outside, gathering on the windows. The Alphas are now looking at me with expressions I can’t read, and I feel like it would be better if they just glared at me. <br /> Alpha Achilles pushes me behind him, standing in front of me protectively. His scent immediately invades my senses, and I have to consciously make an effort to focus as I hear his voice. <br /> &#039;If you really can hear me, then you can be of use,&#039; he says, and even though his tone is neutral, even cold, I find myself eager to help. &#039;Tell Tristan that his pride won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around his pack, and they need to be dealt with. Tell him to stop being a pussy and do something about it.&#039; <br /> The bluntness of those words makes me gasp out loud. “I have to tell him that?” <br /> “Tell me what?” Alpha Tristan demands. “Speak for him, if that is what he wishes to do!” <br /> “Speak!” the other Alphas urge me, and I look at Alpha Achilles helplessly. <br /> “He says that your pride, Alpha Tristan,” I begin nervously, “won’t erase the fact that Rogues are present around your pack and they need to be dealt with.” I pause, swallowing hard. “And you should stop being a pussy and do something about it.” <br /> Saying that was like dropping a bomb. The Alphas suddenly rush forward, complaining about the words as though they came from me. <br /> “Respectfully,” Alpha Tristan growls, “get out of my pack.” <br /> Alpha Achilles smirks, but he starts to walk away, keeping me away from Alpha Tristan. Beta Carlos looks like he wants to protest, but it’s over. <br /> The meeting didn’t happen not because we were late, but because no one wanted to listen.<br /> However, before we can even make it through the door, loud sirens begin to ring inside the meeting room, echoing in the halls and in the whole pack. Alpha Tristan freezes. “We are under attack.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 3<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The strong vibrations on the ground tell me that the sirens are still ringing. I know that Tristan told me to leave, and a part of me wants to make good on this so he would learn his lesson, but I refuse to put any of his people in danger just because their leader can’t swallow his pride.<br /> Instead of leaving with Claudia and Carlos, I beckoned the Alphas to come forward and fight. Thankfully, they don’t question me this time. Even Tristan marches out with them, not bothering to look at me.<br /> “What are we going to do, Alpha?” Carlos asks.<br /> &#039;We are going to fight,&#039; I tell him through signing. &#039;The Rogues must be in their borders now, and we can’t let them get in. You and I are going to get out there, fight them from the outside, and stop them from breaking through.&#039;<br /> Carlos nods, and I finally turn to Claudia. &#039;You stay here. No matter what happens, don’t leave.&#039;<br /> “But….” she starts to protest, but then she swallows hard and relents. “I will.”<br /> With that, Carlos and I leave the room, shifting into our Wolf forms as soon as we hit the fields outside the pack mansion.<br /> Thick snow is now covering the ground, with more raining down from the slate blue sky. Light fog is shrouding the land, making the lifeless trees look like cruel thin hands thrust into the sky, but I can still see the battle going on in the distance. The Alphas and the patrol guards are keeping the Rogues at bay, because the stone walls that surround the pack are now chipped and damaged on one side, providing a point of entry for the enemy.<br /> Carlos and I leap across another section of the wall, landing on the thick forest outside the pack. It’s a lot darker here, colder, but the near absence of anything makes me feel strangely more connected.<br /> Even when the first line of Rogues sees us and starts to attack, I find myself fighting back seamlessly. I push back the Rogues trying to tackle me, swatting them with my paws and crushing them under.<br /> The thing about Rogues is their number. That’s how they succeed in taking over the packs since they started their revolution two years ago. As the Alpha King, I tried peace talks with them. I tried to hear their demands and find a middle ground, but they were never open to that. They just attacked mindlessly in the hopes of weakening us enough to submit.<br /> However, they are weak. If their necks get bitten, or if their chests get damaged, they’re basically as good as dead.<br /> So that’s what I do know. Every time they charge, I pin them to the ground and crush their ribs under my paws. I bite the others, always aiming for their necks. Their smell is thick in the air, making it easy for me to sense where they are and where they’re coming next even though I can’t hear them. Once their blood is shed, they freeze on the ground, unmoving and unable to attack again.<br /> But more and more of them are coming.<br /> Still, I’m in my element, and I know that I can take them all down.<br /> It took years for me to become confident in fighting again. Since that Rogue attack when I was twelve, I’ve grown fearful and limited.<br /> When I found out that I lost my voice and my hearing, it felt like my life ended. All the things I used to love doing became looming monsters that I had to overcome.<br /> My father was the one who came to my rescue. He taught me how to fight again, to use my other senses to make up for the fact that I can’t call for backup, I can’t command anyone, and I can’t hear what’s going on around me.<br /> And I have gotten good. So good in fact that I could take down troops of Rogues all by myself. I gained the respect of the other Alphas because of it too.<br /> But what happened today reminds me that even after this adjustment, I’m still as limited as before.<br /> When Carlos couldn’t understand me, I felt as small and as voiceless as I did eighteen years ago.<br /> The only thing that saved me from sinking low was Claudia.<br /> I still don’t know how she did it. I still don’t know how or why I hear her voice in my head, melodious and clear and refreshing, after years of not being able to hear anything else. It’s like her presence pierced through every weakness I have and made it her own, alleviated it, allowed me room to breathe.<br /> And now I feel like I have to be close to her.<br /> More Rogues attack, trying to crowd around me to limit my movements. I push all of them back, keeping them in front of me where I can see them and rounding them all up until they fall into crumpled heaps under my feet.<br /> I’m winning. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins like a drug, and I’m getting high just off the thought of another victory. I begin to move faster, breaking through their ranks until the others are too afraid to approach. It feels like I have no disability at all….<br /> Until I feel a familiar whoosh of energy behind my back.<br /> I turn around just in time. I see a Rogue flying midair with its teeth bared and ready to bite. I freeze, petrified at how close it is and how I didn’t sense it.<br /> And that’s my biggest mistake of the night.<br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos swerves into view and wedges himself between me and the Rogue, taking the bite that was supposed to be for me.<br /> Only when the Rogue tackles him down do I remember to move. I claw at it, scratching its face and leaving long and deep gashes. It backs away with a whimper, but it’s too late. The damage is done.<br /> Time seems to slow down, to stop, even. Blood pools around Carlos’s neck like a halo.<br /> “Alpha…” I see his mouth move. His eyes are becoming unfocused, and I can almost feel him panting in pain. “Alpha, go back to the mansion.”<br /> I shake my head. I make my way towards him, stumbling, but the vibrations on the ground suggest that the battle is still going. My vision is blurred now. All I can see is the blood. All of my senses have shut down, so much so that I don’t feel the Rogues crowding around us until I catch their scent.<br /> They’re coming at me from all sides now, and all I can do is push them away from Carlos. My heart is frozen in my chest in fear. Every second that passes feels like a missed opportunity to get him the help he needs.<br /> I keep pushing the Rogues back, but my concentration is gone. The fact that I can’t hear or call for help is catching up to me. I get scratches all across my arms, my chest, my face….<br /> Until their weight finally holds me down.<br /> I shift into my human form to avoid getting crushed, but I can’t protect Carlos anymore. I’m trying to pull him to his feet, but we’re stuck….<br /> But then the Rogues start to scatter just as a sweet, warm scent invades my nostrils.<br /> I look up, and I find Claudia standing before us, driving the Rogues back.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 4<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Claudia shifts into a beautiful bronze-colored wolf, breaking through the group of Rogues and scattering them. This time, they don’t return or retaliate. They just scamper away.<br /> With that, she reverts back to her human form and starts to lead me and Carlos away from the battle.<br /> I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow gets us out of there and back into the front of the mansion. Perhaps I’m just reeling from what happened. Perhaps I’m just being thick. Either way, when I come back down to earth, I see that she’s already propping Carlos against one of the columns, tearing off the hem of her skirt to stem the flow of blood in his neck.<br /> Only when I see her whispering to him do I realize what exactly happened.<br /> She… saved both of us.<br /> After I told her to stay inside the meeting room no matter what.<br /> The first emotion that floods my chest is anger. She didn’t follow my command. She just went ahead and did what she wanted. But the next thing that follows that wave of rage is something I’m not ready to acknowledge: appreciation. A rush of affection. Disbelief that she came to my aid when I needed it the most and most likely single-handedly saved Carlos’s life when I wasn’t capable of doing so.<br /> Still, the first thing that I think of saying is, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”<br /> Unsurprisingly, she hears it. She wheels around on me with indignation on her face. “You told me you needed my help. So I fought off the guards to save you. What I deserve right now is a thank you, not whatever this is.”<br /> I get up and try to reason with her, but then I see a big shadow looming over us. Claudia suddenly sinks into her knees for a bow. I turn around and see Alpha Tristan, covered in Rogue blood.<br /> His eyes find Claudia, flashing with an expression I can’t read. But when he looks at me, what he feels is clear enough, and that is pure and utter distaste.<br /> The battle seems to be over, and there are a couple of wounded Alphas and patrol guards being assisted into the mansion. I try to get up and help, but Tristan puts a hand on my chest despite me being half a foot taller than him, stopping me with a glare.<br /> “Don’t even dare,” he mutters. “I am tired of your selfishness. I am tired of the absolute disrespect you show to our people. For the past two years since this revolution started, you have approached this with only yourself and your pack in mind. What about us? What about the other people who are suffering, the ones who are much, much lower in rank?”<br /> I can’t hear his voice, but I can read his lips, and every single thing he says hits me like a punch in the gut.<br /> I want to say something. I want to tell him that it was not like that, that it was never like that at all. I have kept every single citizen in his land in mind whenever I charged for battle. That’s why I preferred to have an active role instead of doling out commands.<br /> However, I can’t help but feel a sting of truth behind his words. In a lot of ways, he’s right. The only fighting strategy I know is fighting alone or with Carlos. That’s not always going to work. Like tonight. I took him away from the main event of the fight and encouraged him to fight on the sidelines with me. And look where that got him.<br /> Wounded and broken, trying to protect me from a threat I didn’t hear expect because I couldn’t hear anything.<br /> Suddenly, the old shame of being deaf and mute comes back. I have spent years trying my best to be okay with my condition, and I have come to a point where I thought I was making the most of my abilities.<br /> I never thought I would be thrust back into feeling like none of the growth I made mattered.<br /> Around us, the wounded Alphas and Betas get visited by healers, carefully urged back into the safety and warmth of the mansion. I can’t bear to even look at them. I feel like everything is my fault.<br /> Tristan for sure feels like it is.<br /> He walks around me like I’m just his disobedient child. “Leaving in the middle of battle is a disgrace. You are the Alpha King, and you should act like it. The safety of our people should always come before yours or anyone close to you. What you did—”<br /> “Pardon, Alpha Tristan,” Claudia suddenly says.<br /> Tristan looks at her like he wants to take her head off and throw it across the mountains, and all my instincts rise into protective mode. I try to get in between them, but Claudia stands in front of Tristan and squares up against him.<br /> I can tell that she’s scared. She keeps kneading her hands, which are still slick with Carlos’s blood. Her breathing is uneven, and I can tell that she would rather hide, but for some reason, she’s facing him in this strange challenge.<br /> “You’re interrupting me again,” he notes in disbelief before glaring at me. “You should train this pet of yours.”<br /> I make a move to push him, but Claudia catches my arm and shoves me back. “Alpha Tristan, it was me who took them back to the mansion. It’s not right for you to talk to the Alpha King this way, and—”<br /> &#039;Don’t do it,&#039; I warn her. &#039;Don’t cross him.&#039;<br /> Claudia doesn’t listen. “What you’re doing is disrespectful. No one is gravely hurt, and we should be glad that--”<br /> “Out,” Tristan interjects. “Get out of my pack, and never show yourselves ever again. I&#039;m banning the Alpha King and anyone from his side from Moonlight Grove Pack.”<br /> She opens her mouth as though to protest, but I just grab her shoulder and pull her back as Tristan pushes past her and enters the mansion. Then, his guards start to close the doors, barring us from ever entering.<br /> She blinks hard as though she can’t believe it happened that way. She slowly faces me. “I’m sorry.”<br /> I don’t listen to her. I just beckon Carlos to follow me, and off we go back to our pack.<br /> The awkwardness inside the carriage back home is almost tangible, with the three of us facing each other. I can’t even look at Claudia. The disappointment and rage brewing inside me need a release. I know that part of it is my fault, but there is only one reason why we were kicked out and shut down just like that.<br /> &#039;Take him to the infirmary,&#039; I sign to the guards as soon as we arrive, and they all guide Carlos up the stairs. When Carlos looks at me questioningly, I communicate to him, &#039;I will be here for a while.&#039;<br /> Claudia tries to get up the stairs, but I hold my arm out and block her way. She looks up at me in fear, and I stand in front of her.<br /> “If this is about what happened….” she begins, but I shake my head to cut her off.<br /> &#039;I don’t know how you can hear me,&#039; I say coldly, &#039;and I don’t know how I can hear you. It must be some kind of freak connection between us because we were close as kids, but those days are gone. You and I don’t mix anymore, and that’s how it should be. You have no business speaking for me. You have no business putting words in my mouth.&#039;<br /> She swallows hard. “I only wanted to direct his anger at myself, not you.”<br /> That takes me a little aback, but I shake my head. My decision is already set.<br /> I look down at Claudia, holding her gaze. &#039;Once daylight sets in, I want you to leave the palace and find another home to serve. We are now parting ways.&#039;<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 5<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> My chest goes hard, as though my body is slowly turning into stone. I look up at Alpha Achilles, blinking rapidly and trying hard to focus despite the growing pain in my heart, desperately wishing I heard wrong.<br /> But Alpha Achilles just stares down at me.<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t leave,&quot; I tell him, my lips barely moving. In fact, my face feels numb. &quot;I... this is the only home I know.&quot;<br /> His face stays stoic. Unmoved. &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter. Moonlight Grove is the biggest pack next to ours, and I lost their loyalty.&#039;<br /> I shake my head. &quot;I did it for you. I spoke for you. When no one understood you, I did. And I made sure everyone else did too. The only reason I talked to Tristan is because I wanted him to punish me for taking you away. Why are you doing this to me?&quot;<br /> I take a step closer to him, and he steps back, determined to keep the distance between us. Eventually, he turns away from me like he can&#039;t bear to look me in the eye. At first, I think that it&#039;s just because he can&#039;t stand to look at me, but the longer we stand here, the more I understand that it&#039;s because he doesn&#039;t want me to see something.<br /> &quot;Tell me,&quot; I urge him. &quot;What&#039;s the problem? You know it&#039;s not my fault.&quot;<br /> &#039;It doesn&#039;t matter,&#039; he finally says. &#039;It has to end here. I&#039;m sorry, Claudia.&#039;<br /> The finality in his tone breaks what&#039;s remaining in my heart. My breath hitches in my throat and I find myself opening and closing my mouth, struggling to find the right words to tell him that I don&#039;t want to go, that I shouldn&#039;t. But nothing comes to mind.<br /> For the first time in my life, I don&#039;t know what to say.<br /> He turns around to leave, and every fiber of my being tells me to come after him. Maybe even to stop him. But my body is already frozen in place. The only thing I can do is watch him leave.<br /> He walks back to the palace, and I stand outside for I don&#039;t know how long. Snow rains down on me, flocking on my hair and my lashes.<br /> I don’t know what I’m waiting for, to be honest. Am I expecting him to come back and retract his words? Because a part of me definitely wishes he would.<br /> A bigger part of me knows he won’t.<br /> When I see a figure approaching, I immediately think that it&#039;s Alpha Achilles, coming back to take back what he said. It’s hard to see in the snow, so I try to meet him halfway.<br /> But it’s only Gamma Kiernan.<br /> His golden blond hair shimmers in the dim light as he peers at me. “Claudia? What are you doing out here in the cold? It’s the start of the Solstice Festival tomorrow, you should be preparing with the rest of the staff.”<br /> I almost say that I’ll be on it, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, “I don’t work for the pack anymore, Gamma. I am to leave tomorrow, as what’s ordered by Alpha Achilles.”<br /> “What?” His expression darkens. “We can’t afford to kick out more staff now, not with everyone leaving because of the revolution….” He holds up a hand. “I will talk to him. Just get inside.”<br /> I follow his order, but every step back to the maid’s quarters feels like a big hand digging into my insides and scooping everything out. By the time I get back to my room, I’m already empty.<br /> Empty enough to start packing everything I ever owned.<br /> * * *<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> Letting go of Claudia is the right choice. It has to be.<br /> I should have known that it wasn’t good news, the fact that she could hear me and I could hear her. The moment I felt that rush of affection for her when she tried to stand up to Tristan on my behalf, I knew that it would only be right to release her….<br /> Or at least, this is what I keep saying to myself as I lay in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the moon through the window and replaying the moments of fascination and shame from tonight.<br /> I wish there was a way to erase them all.<br /> How long I lie there awake, I don’t know. But the only reason I finally fall asleep is because my body gives way to exhaustion.<br /> And soon, the dreams come.<br /> In my dream, I’m back beyond the borders of Moonlight Grove Pack. But this time, I’m alone. Carlos is not around. The Rogues aren’t present either. The only thing in front of me is a frozen lake, shining like a mirror under the dark sky.<br /> And standing in the middle of the lake is a beautiful woman with stark white hair and gray eyes. Her skin is so pale that it’s almost blue. Her dress is bright white, pearlescent and glowing, billowing in the air even in the absence of a breeze.<br /> It’s the Moon Goddess, and she’s staring at me.<br /> We haven’t communicated before. She hasn’t shown up in my dreams, but I’ve seen countless paintings of her before, and heard so many stories about her showing up in pivotal moments.<br /> Perhaps this is mine.<br /> My nerves jump, but I sink to my knees, my breath fogging up in front of me.<br /> “Rise, my child,” she says. Even though she’s a deity, I still can’t hear her voice. I can only read her lips. “Dark times are ahead, and they loom closer and closer to you with every second that passes. Just tonight, you have suffered a great loss.”<br /> I don’t get up. &#039;I have done my best. I protected the people—&#039;<br /> “Exactly,” the Moon Goddess interjects, walking across the frozen lake with the water still moving underneath. Her feet aren’t touching the ice. “That was your victory tonight, even with the parting of your ally. Your loss came much later.”<br /> &#039;I’m afraid I don’t understand,&#039; I sign to her. &#039;The battle ended there.&#039;<br /> “No.” She stops right in front of me, reaching out to touch my cheek. “You wished to find a way to expand your limits, and I gave it to you. But you pushed it away.”<br /> I stare at her, trying to decode what she means. I desperately want to make sense of it, to not waste the valuable time I have with her, but nothing is clicking.<br /> “I put her on your path for a reason,” she continues. “And you wanted none of it.”<br /> Suddenly, the Moon Goddess’s face starts to change, morphing like molten wax until it forms a new set of features. <br /> A face that is all too familiar.<br /> Claudia.<br /> She starts to speak again, but this time, I hear her voice—Claudia’s voice—echoing in my head like a prophecy.<br /> “I am the Siren, the Alpha’s Voice, and I shall be heard.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 6<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> I wake up with a gasp, sitting up abruptly like a marionette whose strings got yanked. My head starts to spin, but it’s not because there was no gentle introduction to the waking world.<br /> It’s because of the dream.<br /> Because of Claudia.<br /> I clutch my chest and feel that my heart is going haywire. My back is slick with sweat and I can almost feel it soaking my sheets. I close my eyes for a moment, gathering my thoughts, but the first thing I see in the darkness is Claudia’s face. Her voice is ringing in my ears, the first voice I have heard in so many years.<br /> She’s the Siren, the Moon Goddess said. The Alpha’s Voice.<br /> What does that mean? What does it have to do with me? What does that make her? I have more questions than answers and the frustration building up inside me is turning into anger. I don’t want that. I have to focus.<br /> Because if there is one thing I know, it’s that I fucked up by demanding her to leave.<br /> And I need to get her back.<br /> Fueled by the sudden fiery desire to chase after her and hold her down in the castle if I need to, I jump out of bed. I push open the door and startle the guards. I can see them mouthing, “What is the trouble, Alpha?”<br /> I ignore all of them. I just run along the hallway until I find Kiernan’s room. The guards step aside when they see me, so I push open the door, stumbling inside like a sweaty, clumsy ogre.<br /> Meanwhile, Kiernan is still awake, staring through the window. My heart sinks when I see that it’s already daylight outside, but I still have to try. I need to.<br /> Kiernan turns around, frowns at me, and asks, “Your Majesty. What brings you here?”<br /> He knows that it irks me when he calls me that, but I ignore it anyway. &#039;I need to find the maid, Claudia.&#039;<br /> I thought he would ask why, but he just narrows his eyes. “The maid you kicked out last night? I found her in the freezing cold, just staring into the distance like she couldn’t believe what happened. I actually told her I would talk to you about it, but when I got to your room, you were already asleep.”<br /> His words hit me like arrows to the heart. I can almost picture Claudia standing where I left her, crying and wondering what she did wrong, all the while I was sleeping soundly with no care in the world….<br /> No. I can’t think about that. It hurts too much.<br /> I step back, the tightness in my chest so extreme that I have to inhale and exhale slowly. Every time I blink I see her distraught face and hear her broken voice, appealing her case and showing me that she deserved to stay.<br /> And what did I do? I kicked her right out like she meant nothing.<br /> Like we never had anything together.<br /> I swallow hard. ‘I need her back here. I made a mistake.’<br /> “Then let’s go to the maids’ quarters,” Kiernan offers. “Maybe she’s still there.”<br /> I nod, and together, we barge into the lower floor where the maids stay. The rooms are already empty as they start their day at dawn. Every empty room we pass makes me want to punch something in regret, but I can still catch the sweet scent of Claudia in the air, lingering like a whisper. Finally, we arrive at her room, where her scent is strongest. The door is still closed.<br /> Kiernan lifts his hand to knock, but I’m desperate. I open the door.<br /> And there is one person inside the room. But it’s not Claudia.<br /> It’s a maid I remember as Maia, her best friend here. She whips around as soon as we get in, and I immediately see her swollen eyes and red face.<br /> “Alpha,” she mutters, sinking into a bow. “Gamma. I will go to work as soon as possible.”<br /> “No, take the time you need,” Kiernan says. “You are obviously in distress. What happened?”<br /> My breath gets stuck in my throat. I already know what she’s going to say, but I find myself searching the room in hopes of finding any proof that Claudia actually chose to stay.<br /> However, the room is blissfully empty. Vacated for the next maid.<br /> “Claudia left, Gamma,” she answers. “She said she needed to go back to her family. It was just so unexpected. I asked her if it had something to do with the meeting, and she said no. She said she’s tired of working. I don’t believe that. She always loved working here….”<br /> I freeze in shock. Kiernan glances at me pointedly before turning back to Maia. “I completely understand. Please, take the day off and rest. The Alpha and I will get going now.”<br /> He grabs me by the arm and pulls me out of the room, closing the door behind us. I can’t even walk properly. I can’t believe what I just heard.<br /> After all the bad things I said to her, she still chose to cover for me.<br /> I stop moving as soon as we reach the foyer. I hold onto the stair banister for support, my throat closed up.<br /> Kiernan stands next to me. “What happened, Your Majesty?”<br /> ‘Don’t call me that,’ I sign to him. ‘Go prepare a carriage—no. A horse. Ready a horse for me. I will be setting out soon—’<br /> “No, you’re not,” he interjects, his eyebrows scrunched up. “You are the Alpha King. Do you know what it would mean to the Rogues if they took down the head of the whole land? The revolution would be over!”<br /> ‘Fine, I will do it myself.’ I try to push past him but he blocks me. ‘Move out of my way. I need Claudia back here right now.’<br /> He shakes his head, putting a firm hand on my chest. “You’d have to kill me if you want to leave alone.”<br /> Kiernan is one of my oldest friends and most loyal men. We’ve butted heads many times before, but not like this. I can see his quiet anger, and I know from the look in his eyes that he can feel mine. Still, he stands his ground, staring at me like he’s daring me to attack him right now.<br /> And I almost want to. The thought of Claudia getting farther and farther away is tearing my soul apart.<br /> But I take a deep breath to steady myself. ‘You don’t understand.’<br /> “Then make me understand.”<br /> ‘Claudia is important to me,’ I tell him after a pause. ‘The Moon Goddess told me so. She is the Siren and the Alpha’s Voice. I have to get her back or else—’<br /> “Alpha Achilles.”<br /> He signals me to turn around. I see Carlos standing by the end of the stairs, his torso still wrapped in bandages.<br /> However, he’s not alone. Standing next to him are the Housekeeper and the Chief Butler. Both of them are carrying files, laid out as though they’re asking for advice.<br /> ‘What is this?’ I signal to Carlos. ‘I don’t need any interruptions right now. I have somewhere else to go.’<br /> Carlos shakes his head to stop me. “Alpha… today is the Winter Solstice festival. Our pack is hosting. You cannot go anywhere.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 7<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> The journey from Sangria Amori to my hometown feels long and short at the same time. As I sit there in the carriage watching the palace disappear behind a mountain in the distance and begin to see the tall magnolia trees surrounding the famous springs of my home, I can’t help but feel a mixture of longing and relief.<br /> Longing because it’s been my home for years and years. I have made good memories and bonded with amazing people. I overcame a lot of bad things. I met the one I thought I would know forever.<br /> But the relief comes from the loss of all of that. From the knowledge that from now on, I would be free from that palace and everyone in it.<br /> Especially Achilles.<br /> My heart still makes a little flip at the simple thought of his name. I still have to clench my hands and pierce my own palms with my nails to remind myself that I shouldn’t be thinking about him. But thankfully, I don’t have to acknowledge it because the carriage finally stops. The coachman Peter calls out from the front, smacking the carriage door with his cane. “You’re here now, girl. It’s time to move out.”<br /> I gather all my bags and sling them all on my shoulders, slightly struggling with the weight as I climb down the rickety old carriage. “Thank you so much, Peter.”<br /> I give him a happy salute, about to head to the arch that reads Nightshade Springs. But then, I hear him calling out, “Are you sure you’re going to be safe from here on?”<br /> That makes me pause. So far, throughout the whole journey, I haven’t sensed any Rogues at all. But Peter has a point. The infestation of Rogues is very much real and rampant, and I haven’t been to my hometown in five years. I honestly don’t know what’s waiting in store for me here.<br /> But still, I don’t want to bother him. If there is any danger out here, I would rather face it; I know that he has a family.<br /> So I just smile at him. “I got it, Peter. Thank you again and be careful on your way back!”<br /> He looks uncertain, but he leaves anyway, whipping the horses until they gallop faster. Soon enough, he’s gone.<br /> And I’m alone in the middle of the woods, surrounded by the familiar fresh scent of springs and pine.<br /> The scent of home.<br /> A soft smile appears on my face as I start to walk, following the stone path that leads to the edge of the village where the cemetery is.<br /> I suppose it’s a grim thing to start with, but I’ve been meaning to visit my parents’ graves for the past years. Grief and the start of the revolution put a halt to all of that, so now I feel quite happy that I get to see them, even if it’s just this way.<br /> My mom was a maid like I am. Or was. Either way, she served the palace too, specifically as a handmaiden to the former Queen. My dad was a gardener. She died from deadly flu five years ago, and he followed right after.<br /> Back then, I thought this was unfair. How could they leave me in this world alone? I was resentful. But eventually, I realized that it may have been out of love. He was never able to be apart from her for any period of time, and not even death could stop him from chasing after her.<br /> They told me that they met each other at a gathering for servants, and my father fell in love with my mother when he first heard her sing. I honestly can’t blame him. She had the most wonderful voice, and he always said that I had that beautiful voice too. I never really knew if he was just making that up, but the ones who heard me sing also told me that I do have a pretty voice.<br /> The memory brings a smile to my face, and as I approach their graves, I find myself humming along to the tune of my mother’s lullaby.<br /> Their graves are now covered in ivy. I sweep some of the leaves away and light a candle for them.<br /> I sit there for a while, watching the light flicker on their gravestones. I reach out and feel the warmth, opening my mouth to talk to them like I always did, but that’s when something strikes me.<br /> The sour, rotten smell.<br /> My entire body freezes. I shoot to my feet, clutching my bags closer to me as I look around. My heart is beating in my ears and I almost want to whimper, but it only gets worse when I finally see a single Rogue.<br /> It’s hiding behind gravestones in the distance, its eyes gleaming with hunger and malice as they focus on me. Its low growls make the ground hum. There’s tension in the air, thick and suffocating, telling me it’s been stalking me like prey for a while now. It’s still far but ready to spring. Ready to chase and feed.<br /> And I know that if I take one step back, it will come out and kill me.<br /> I slowly exhale, stepping back and feeling it move with me, keeping the distance between us the same.<br /> Bit by bit, I ease my bags off my shoulders and set them down. The eyes of the Rogue follow my movement like two laser pointers. I slip my hand in my pocket, looking for the silver knife that Maia gave me as a parting gift, ready to it down.<br /> As though on cue, the Rogue leaps into the air as soon as I raise the knife.<br /> But I’m ready this time. I don’t come to meet it. Instead, I stand my ground, waiting for the perfect moment. As soon as it flies midair to pounce on me, I duck right under it and run the knife along its throat.<br /> The Rogue falls to the ground with a whimper. It scrambles to get upright again, but before it can do so, I stomp its fragile head flat with my boot, its blood spattering everywhere.<br /> “Thank the gods,” I mutter, but that’s when I realize that I spoke too soon.<br /> As soon as the Rogue stops moving, the forest seems to come alive right before me. More Rogues emerge from the trees, sniffing and snarling, their eyes alight with joy when they see a perfectly good meal severely outnumbered.<br /> All at once, they jump toward me.<br /> A scream breaks out of my lips. I raise my bags to shield myself, but at this point, it’s only a matter of time before they take me down and feast on me. I’m only waiting for the pain now….<br /> But before it can come, I hear loud bangs in the distance. Gunshots. Followed by the loud thuds of the Rogues hitting the ground, dropping like dead flies.<br /> I lower my bags in horror. All the Rogues are dead, their heads bleeding from a single smoking puncture wound between their eyes. I’m about to turn around to see my savior, but then I feel the still-hot muzzle of the gun against my back.<br /> “Drop your knife if you want to live. Who are you and what do you need?”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 8<br /> ACHILLES.<br /> The first thing that rises out of me is not frustration from being told what to do, but embarrassment from forgetting about the big event. I know that Carlos just had a bad injury that he’s still most likely dealing with, but I have a situation on my hands that I just can’t shake off, but I can&#039;t help but avert my gaze in shame.<br /> Carlos, Kiernan, and the two head staff are staring at me expectantly, and I just want to sink into the ground and never reappear.<br /> I look over at Kiernan, who gives me a small shrug like he’s telling me that it’s all up to me.<br /> The obvious thing to do is to just delay the festival and focus on the very important task of finding Claudia. But I know that my people are counting on this one single happy day among all the bad ones. They need this. And as much as I need Claudia here with me, they come first.<br /> I take a deep, steadying breath. ‘I apologize. It must have slipped my mind. Prepare the decorations and we shall have a lunch banquet in the throne room.’<br /> Carlos nods and repeats my words to the head staff. Then, he turns back to me and asks, “How about the evening celebrations?”<br /> ‘We’ll see,’ I sign to him.<br /> With that, the head staff both bow and leave. Now it’s only the three of us, and they look pained.<br /> “So what’s been happening?” Carlos splutters at last. “Where are you going?”<br /> Kiernan is the one who answers for him. “He kicked out the maid, Claudia, and now he has to bring her back because the Moon Goddess told him so in a dream. He wants to go out there himself.”<br /> ‘I have to,’ I tell them both. &#039;I still do, but with the festival...&quot;<br /> And of course, they just look at me like they feel sorry for me. I’m about to tell them both to supervise so I can go, but then Kiernan sighs and says, “I’ll get some of our warriors, and we will go and find her.”<br /> Without giving me a chance to say anything about this, Kiernan leaves. Carlos then looks at me and beckons me to go up the stairs.<br /> “After you, Alpha. Let’s give the people a good celebration.”<br /> * * *<br /> When I arrive at the throne room after changing into my formal suit, it is already decked with blue and silver decorations fit for the winter solstice theme. Food is flowing in, music is playing, and it seems that all the citizens are gathering.<br /> When Carlos and I enter, it takes me a whole while to notice that the throne room isn’t even halfway filled. As I sit on my throne, I see that my people are not eating, drinking, or having fun at all. They are just gathered at the little tables, engaged in serious conversation.<br /> More people are coming in, greeted by the butlers by the door. I keep thinking that this new batch will come and let loose, but they just gather like the rest of the guests.<br /> It’s starting to make me nervous. I agreed to this party thinking it would be best for their morale, but it seems that they’re just as uninterested in the occasion as I was.<br /> ‘This is not going well,’ I tell Carlos, who’s standing on my right side. He’s not fully recovered yet, but he insisted on coming here. ‘It would be best to cut this short.’<br /> As soon as I say those words, guilt starts to drum in my chest. I know that I should try to make things more festive instead of thinking about Claudia, but not knowing how things are on that front is almost as bad as being here and seeing my people feeling blue.<br /> “I think it would be best if you go down and communicate with them personally,” Carlos says, and I can’t believe I never thought of that before.<br /> I get up from my throne with the full intent of going around, but then I see a familiar face by the door. Someone I really don’t want to see.<br /> Alpha Tristan.<br /> He’s still wearing a coat, speckled with snow. The butler tries to take it from him but he pushes him away, which makes me tense up, immediately ready for a fight. However, he’s not alone. Walking behind him like lapdogs are the Alphas of his neighboring packs: Giorgio, Anthony, and Larkin.<br /> Their auras are so domineering and so distracting that the people in the throne room stop what they’re doing and just watch them approach me. But instead of meeting them halfway, I remain standing in front of the throne with the steps of the dais separating us.<br /> None of them bows down to me.<br /> “What are you doing here?” Carlos asks, and it perfectly reflects what’s in my mind, just more polite.<br /> Tristan flashes me a smirk. “We’re here because we’re tired of the preposterous games that Sangria Amori is playing. We need change!”<br /> Even though I can’t hear him, I can feel the vibrations of his scream on the walls and the floor. He’s livid, and because of this, the people in the room are tuning in.<br /> I don’t like the admiring and interested looks on their faces. I look at Carlos. ‘We shouldn’t have this talk here.’<br /> “Alpha Tristan.” Carlos gives him a strained smile, motioning him to come along. “We shall move this conversation to a more private location and perhaps—”<br /> “Get your hands off me.” Tristan pushes past him and squares up to me. “What you’re doing to these people is sickening. Making them show up here, forced to have fun, when they are suffering from problems you would never know about from your high throne. You’re making a mockery of their situation, flaunting your privilege in their faces.”<br /> I want to push him down the steps and pound his face into a pulp, but I restrain myself. Instead, I just sign something that Carlos translates with perfect contempt.<br /> “Get out, right now.”<br /> Tristan only scoffs, facing the people. “Last night, instead of meeting with the rest of the Alphas and coming up with a way to erase the Rogues, Alpha King Achilles was late. He left us on our own when we had a Rogue attack. It’s painfully obvious that his disabilities have made him selfish, and unfit to rule our land.”<br /> This time, my temper gets the best of me. I grab him by the arm with the full intent of punching him in the face as soon as he turns, but I stop when the people gasp.<br /> They’re now looking at me in horror.<br /> I slowly let him go. He starts to walk away, step by step, not taking his eyes off me. There’s a certain gleam in his eyes that I can’t identify, but the hairs on the back of my neck are standing on end.<br /> Only when he’s standing by the door do I know why.<br /> “We will no longer take orders from the Alpha King,” Tristan declares, his gaze still on me. “We will handle the Rogues our way, the right way. And those who want to join us would be offered full protection.”<br /> With that, he leaves.<br /> And I watch in horror as some of my citizens begin to get up from their seats, following him out.<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 9<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> “Don’t shoot me,” I mutter, and I cringe when I hear the fear in my voice. I hate that I faced that single Rogue like a boss only to fold like this. “I’m not a danger to anyone. I’m a local here. I just moved for work at the palace…”<br /> I stop when I realize I’m about to ramble. I just drop the knife. As soon as it clatters on the floor, I feel the muzzle of the gun easing off my back. I take this as a cue to turn around, and I come face to face with a young man about my age, with straw-colored hair and brown eyes. He’s carrying a massive silver shotgun with rounds of big silver bullets around his body.<br /> He’s studying me closely, fixing his flannel shirt. “Who are you?”<br /> “Claudia Hale,” I say shakily. I even bow, which is dumb, but I guess it’s not so stupid if it stops him from shooting me. “I just came here to visit my parents.”<br /> At first, he doesn’t say anything. My nerves are starting to act up and I find myself basically skipping in my spot. But finally, he asks, “Hale, huh? Do you happen to be related to Ruth?”<br /> My eyes go wide. “Yes! Ruth is my cousin.”<br /> The man’s shoulders relax. He cracks a smile, and suddenly he doesn’t seem so scary anymore. “You must be the cousin she talks about a lot. The singer. I’m Max, by the way. Follow me.”<br /> We shake hands, and I can’t help but feel giddy.<br /> My cousin Ruth is here. I can’t believe it. We were very close as kids, even though we only saw each other over the summers. She left Nightshade Springs when we were both eighteen, and the last thing I heard about her was that she got married to a mason from the nearby village. We saw each other at my dad’s funeral, but we didn’t get to talk much because of my own grief.<br /> But now, I’m going to see her. I wonder if she has kids now.<br /> The thought of little babies running around makes me so excited, so much so that I almost forget to follow Max as he leads me out of the cemetery through an unfamiliar path. I quickly pick up the knife and run after him.<br /> I frown as I pull level with Max. &quot;Why are we using this path?&quot;<br /> The moment the question leaves my lips, the answer comes to me when we turn a corner.<br /> For the first time, I come face to face with the aftermath of the Rogue infestation.<br /> The village is now completely deserted. The houses are dilapidated, empty and broken. The smell of Rogues is present, but distant, which tells me that the place is visited frequently but they&#039;re not actually here. Dried blood is scattered all over the ground like paint.<br /> &quot;That&#039;s animal blood,&quot; Max explains, following the direction of my gaze. &quot;We vacated this place a long time ago. We still live in this area, but we decided to stick close together to protect ourselves from the Rogues. We figured that it would be best if we show them a strong front. The Kingdom doesn&#039;t really do much for us, so we have to take matters into our own hands.&quot;<br /> I swallow hard, averting my gaze as we turn another corner, a hidden path behind a small hill.<br /> &quot;Does the Kingdom not visit the villages at all?&quot; I ask.<br /> Max shakes his head. &quot;Nope. Not at all. They send guards from time to time, but you see how many Rogues there are. You know how violent they can be. We needed weapons to protect ourselves, but they just won&#039;t provide that. I think they keep it to themselves, leave everyone else defenseless.&quot;<br /> I keep quiet. I don&#039;t know what to say. Part of me wants to defend the palace. I mean, I know they have it hard, and Achilles is doing his best. But then again, who am I to dismiss their suffering?<br /> I open my mouth to ask where they got their weapons, but then we arrive at a fenced part of the village. Barbed wires are set on tall metal walls, behind which small compact buildings stand proud.<br /> He opens the gate carefully, and we both enter. There are a couple of villages standing watch, carrying guns similar to his. They stare at me, and I have to lower my head to avoid the intensity of their looks.<br /> I want to tell Max that I just want to see Ruth, but before I can get the question out, I see two people running towards me.<br /> I look up and my heart nearly gives out when I see that it&#039;s Ruth, together with a tall bearded man who must be her husband.<br /> &quot;Claudia!&quot; she squeals, and before I can even drop my bags, she scoops me up into a big hug. &quot;You&#039;re home! It&#039;s been so long!&quot;<br /> I blink the tears away when she lets me go. &quot;I figured it was time to retire and just stay here.&quot;<br /> I feel guilty. I lied to Maia and now I&#039;m lying to Ruth.<br /> “You loved that job, but I do understand,” she says, and I can’t help but be thankful that she didn’t press me for more details. “This is my husband, Henry. We live in one of the apartments. You can stay with us if you like, but I think it would be best if you get your own room.”<br /> “It’s nice to meet you,” Henry says, taking my bags from me. “I will take these up to your room.”<br /> I smile. “Thank you so much.”<br /> He and Max leave, and Ruth takes my arm, steering me into a small structure at the foot of one of the buildings. I can hear cheers and smell food from outside, and I find myself relaxing when I see that it’s a pub. Men and women alike are laughing and talking, downing jugs of beer and eating fried food. It’s quite fascinating to see so much life and joy in a single space in this lost land, but I can’t help but feel grateful.<br /> Ruth and I sit on the counter. The bartender slides two jugs of beer and a platter of steaming chips. I grab the chips even though they’re hot, stuffing them all in my mouth and drinking the beer. Everything is strangely fresh, and I can’t help but gobble it all up. Ruth watches me with amusement as she sips her drink.<br /> “Do they not feed you up there?” she jokes, shaking her head. “Honestly, I don’t blame you for going home. It must have been hell there.”<br /> My appetite suddenly vanishes. “Well, it’s not so bad. But nothing like home, yes.” I clear my throat, desperate for a change of topic. “So, Max found me in the cemetery. He’s… an interesting character.”<br /> “I know, he mind-linked it to me.” She shrugs. “Max is kind of an asshole, but I get why. He had to step up as our leader when the palace guards left us. He looted all those guns that we use now, so the only thing we have to forge are bullets. Screw the Kingdom and that deaf-mute idiot who rules it.”<br /> My face goes hot. I want to defend Achilles. I want to tell Ruth not to call him that, but then again, he kicked me out for defending him.<br /> “Is everyone doing the same?” I start to ask, but then a small commotion breaks out in the corner of the pub where the entrance is.<br /> “Hey, keep that bastard out!” I hear some of the men yelling.<br /> “He barged right in and demanded entry!”<br /> “It’s one of those palace fuckers!”<br /> I freeze. Ruth and I both slide out of our stools, looking over at the chaos.<br /> My heart jumps right into my throat when I see Gamma Kiernan trying to force his way inside the pub.<br /> “Bring me Claudia Hale, and we will not have any problems.”<br /> <br /> $Chapter<br /> Chapter 10<br /> CLAUDIA.<br /> Panic takes a hold of me. Suddenly, I feel my entire body going numb. I can feel Ruth beside me and I can hear her saying something, but it’s like my mind is tuning out. All I can hear are muffled voices. All I can feel is my heart hammering inside my ribs like it wants to get out.<br /> I blink a couple of times as we get pushed back by the ongoing commotion. For a moment I’m certain that I’m not seeing things correctly, but I’m wrong.<br /> Gamma Kiernan is really here, and he’s looking for me.<br /> “No way you’re getting in,” the men at the entrance keep telling him. “Pack it up and leave!”<br /> “I will not leave until you bring Claudia Hale here,” he insists. “I can smell her scent in the air. I know you’re hiding her. Back off, and no one gets hurt.”<br /> “How dare you threaten us?”<br /> With that, the chaos ensues. Now there are so many men blocking his way, and soon enough, women are clamoring to shoo him out of the pub too. I can see his expression. I know that he can take these men down if he wants to, but he’s restraining himself.<br /> The urge to step up and show myself before things get ugly overcomes me, but then Ruth wheels around and dunks my head down, preventing me from getting seen.<br /> “Why the hell are they looking for you?” Ruth demands. “Did you do something?”<br /> “No,” I begin to say, but that’s when I feel a strong hand dragging me back.<br /> “Ow!” I complain under my breath, feeling myself getting yanked back into the corner by this strong person. I turn around and see Max. He’s squeezing my arm so hard that I can almost feel the bruises appearing. “Let me go!”<br /> He just glares at me. “You are not going to show yourself to that upstart. You’re going to stay here behind the bar. Understand?”<br /> “No!” I snatch my arm back from him. “Do you want your people to get hurt?”<br /> His eyes flash with anger. “You’re really assuming we’re the ones who’d get hurt? You put too much faith in those men who don’t do anything but sit on their asses and command the lower people to fight for them.”<br /> I realize that he’s referring to the palace royals, including Achilles. His claims are so false that I square up to him, shoving him back. “You have no idea what you’re talking about! Those men risk their lives for us!”<br /> “Maybe for you,” Max growls dryly, “but never for me.”<br /> The next events happen so fast. So much so that I don’t even get the time to react. Max just grabs me by the shoulders, pushes me right into the broom closet, and props a chair against the doorknob to basically lock it from outside. I fall on the floor, flat on my behind, but then I spring up to my feet to try to ram it down.<br /> “Let me out!” I scream, but I doubt anyone would hear me from the absolute meltdown happening outside.<br /> I could shift into my wolf and break the door, but I think I would end up demolishing half the pub in the process. So even though I want to end this, I just stay by the door, pressing my ear against it and listening as best as I can.<br /> That’s when I hear Max announcing, “Silence, everyone. Let the man speak.”<br /> The people immediately shut up, which surprises me. It seems that everyone really recognizes him as their leader. I can almost picture him stepping up to Gamma Kiernan.<br /> “Thank you,” Gamma Kiernan says. “As I was trying to say before I got swarmed, I need Claudia Hale.”<br /> “Why?” Max asks in a calm, almost lazy tone.<br /> “Because the Alpha King says so,” Gamma Kiernan replies in a similar voice. “We don’t want any trouble with the King, do we?”<br /> “Oh, no, we don’t,” Max answers, but this time, he sounds perfectly sarcastic. I can hear the others around him letting out a laugh. “We really don’t. But you see, Claudia isn’t here.”<br /> Silence fills the air. I want to scream at the top of my lungs to alert everyone of my presence, but I’m stunned. Petrified, really. Did the Gamma really say that it’s Alpha Achilles who’s asking for me?<br /> But why? Why would he look for me? It hasn’t even been a day since I left. Does he regret all the things he did, all the things he said to me? Did he realize that I didn’t actually do anything wrong, and he punished me out of pure pride and possibly stupidity?<br /> Now that’s something I want to hear. I want him to say sorry.<br /> I’m about to scream when suddenly, I hear Gamma Kiernan saying, “I can smell her. Do not fucking lie to me.”<br /> Somehow, I’m able to sense something about to go wrong before it even transpires. I make a move to ram the door down before things can break out, but it’s too late.<br /> Before I can even do anything, I hear Max saying in a low voice, “Deal with this bastard.”<br /> And then, hell breaks loose.<br /> It’s so loud I can almost see it. The men in the pub all yell for battle and the sounds that follow root me to my spot. More screams. Thuds from bodies hitting the floor and the walls. Broken glass. Snapping wood. Arrows whizzing. Wolves howling. Gunshots. So many gunshots….<br /> Soon enough, the smell of blood fills the air, and my heart nearly stops.<br /> It seems to go on forever, the sound and the smell and the carnage. I can make out specific voices like Gamma Kiernan’s, telling his men to stand down and leave. I can hear Max telling his people to pursue them, to drive them back and make sure they learn their lesson. On and on and on it goes.<br /> But just when I think that it’s never going to end, silence follows.<br /> It’s almost eerie. One can hear a pin drop. Who got shot? Did anyone die?<br /> The thought of death because of me is what finally breaks me. I ram down the door without shifting into my wolf form, but when I arrive at the bar, it’s too late. I can hear the sound of horses whinnying outside, their hooves hitting the ground in loud thuds as they run fast. I see the flash of the red carriage through the broken windows.<br /> I look all over the floor to see if anyone has fallen, but aside from the smears of blood, it seems that everyone made it out alive.<br /> At least, from this party.<br /> I don’t know if I can say the same about the people from the palace.<br /> Suddenly, Max enters the pub, sporting a broken nose. He tears off a piece of his shirt and uses it to dab on the blood, but I march toward him and snatch it right out of his hand. “What did you do?”<br /> “Showed them that they have no business here,” he says simply, taking the strip of fabric back from me. “The only thing I should be hearing from you is thank you, unless…”<br /> Everyone in the pub looks at me.<br /> Ruth is the one who gets up and turns to me. “What did you do, Claudia? Why are they looking for you?”<br /> Max crosses his arms. &quot;Give us a good reason why we shouldn&#039;t kick you out of here. Now.&quot;		Joylit Novel		142	https://facebook.com/61550512629703	0		LEARN_MORE						1712214000		View Edit Delete
1245039	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198951	1734922025		532		1426859107917810	4	1.0750287970217E+15		1712991600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206467056180695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712240564	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434887251_3273516259616813_4965928032027185860_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=t3gCYtbwi8UAb62XAyW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCDX2Z6L940JrJM-j2mRBrb3v4a3dv6jqFOo0CeW7ulRw&oe=66231C02	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434948003_814909497119687_9211098532922127326_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=J7sbTzdeCX4Ab5OcIP2&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAzk7YTAiLfHRGDyVnQJiFH1vt9gLgEhRZ1JHfj6x9MhA&oe=66233A53			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712214000		View Edit Delete
1245040	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198951	1734922025		532		1426859107917810	4	1.0750287970217E+15		1712991600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206467056180695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712240564	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434887251_3273516259616813_4965928032027185860_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=t3gCYtbwi8UAb62XAyW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCDX2Z6L940JrJM-j2mRBrb3v4a3dv6jqFOo0CeW7ulRw&oe=66231C02	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434948003_814909497119687_9211098532922127326_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=J7sbTzdeCX4Ab5OcIP2&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAzk7YTAiLfHRGDyVnQJiFH1vt9gLgEhRZ1JHfj6x9MhA&oe=66233A53			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712214000		View Edit Delete
1245042	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198951	1734922026		532		1426859107917810	4	1.0750287970217E+15		1712991600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206467056180695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712240564	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434887251_3273516259616813_4965928032027185860_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=t3gCYtbwi8UAb62XAyW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCDX2Z6L940JrJM-j2mRBrb3v4a3dv6jqFOo0CeW7ulRw&oe=66231C02	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434948003_814909497119687_9211098532922127326_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=J7sbTzdeCX4Ab5OcIP2&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAzk7YTAiLfHRGDyVnQJiFH1vt9gLgEhRZ1JHfj6x9MhA&oe=66233A53			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712214000		View Edit Delete
1245043	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198952	1734922026		532		1426859107917810	4	1.0750287970217E+15		1712991600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206467056180695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712240564	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434887251_3273516259616813_4965928032027185860_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=t3gCYtbwi8UAb62XAyW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCDX2Z6L940JrJM-j2mRBrb3v4a3dv6jqFOo0CeW7ulRw&oe=66231C02	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434948003_814909497119687_9211098532922127326_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=J7sbTzdeCX4Ab5OcIP2&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAzk7YTAiLfHRGDyVnQJiFH1vt9gLgEhRZ1JHfj6x9MhA&oe=66233A53			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712214000		View Edit Delete
1245044	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198952	1734922026		532		1426859107917810	4	1.0750287970217E+15		1712991600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206467056180695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712240564	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434887251_3273516259616813_4965928032027185860_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=t3gCYtbwi8UAb62XAyW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCDX2Z6L940JrJM-j2mRBrb3v4a3dv6jqFOo0CeW7ulRw&oe=66231C02	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434948003_814909497119687_9211098532922127326_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=J7sbTzdeCX4Ab5OcIP2&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAzk7YTAiLfHRGDyVnQJiFH1vt9gLgEhRZ1JHfj6x9MhA&oe=66233A53			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712214000		View Edit Delete
1245045	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198952	1734922026		532		1426859107917810	4	1.0750287970217E+15		1712991600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206467056180695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712240564	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434887251_3273516259616813_4965928032027185860_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=t3gCYtbwi8UAb62XAyW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCDX2Z6L940JrJM-j2mRBrb3v4a3dv6jqFOo0CeW7ulRw&oe=66231C02	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434948003_814909497119687_9211098532922127326_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=J7sbTzdeCX4Ab5OcIP2&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAzk7YTAiLfHRGDyVnQJiFH1vt9gLgEhRZ1JHfj6x9MhA&oe=66233A53			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712214000		View Edit Delete
1245046	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198952	1734922026		532		1426859107917810	4	1.0750287970217E+15		1712991600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206467056180695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712240564	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434887251_3273516259616813_4965928032027185860_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=t3gCYtbwi8UAb62XAyW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCDX2Z6L940JrJM-j2mRBrb3v4a3dv6jqFOo0CeW7ulRw&oe=66231C02	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434948003_814909497119687_9211098532922127326_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=J7sbTzdeCX4Ab5OcIP2&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAzk7YTAiLfHRGDyVnQJiFH1vt9gLgEhRZ1JHfj6x9MhA&oe=66233A53			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712214000		View Edit Delete
1245047	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198952	1734922026		532		1426859107917810	4	1.0750287970217E+15		1712991600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206467056180695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712240564	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434887251_3273516259616813_4965928032027185860_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=t3gCYtbwi8UAb62XAyW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCDX2Z6L940JrJM-j2mRBrb3v4a3dv6jqFOo0CeW7ulRw&oe=66231C02	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434948003_814909497119687_9211098532922127326_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=J7sbTzdeCX4Ab5OcIP2&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAzk7YTAiLfHRGDyVnQJiFH1vt9gLgEhRZ1JHfj6x9MhA&oe=66233A53			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712214000		View Edit Delete
1245121	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198964	1734922027		532		1597748514315218	1	9.6631521161215E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	100365976129594		0	Puzzles & Chaos			120207063844340257		play.google.com	Play game		NONE	video	GATHER HEROES		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.global.pnck		1712056478	1.0036597612959E+14	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434022498_1325774881424635_2186045114328719124_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mTgYr9gNAXgAb7_-30N&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCxlI2W_w3Sn40-KC2-Yh39WrmBjbOAT_AtNluZqcumoQ&oe=66231875	person_profile	0	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434019373_1626038424818952_6874573626596794759_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cS7rc5vmMV8Ab7p4M3b&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAbbV0XwGa1RjsTXLSlJSu3VAfYplvdXmfWObXcibowHw&oe=662329C4			0	3	🦇An arcane world to explore Repulse evil and safeguard your homeland!		Puzzles & Chaos		11827	https://facebook.com/PuzzlesAndChaos	0		PLAY_GAME						1712041200		View Edit Delete
1245080	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198960	1734922027		532		735632815223316		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869110695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152782	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434024287_952429869654829_2914759023618469464_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8f3j20XwwCgAb4TUoc3&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBtmnG1VV8MOZJsaNS4d8W1lUtweX4Rl-iUhgbG4zWUVg&oe=662333C8	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433974065_395778936553743_7822722344626299012_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0Y9sdRF8FpUAb7clpNW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBEjFku5qD4rXLOBOAjl53rv-XXeUmNs-dOLdMlHkt2UA&oe=66231BF6			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245049	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198953	1734922027		532		1426859107917810	4	1.0750287970217E+15		1712991600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206467056180695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712240564	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434887251_3273516259616813_4965928032027185860_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=t3gCYtbwi8UAb62XAyW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCDX2Z6L940JrJM-j2mRBrb3v4a3dv6jqFOo0CeW7ulRw&oe=66231C02	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434948003_814909497119687_9211098532922127326_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=J7sbTzdeCX4Ab5OcIP2&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAzk7YTAiLfHRGDyVnQJiFH1vt9gLgEhRZ1JHfj6x9MhA&oe=66233A53			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712214000		View Edit Delete
1245050	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198953	1734922027		532		1426859107917810	4	1.0750287970217E+15		1712991600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206467056180695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712240564	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434887251_3273516259616813_4965928032027185860_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=t3gCYtbwi8UAb62XAyW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCDX2Z6L940JrJM-j2mRBrb3v4a3dv6jqFOo0CeW7ulRw&oe=66231C02	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434948003_814909497119687_9211098532922127326_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=J7sbTzdeCX4Ab5OcIP2&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAzk7YTAiLfHRGDyVnQJiFH1vt9gLgEhRZ1JHfj6x9MhA&oe=66233A53			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712214000		View Edit Delete
1245051	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198953	1734922027		532		1426859107917810	4	1.0750287970217E+15		1712991600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206467056180695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712240564	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434887251_3273516259616813_4965928032027185860_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=t3gCYtbwi8UAb62XAyW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCDX2Z6L940JrJM-j2mRBrb3v4a3dv6jqFOo0CeW7ulRw&oe=66231C02	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434948003_814909497119687_9211098532922127326_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=J7sbTzdeCX4Ab5OcIP2&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAzk7YTAiLfHRGDyVnQJiFH1vt9gLgEhRZ1JHfj6x9MhA&oe=66233A53			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712214000		View Edit Delete
1245095	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198961	1734922028		532		1167149221389159		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869140695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152783	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434592584_972723790858518_3132420980488247753_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_dJFYCvepKsAb5Gs5Mc&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDmxRsp4KjNbqhLw6282rnd8T1aPIC0VY11zOCsTdfICw&oe=66233847	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435408133_1154690705677143_4842117877651758900_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qYUSQBw32X0Ab41lmYa&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBGQ58lOH3p0qasUE5jrDXt11OK2ayWY-ZkhfozsOdDhQ&oe=66232406			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245096	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198961	1734922028		532		1167149221389159		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869140695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152783	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434592584_972723790858518_3132420980488247753_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_dJFYCvepKsAb5Gs5Mc&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDmxRsp4KjNbqhLw6282rnd8T1aPIC0VY11zOCsTdfICw&oe=66233847	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435408133_1154690705677143_4842117877651758900_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qYUSQBw32X0Ab41lmYa&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBGQ58lOH3p0qasUE5jrDXt11OK2ayWY-ZkhfozsOdDhQ&oe=66232406			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245097	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198961	1734922028		532		1167149221389159		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869140695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152783	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434592584_972723790858518_3132420980488247753_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_dJFYCvepKsAb5Gs5Mc&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDmxRsp4KjNbqhLw6282rnd8T1aPIC0VY11zOCsTdfICw&oe=66233847	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435408133_1154690705677143_4842117877651758900_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qYUSQBw32X0Ab41lmYa&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBGQ58lOH3p0qasUE5jrDXt11OK2ayWY-ZkhfozsOdDhQ&oe=66232406			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245122	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198964	1734922028		532		770385115045236	1	1.1149525795503E+15		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	100365976129594		0	Puzzles & Chaos			120207063840450257		play.google.com	Play game		NONE	video	Become a wizard!		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.global.pnck		1712056470	1.0036597612959E+14	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434320537_2078710005841304_3785793431189553652_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=r0aVrDtcop0Ab5LNGl6&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDEvmPgl4kj-G4wdht-MXQovG9EcBy1vHNR758BXt4Yyg&oe=66231866	person_profile	0	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435469674_790020682581921_7782306949325498669_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FHZIt2swUQcAb4CeDLj&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDtrRFkJSdE5SA4TxiBbBHBXc8qWpRsIkwmL4VyxxhCxQ&oe=662324BF			0	3	👻I bet you&#039;ve never seen a game like this before!		Puzzles & Chaos		11827	https://facebook.com/PuzzlesAndChaos	0		PLAY_GAME						1712041200		View Edit Delete
1245053	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198953	1734922028		532		1426859107917810	4	1.0750287970217E+15		1712991600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206467056180695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712240564	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434887251_3273516259616813_4965928032027185860_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=t3gCYtbwi8UAb62XAyW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCDX2Z6L940JrJM-j2mRBrb3v4a3dv6jqFOo0CeW7ulRw&oe=66231C02	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434948003_814909497119687_9211098532922127326_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=J7sbTzdeCX4Ab5OcIP2&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAzk7YTAiLfHRGDyVnQJiFH1vt9gLgEhRZ1JHfj6x9MhA&oe=66233A53			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712214000		View Edit Delete
1245054	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198953	1734922028		532		1426859107917810	4	1.0750287970217E+15		1712991600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206467056180695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712240564	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434887251_3273516259616813_4965928032027185860_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=t3gCYtbwi8UAb62XAyW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCDX2Z6L940JrJM-j2mRBrb3v4a3dv6jqFOo0CeW7ulRw&oe=66231C02	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434948003_814909497119687_9211098532922127326_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=J7sbTzdeCX4Ab5OcIP2&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAzk7YTAiLfHRGDyVnQJiFH1vt9gLgEhRZ1JHfj6x9MhA&oe=66233A53			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712214000		View Edit Delete
1245098	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198961	1734922028		532		1167149221389159		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869140695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152783	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434592584_972723790858518_3132420980488247753_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_dJFYCvepKsAb5Gs5Mc&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDmxRsp4KjNbqhLw6282rnd8T1aPIC0VY11zOCsTdfICw&oe=66233847	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435408133_1154690705677143_4842117877651758900_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qYUSQBw32X0Ab41lmYa&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBGQ58lOH3p0qasUE5jrDXt11OK2ayWY-ZkhfozsOdDhQ&oe=66232406			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245099	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198961	1734922028		532		1167149221389159		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869140695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152783	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434592584_972723790858518_3132420980488247753_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_dJFYCvepKsAb5Gs5Mc&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDmxRsp4KjNbqhLw6282rnd8T1aPIC0VY11zOCsTdfICw&oe=66233847	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435408133_1154690705677143_4842117877651758900_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qYUSQBw32X0Ab41lmYa&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBGQ58lOH3p0qasUE5jrDXt11OK2ayWY-ZkhfozsOdDhQ&oe=66232406			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245100	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198961	1734922028		532		1167149221389159		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869140695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152783	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434592584_972723790858518_3132420980488247753_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_dJFYCvepKsAb5Gs5Mc&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDmxRsp4KjNbqhLw6282rnd8T1aPIC0VY11zOCsTdfICw&oe=66233847	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435408133_1154690705677143_4842117877651758900_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qYUSQBw32X0Ab41lmYa&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBGQ58lOH3p0qasUE5jrDXt11OK2ayWY-ZkhfozsOdDhQ&oe=66232406			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245101	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198961	1734922029		532		1167149221389159		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869140695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152783	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434592584_972723790858518_3132420980488247753_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_dJFYCvepKsAb5Gs5Mc&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDmxRsp4KjNbqhLw6282rnd8T1aPIC0VY11zOCsTdfICw&oe=66233847	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435408133_1154690705677143_4842117877651758900_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qYUSQBw32X0Ab41lmYa&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBGQ58lOH3p0qasUE5jrDXt11OK2ayWY-ZkhfozsOdDhQ&oe=66232406			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245102	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198962	1734922029		532		1167149221389159		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869140695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152783	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434592584_972723790858518_3132420980488247753_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_dJFYCvepKsAb5Gs5Mc&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDmxRsp4KjNbqhLw6282rnd8T1aPIC0VY11zOCsTdfICw&oe=66233847	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435408133_1154690705677143_4842117877651758900_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qYUSQBw32X0Ab41lmYa&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBGQ58lOH3p0qasUE5jrDXt11OK2ayWY-ZkhfozsOdDhQ&oe=66232406			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245103	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198962	1734922029		532		1167149221389159		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869140695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152783	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434592584_972723790858518_3132420980488247753_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_dJFYCvepKsAb5Gs5Mc&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDmxRsp4KjNbqhLw6282rnd8T1aPIC0VY11zOCsTdfICw&oe=66233847	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435408133_1154690705677143_4842117877651758900_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qYUSQBw32X0Ab41lmYa&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBGQ58lOH3p0qasUE5jrDXt11OK2ayWY-ZkhfozsOdDhQ&oe=66232406			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245104	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198962	1734922029		532		1167149221389159		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869140695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152783	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434592584_972723790858518_3132420980488247753_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_dJFYCvepKsAb5Gs5Mc&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDmxRsp4KjNbqhLw6282rnd8T1aPIC0VY11zOCsTdfICw&oe=66233847	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435408133_1154690705677143_4842117877651758900_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qYUSQBw32X0Ab41lmYa&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBGQ58lOH3p0qasUE5jrDXt11OK2ayWY-ZkhfozsOdDhQ&oe=66232406			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245105	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198962	1734922029		532		1747617105765813	1	7.0785608589083E+15		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	118526244676341		0	Bauer Auction Service			120208286061570049		LIVE AUCTION Jim Trigg Estate, Lerna ,IL	INTERESTED		NONE	event	LIVE AUCTION Jim Trigg Estate, Lerna ,IL	Live Auction Jim Trigg Estate Live – – No Buyer’s Premium – – Public Auction 510 Lincoln Street, Lerna, IL Sunday, May 19th 2024 – 9:00 A.M. Ford Expedition – Ford Ranger – Camper – Snow Plow – Trailers 2007 Ford Expedition, 4×4, Good Rubber, 191k Miles; 2000 Ford Ranger Edge, 4WD, Automatic Needs Engine Work (As Is); 30’ Tandem Axle Bumper Hitch Camper Trailer Yellowstone Country Club Older Camper Needs Water Heater and It Is Ready for the Season; 8’ Western Snow Plow; Several Homemade Pull Type Trailers, Most Will Not Have Titles, 4’ x 8’ Single Axle, 4’ x 5’ Single Axle, 7’ x 10’ Single Axle, Chevrolet Box Van Cargo Trailer; J.D. Utility Tractor – – 3pt. Equipment – – Mowers – – L&G – – Wood Stove J.D. 401 Industrial/Utility Tractor, 3pt., 6’ Hyd. Bucket Front Loader; 3pt. Little Rhino 8’ Blade; 3pt. PTO Post Auger; 3pt. 4’ Disk; 3pt. 6’ Cultivator; Older Rack/Hay Wagon; U.S. Stove Co. Outdoor Wood Burning Stove; Hyd. Log Splitter; Gravely 8102 Lawn Tractor w/ Kohler Engine; Cub Cadet 1330 Lawn Tractor w/ 38” Deck; 12 Volt Sprayers; Wheelbarrows; 5 Bar Flex Harrow; Lawn Mower Jacks; Poulan Pro Rear Tire Garden Tiller; Husqvarna Chainsaw; Vinyl Fence; Black Powder Guns – – Reloading – – Camping – – Safe 10 Black Powder/Muzzle Loading Guns inc/ Rifles, Double Barrel Shotgun, Single Shot Pistols, .31cal Revolver; Powder Horns & Flasks; German Hunting Sword; Pocket & Sheath Knives; Crossbow; Holsters; Reloading Dies, Press; Case Trimmer; Holsters & Gun Belts; Burris Binoculars; Patch Knives; Slings; Sentinel Digital Combination Safe; Steel Key Lock Gun Cabinet; Deer Antlers; Electric Smoker; Camp Cooking Tripod; Cast Iron Camp Cookware; Large Marine Igloo Cooler; Deer Stand; Camping & Fishing Supplies; Stage Coach Gun Cart; Steel Targets Rail Road – – Guitars – – Music – – Man Cave Nice Gibson & Fender Guitars; Fender Acoustasonic-30 Guitar Amp; Live 6 Guitar Amp; Stereo; Pioneer Speakers; Guitar Case; Harmonicas; Microphones; Rail Road Switch Arm; 13’ Rail Road Arm Post; Rail Road Signs; Cast Iron Tractor Seat; Custom Wood Boxes & Trunks; Adirondack Chair; Snow Sled; Twin Size Sports Car Bed w/ New Mattress; Toy & Model Cars & Trucks; Johnny Cash Memorabilia; Drum Sticks; Record Albums; CD’s; Beer Sings; Older Garage Refrigerator; Belt Buckles; Construction Toys; Tire Ash Trays; Canes & Walking Sticks; Motorcycle Seats & Parts; Signs; Man Cave Decorations & Signs; Tools – – Garage & Shop Plunder – – & More 2 Rolls of Kemlite Wall Paneling; Ladders; Ramps; Battery Charger; Generators; Barrel Cart; Truck Boxes; Tool Boxes; Saw Horses; Engine Hoist/Cherry Picker; Fuel Cans; Older Car Parts; Ryobi Thickness Planer; Wood Working Tools; Poultry Wire; Lumber; Cabinet Drawers; LP Shop Heater; Strip Sander; Shop Vac; Compound Miter Saw; Pedestal Grinder; Shop & Garage Cabinets & Shelves; Hardware; Portable Air Compressor; Machinist Tools; Craftsman Tripod; 3 Wagon Loads of Garage & Shop Plunder Jim Trigg Estate, Age 74 Nancy Trigg, Seller	https://www.facebook.com/events/731604535752115/		1712181043	1.1852624467634E+14	Bauer Auction Service	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434592519_1891398121378653_6333326535254774624_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=id94wMFYU5wAb7WgrZ2&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBbsFkJuRXi0UsgZXz17DRSKelpf_eJaAOeHv6BnOjlRg&oe=662334FB	person_profile	0					0	3	Live Auction<br /> <br /> Jim Trigg Estate <br /> <br /> Live – – No Buyer’s Premium – – Public Auction<br /> <br /> 510 Lincoln Street, Lerna, IL<br /> <br /> Sunday, May 19th 2024 – 9:00 A.M.<br /> <br /> Ford Expedition – Ford Ranger – Camper – Snow Plow – Trailers<br /> <br /> 2007 Ford Expedition, 4×4, Good Rubber, 191k Miles; 2000 Ford Ranger Edge, 4WD, Automatic Needs Engine Work (As Is); 30’ Tandem Axle Bumper Hitch Camper Trailer Yellowstone Country Club Older Camper Needs Water Heater and It Is Ready for the Season; 8’ Western Snow Plow; Several Homemade Pull Type Trailers, Most Will Not Have Titles, 4’ x 8’ Single Axle, 4’ x 5’ Single Axle, 7’ x 10’ Single Axle, Chevrolet Box Van Cargo Trailer;<br /> <br /> J.D. Utility Tractor – – 3pt. Equipment – – Mowers – – L&amp;G – – Wood Stove<br /> <br /> J.D. 401 Industrial/Utility Tractor, 3pt., 6’ Hyd. Bucket Front Loader; 3pt. Little Rhino 8’ Blade; 3pt. PTO Post Auger; 3pt. 4’ Disk; 3pt. 6’ Cultivator; Older Rack/Hay Wagon; U.S. Stove Co. Outdoor Wood Burning Stove; Hyd. Log Splitter; Gravely 8102 Lawn Tractor w/ Kohler Engine; Cub Cadet 1330 Lawn Tractor w/ 38” Deck; 12 Volt Sprayers; Wheelbarrows; 5 Bar Flex Harrow; Lawn Mower Jacks; Poulan Pro Rear Tire Garden Tiller; Husqvarna Chainsaw; Vinyl Fence; <br /> <br /> Black Powder Guns – – Reloading – – Camping – – Safe<br /> <br /> 10 Black Powder/Muzzle Loading Guns inc/ Rifles, Double Barrel Shotgun, Single Shot Pistols, .31cal Revolver; Powder Horns &amp; Flasks; German Hunting Sword; Pocket &amp; Sheath Knives; Crossbow; Holsters; Reloading Dies, Press; Case Trimmer; Holsters &amp; Gun Belts; Burris Binoculars; Patch Knives; Slings; Sentinel Digital Combination Safe; Steel Key Lock Gun Cabinet; Deer Antlers; Electric Smoker; Camp Cooking Tripod; Cast Iron Camp Cookware; Large Marine Igloo Cooler; Deer Stand; Camping &amp; Fishing Supplies; Stage Coach Gun Cart; Steel Targets<br /> <br /> Rail Road – – Guitars – – Music – – Man Cave<br /> <br /> Nice Gibson &amp; Fender Guitars; Fender Acoustasonic-30 Guitar Amp; Live 6 Guitar Amp; Stereo; Pioneer Speakers; Guitar Case; Harmonicas; Microphones; Rail Road Switch Arm; 13’ Rail Road Arm Post; Rail Road Signs; Cast Iron Tractor Seat; Custom Wood Boxes &amp; Trunks; Adirondack Chair; Snow Sled; Twin Size Sports Car Bed w/ New Mattress; Toy &amp; Model Cars &amp; Trucks; Johnny Cash Memorabilia; Drum Sticks; Record Albums; CD’s; Beer Sings; Older Garage Refrigerator; Belt Buckles; Construction Toys; Tire Ash Trays; Canes &amp; Walking Sticks; Motorcycle Seats &amp; Parts; Signs; Man Cave Decorations &amp; Signs;<br /> <br /> Tools – – Garage &amp; Shop Plunder – – &amp; More<br /> <br /> 2 Rolls of Kemlite Wall Paneling; Ladders; Ramps; Battery Charger; Generators; Barrel Cart; Truck Boxes; Tool Boxes; Saw Horses; Engine Hoist/Cherry Picker; Fuel Cans; Older Car Parts; Ryobi Thickness Planer; Wood Working Tools; Poultry Wire; Lumber; Cabinet Drawers; LP Shop Heater; Strip Sander; Shop Vac; Compound Miter Saw; Pedestal Grinder; Shop &amp; Garage Cabinets &amp; Shelves; Hardware; Portable Air Compressor; Machinist Tools; Craftsman Tripod; 3 Wagon Loads of Garage &amp; Shop Plunder<br /> <br /> Jim Trigg Estate, Age 74<br /> <br /> Nancy Trigg, Seller		Bauer Auction Service		599	https://facebook.com/AuctionBauer	0		EVENT_RSVP						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245055	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198953	1734922029		532		1426859107917810	4	1.0750287970217E+15		1712991600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206467056180695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712240564	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434887251_3273516259616813_4965928032027185860_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=t3gCYtbwi8UAb62XAyW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCDX2Z6L940JrJM-j2mRBrb3v4a3dv6jqFOo0CeW7ulRw&oe=66231C02	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434948003_814909497119687_9211098532922127326_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=J7sbTzdeCX4Ab5OcIP2&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAzk7YTAiLfHRGDyVnQJiFH1vt9gLgEhRZ1JHfj6x9MhA&oe=66233A53			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712214000		View Edit Delete
1245056	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198953	1734922030		532		1426859107917810	4	1.0750287970217E+15		1712991600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206467056180695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712240564	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434887251_3273516259616813_4965928032027185860_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=t3gCYtbwi8UAb62XAyW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCDX2Z6L940JrJM-j2mRBrb3v4a3dv6jqFOo0CeW7ulRw&oe=66231C02	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434948003_814909497119687_9211098532922127326_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=J7sbTzdeCX4Ab5OcIP2&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAzk7YTAiLfHRGDyVnQJiFH1vt9gLgEhRZ1JHfj6x9MhA&oe=66233A53			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712214000		View Edit Delete
1245057	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198954	1734922030		532		1426859107917810	4	1.0750287970217E+15		1712991600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206467056180695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712240564	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434887251_3273516259616813_4965928032027185860_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=t3gCYtbwi8UAb62XAyW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCDX2Z6L940JrJM-j2mRBrb3v4a3dv6jqFOo0CeW7ulRw&oe=66231C02	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434948003_814909497119687_9211098532922127326_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=J7sbTzdeCX4Ab5OcIP2&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAzk7YTAiLfHRGDyVnQJiFH1vt9gLgEhRZ1JHfj6x9MhA&oe=66233A53			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712214000		View Edit Delete
1245134	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198966	1734922030		532		334891412897919	1	9.7510002424712E+14		1711954800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	106401465673945		0	K9 Play and Stay			120208155064210049		cu130.com	Learn more		NONE	video			https://cu130.com/PreventiveHealthcare?utm_source={{adset.id}}		1711792806	1.0640146567394E+14	K9 Play and Stay	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434430128_434104329195689_2705472396054049654_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=94aZ11uueJIAb5010ul&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCvS4uF7V8ZhvCx1suNqHn0dGQibfTRlX1TSs9kQp4NVA&oe=66232131	person_profile	0	K9 Play and Stay	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434056714_796125559089482_2320973658175291045_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3HoOV91e_58Ab6RTx8P&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCviaW70toKY_UJmm8JR7N0pJAl6Sk9YFn27A6zdoiRQA&oe=662313A3			0	3	Feel the raw passion of the hunt! Get your limited FREE recurve bow now and unleash your inner hero!		K9 Play and Stay		56	https://facebook.com/100088997360074	0		LEARN_MORE						1711782000		View Edit Delete
1245058	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198954	1734922030		532		1426859107917810	4	1.0750287970217E+15		1712991600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206467056180695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712240564	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434887251_3273516259616813_4965928032027185860_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=t3gCYtbwi8UAb62XAyW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCDX2Z6L940JrJM-j2mRBrb3v4a3dv6jqFOo0CeW7ulRw&oe=66231C02	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434948003_814909497119687_9211098532922127326_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=J7sbTzdeCX4Ab5OcIP2&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAzk7YTAiLfHRGDyVnQJiFH1vt9gLgEhRZ1JHfj6x9MhA&oe=66233A53			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712214000		View Edit Delete
1245059	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198954	1734922030		532		1426859107917810	4	1.0750287970217E+15		1712991600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206467056180695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712240564	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434887251_3273516259616813_4965928032027185860_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=t3gCYtbwi8UAb62XAyW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCDX2Z6L940JrJM-j2mRBrb3v4a3dv6jqFOo0CeW7ulRw&oe=66231C02	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434948003_814909497119687_9211098532922127326_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=J7sbTzdeCX4Ab5OcIP2&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAzk7YTAiLfHRGDyVnQJiFH1vt9gLgEhRZ1JHfj6x9MhA&oe=66233A53			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712214000		View Edit Delete
1245078	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198959	1734922030		532		735632815223316		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869110695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152782	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434024287_952429869654829_2914759023618469464_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8f3j20XwwCgAb4TUoc3&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBtmnG1VV8MOZJsaNS4d8W1lUtweX4Rl-iUhgbG4zWUVg&oe=662333C8	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433974065_395778936553743_7822722344626299012_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0Y9sdRF8FpUAb7clpNW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBEjFku5qD4rXLOBOAjl53rv-XXeUmNs-dOLdMlHkt2UA&oe=66231BF6			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245060	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198954	1734922030		532		1426859107917810	4	1.0750287970217E+15		1712991600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206467056180695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712240564	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434887251_3273516259616813_4965928032027185860_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=t3gCYtbwi8UAb62XAyW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCDX2Z6L940JrJM-j2mRBrb3v4a3dv6jqFOo0CeW7ulRw&oe=66231C02	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434948003_814909497119687_9211098532922127326_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=J7sbTzdeCX4Ab5OcIP2&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAzk7YTAiLfHRGDyVnQJiFH1vt9gLgEhRZ1JHfj6x9MhA&oe=66233A53			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712214000		View Edit Delete
1245061	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198954	1734922030		532		735632815223316		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869110695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152782	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434024287_952429869654829_2914759023618469464_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8f3j20XwwCgAb4TUoc3&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBtmnG1VV8MOZJsaNS4d8W1lUtweX4Rl-iUhgbG4zWUVg&oe=662333C8	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433974065_395778936553743_7822722344626299012_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0Y9sdRF8FpUAb7clpNW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBEjFku5qD4rXLOBOAjl53rv-XXeUmNs-dOLdMlHkt2UA&oe=66231BF6			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245062	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198955	1734922031		532		735632815223316		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869110695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152782	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434024287_952429869654829_2914759023618469464_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8f3j20XwwCgAb4TUoc3&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBtmnG1VV8MOZJsaNS4d8W1lUtweX4Rl-iUhgbG4zWUVg&oe=662333C8	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433974065_395778936553743_7822722344626299012_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0Y9sdRF8FpUAb7clpNW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBEjFku5qD4rXLOBOAjl53rv-XXeUmNs-dOLdMlHkt2UA&oe=66231BF6			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245063	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198956	1734922031		532		735632815223316		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869110695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152782	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434024287_952429869654829_2914759023618469464_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8f3j20XwwCgAb4TUoc3&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBtmnG1VV8MOZJsaNS4d8W1lUtweX4Rl-iUhgbG4zWUVg&oe=662333C8	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433974065_395778936553743_7822722344626299012_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0Y9sdRF8FpUAb7clpNW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBEjFku5qD4rXLOBOAjl53rv-XXeUmNs-dOLdMlHkt2UA&oe=66231BF6			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245081	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198960	1734922031		532		735632815223316		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869110695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152782	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434024287_952429869654829_2914759023618469464_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8f3j20XwwCgAb4TUoc3&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBtmnG1VV8MOZJsaNS4d8W1lUtweX4Rl-iUhgbG4zWUVg&oe=662333C8	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433974065_395778936553743_7822722344626299012_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0Y9sdRF8FpUAb7clpNW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBEjFku5qD4rXLOBOAjl53rv-XXeUmNs-dOLdMlHkt2UA&oe=66231BF6			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245064	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198956	1734922031		532		735632815223316		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869110695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152782	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434024287_952429869654829_2914759023618469464_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8f3j20XwwCgAb4TUoc3&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBtmnG1VV8MOZJsaNS4d8W1lUtweX4Rl-iUhgbG4zWUVg&oe=662333C8	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433974065_395778936553743_7822722344626299012_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0Y9sdRF8FpUAb7clpNW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBEjFku5qD4rXLOBOAjl53rv-XXeUmNs-dOLdMlHkt2UA&oe=66231BF6			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245065	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198956	1734922031		532		735632815223316		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869110695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152782	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434024287_952429869654829_2914759023618469464_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8f3j20XwwCgAb4TUoc3&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBtmnG1VV8MOZJsaNS4d8W1lUtweX4Rl-iUhgbG4zWUVg&oe=662333C8	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433974065_395778936553743_7822722344626299012_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0Y9sdRF8FpUAb7clpNW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBEjFku5qD4rXLOBOAjl53rv-XXeUmNs-dOLdMlHkt2UA&oe=66231BF6			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245066	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198956	1734922031		532		735632815223316		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869110695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152782	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434024287_952429869654829_2914759023618469464_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8f3j20XwwCgAb4TUoc3&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBtmnG1VV8MOZJsaNS4d8W1lUtweX4Rl-iUhgbG4zWUVg&oe=662333C8	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433974065_395778936553743_7822722344626299012_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0Y9sdRF8FpUAb7clpNW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBEjFku5qD4rXLOBOAjl53rv-XXeUmNs-dOLdMlHkt2UA&oe=66231BF6			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245082	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198960	1734922031		532		735632815223316		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869110695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152782	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434024287_952429869654829_2914759023618469464_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8f3j20XwwCgAb4TUoc3&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBtmnG1VV8MOZJsaNS4d8W1lUtweX4Rl-iUhgbG4zWUVg&oe=662333C8	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433974065_395778936553743_7822722344626299012_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0Y9sdRF8FpUAb7clpNW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBEjFku5qD4rXLOBOAjl53rv-XXeUmNs-dOLdMlHkt2UA&oe=66231BF6			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245068	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198957	1734922031		532		735632815223316		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869110695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152782	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434024287_952429869654829_2914759023618469464_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8f3j20XwwCgAb4TUoc3&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBtmnG1VV8MOZJsaNS4d8W1lUtweX4Rl-iUhgbG4zWUVg&oe=662333C8	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433974065_395778936553743_7822722344626299012_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0Y9sdRF8FpUAb7clpNW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBEjFku5qD4rXLOBOAjl53rv-XXeUmNs-dOLdMlHkt2UA&oe=66231BF6			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245069	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198958	1734922032		532		735632815223316		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869110695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152782	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434024287_952429869654829_2914759023618469464_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8f3j20XwwCgAb4TUoc3&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBtmnG1VV8MOZJsaNS4d8W1lUtweX4Rl-iUhgbG4zWUVg&oe=662333C8	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433974065_395778936553743_7822722344626299012_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0Y9sdRF8FpUAb7clpNW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBEjFku5qD4rXLOBOAjl53rv-XXeUmNs-dOLdMlHkt2UA&oe=66231BF6			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245070	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198959	1734922032		532		735632815223316		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869110695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152782	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434024287_952429869654829_2914759023618469464_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8f3j20XwwCgAb4TUoc3&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBtmnG1VV8MOZJsaNS4d8W1lUtweX4Rl-iUhgbG4zWUVg&oe=662333C8	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433974065_395778936553743_7822722344626299012_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0Y9sdRF8FpUAb7clpNW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBEjFku5qD4rXLOBOAjl53rv-XXeUmNs-dOLdMlHkt2UA&oe=66231BF6			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245071	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198959	1734922032		532		735632815223316		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869110695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152782	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434024287_952429869654829_2914759023618469464_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8f3j20XwwCgAb4TUoc3&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBtmnG1VV8MOZJsaNS4d8W1lUtweX4Rl-iUhgbG4zWUVg&oe=662333C8	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433974065_395778936553743_7822722344626299012_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0Y9sdRF8FpUAb7clpNW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBEjFku5qD4rXLOBOAjl53rv-XXeUmNs-dOLdMlHkt2UA&oe=66231BF6			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245072	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198959	1734922032		532		735632815223316		1.0750287970217E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120206420869110695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1712152782	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434024287_952429869654829_2914759023618469464_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8f3j20XwwCgAb4TUoc3&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBtmnG1VV8MOZJsaNS4d8W1lUtweX4Rl-iUhgbG4zWUVg&oe=662333C8	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433974065_395778936553743_7822722344626299012_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0Y9sdRF8FpUAb7clpNW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBEjFku5qD4rXLOBOAjl53rv-XXeUmNs-dOLdMlHkt2UA&oe=66231BF6			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1712127600		View Edit Delete
1245145	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198972	1734922041		532		7370421312993641	1	4.4646573570919E+15		1712559600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	641086812686708		0	Alimentation Bali			120207388876420010		swishairtime.info	Learn more		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇	You are one of the lucky three thousand people who have been selected to receive a Ravin R29 Crossbow for only $10. This is an incredible opportunity that you should not miss out on, and we encourage you to take advantage of it immediately.	https://swishairtime.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=BvP7v5dDKPCoGKFg8VfI&ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign_name={{campaign.name}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}&adset_name={{adset.name}}&placement={{placement}}&site_source_name={{site_source_name}}&fbpxl={{fbpxl}}		1711664977	6.4108681268671E+14	Alimentation Bali	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433211909_3781496832173069_3311809168208155146_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Xmtde_wqbAsAb7XpsfI&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD8SUz0D4WTbCMgzOPvqUtc4KbGwVwYp6nag1vs1MBEyg&oe=66233BB0	person_profile	0	Alimentation Bali	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433120391_783906846579083_1141327993269507309_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=28UgerGhyo4Ab5spcu9&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAi-uWgc2ieQ8k2y60aeARFApDEvZ3kX6CR1lixkbv0kg&oe=662324AD			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a Ravin R29 Crossbow for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳		Alimentation Bali		83	https://facebook.com/100054507427553	0		LEARN_MORE						1711609200		View Edit Delete
1245146	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198972	1734922041		532		652235490361709	1	3.7978357821852E+14		1713078000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	43242573742		0	Merrithew			6544361314990		merrithew.com	Shop Now		NONE	dco	20% Off Reformer Workout DVD Videos	Develop a greater mind-body connection, correct movement, breath patterns and alignment	https://www.merrithew.com/shop/sale/202404_20-off-pilates-workout-dvds		1711658442	43242573742	Merrithew	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434662352_876476201156701_7344978477308764482_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YgnlSM9zgFUAb6_zQi1&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAJw9FlJRkcwfnIWRcscUyRuOQsy72JxA766aDsgZKp7Q&oe=66232AF1	person_profile	0	Merritthew ® | Pilates	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433133979_385322664287267_6569994210055647604_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hD2NEl7g_WAAb4GOIOW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBwIkKIIhQ977dKWygcoRnf2hvI3vAs56p1iqPspX9iDg&oe=66231649			0	3	Get Started on the Reformer or Advance your Pilates practice with the Reformer Workout Videos taught by Pilates Instructors.		Merrithew		138221	https://facebook.com/merrithew	0		SHOP_NOW						1712041200		View Edit Delete
1245147	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198972	1734922041		532		652235490361709	1	3.7978357821852E+14		1713078000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	43242573742		0	Merrithew			6544361314990		merrithew.com	Shop Now		NONE	dco	20% Off Reformer Workout DVD Videos	Develop a greater mind-body connection, correct movement, breath patterns and alignment	https://www.merrithew.com/shop/sale/202404_20-off-pilates-workout-dvds		1711658442	43242573742	Merrithew	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434662352_876476201156701_7344978477308764482_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YgnlSM9zgFUAb6_zQi1&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAJw9FlJRkcwfnIWRcscUyRuOQsy72JxA766aDsgZKp7Q&oe=66232AF1	person_profile	0	Merritthew ® | Pilates	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433133979_385322664287267_6569994210055647604_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hD2NEl7g_WAAb4GOIOW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBwIkKIIhQ977dKWygcoRnf2hvI3vAs56p1iqPspX9iDg&oe=66231649			0	3	Get Started on the Reformer or Advance your Pilates practice with the Reformer Workout Videos taught by Pilates Instructors.		Merrithew		138221	https://facebook.com/merrithew	0		SHOP_NOW						1712041200		View Edit Delete
1245148	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198973	1734922041		532		652235490361709	1	3.7978357821852E+14		1713078000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	43242573742		0	Merrithew			6544361314990		merrithew.com	Shop Now		NONE	dco	20% Off Reformer Workout DVD Videos	Develop a greater mind-body connection, correct movement, breath patterns and alignment	https://www.merrithew.com/shop/sale/202404_20-off-pilates-workout-dvds		1711658442	43242573742	Merrithew	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434662352_876476201156701_7344978477308764482_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YgnlSM9zgFUAb6_zQi1&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAJw9FlJRkcwfnIWRcscUyRuOQsy72JxA766aDsgZKp7Q&oe=66232AF1	person_profile	0	Merritthew ® | Pilates	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433133979_385322664287267_6569994210055647604_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hD2NEl7g_WAAb4GOIOW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBwIkKIIhQ977dKWygcoRnf2hvI3vAs56p1iqPspX9iDg&oe=66231649			0	3	Get Started on the Reformer or Advance your Pilates practice with the Reformer Workout Videos taught by Pilates Instructors.		Merrithew		138221	https://facebook.com/merrithew	0		SHOP_NOW						1712041200		View Edit Delete
1245153	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198977	1734922041		532		440143275204495	1	3.8939665401791E+14		1712214000	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	105652425201417		0	geekpire_official			120209054089900454		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	image			http://instagram.com/geekpire_official		1711598514	1.0565242520142E+14	geekpire_official	https://scontent-iad3-2.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/230556229_972583996923335_3024290080248920440_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=3fd06f&_nc_ohc=AKrPWf2tyQoAb7KLLUT&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfDyIvMbjEv2sWUywuN4nviPSIlBh1PK5Ipq6Hh15VgI5w&oe=66231E60	ig_ads_identity	1	GeekPire	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434413605_1635832377226717_6599696456591005118_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hok4PSAYsaEAb5b5T2D&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCZQUQ8futNMJq6HYQBAiYSAfAVaJGfUYs9Ok3HQ868iw&oe=6623183C			0	3	Two rouge survivors of the Great War within the story of our campaign featuring a rugged and eccentric but smart dwarven artificer named Belrin and his modified clockwork warforge companion Baxter. With Belrin’s ingenuity and near limitless arsenal of tools and weapons including a powerful mechanical ballista bolt crossbow with dwarven tonal architecture magics used within the myrthil metal bowstring, to increase the vibrational frequency of arrows, allowing them to partially phase through armour, duplicate via quantum entanglement between arrow heads, manifesting an infinite number of arrows, alongside explosive arrows, acid, arrows, frost arrows and lightning arrows, Berlin is also armed with a flintlock pistol, a seismic wave emitting tuning fork, explosives his trusty pick axe and his hulking mechanical companion Baxter armed with an arm cannon, bladed limbs and a shield, not to mention Baxter’s stoic and reserved demeanour is quite the contrast to Belrin’s chaotic and eccentric personality, the two make for an unexpected but formidable duo. A great thanks to &#064;freirearts for your work on this project and a pleasure working with you as always. #dnd #dnd5e #dndart #dndartwork #dndcampaign #dndcampaignart #dndartwork #dnddwarf #dwarf #artificer #dndartificer #warforged #warforgedart #artist #fantasy #fantasyart #fantasyartwork #dungeonsanddragons #characterart #characterartwork #fantasynovel		geekpire_official		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/geekpire_official	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1711522800		View Edit Delete
1245154	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198977	1734922042		532		1125513215240159	1	8.4535833093853E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	100365976129594		0	Puzzles & Chaos			120206829171340257		play.google.com	Play game		NONE	video	How good is your math?		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.global.pnck		1711598214	1.0036597612959E+14	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434215893_1113643969839796_7807742451255371640_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9zu9sMuW1pEAb73pX4R&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDSWrNl2SPQ_WYoQ3qLnM3nU5xdkO8XckokpuJSG_75tg&oe=66233B7A	person_profile	0	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434203273_1160640518185605_3920470166629187477_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SO0mWH0s7cYAb4ca5kr&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDh6nyiPihnkEDAqlEOu1LN_p1PuL6bKvqt1MRBPYDgLA&oe=66233BB0			0	3	Every decision matters. 🧮<br /> Try it yourself!		Puzzles & Chaos		11827	https://facebook.com/PuzzlesAndChaos	0		PLAY_GAME						1711522800		View Edit Delete
1245155	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198978	1734922042		532		445810587873510	9	9.0488530810128E+14		1711609200	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	402966003129638		1	I love A.B. - andy biersack			120206025756350094		tunnelstudent.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://tunnelstudent.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=Q6Vie1kawk47OYN1xo0W&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&fbpxl=%7B%7Bfbpxl%7D%7D		1711552111	4.0296600312964E+14	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434060475_2252770191737874_464461497481583884_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mtTpF7ShYfYAb5QHfCF&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBVtPCmGM02Wmg2JvOeHM9U5w_BAJLNRshKkAYNq7lxfg&oe=662314BF	regular_page	0	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434399541_776623630721084_2238027465610090392_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_WkRRBWABgQAb5P-Lry&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDknmaC6YCDx0DFjdQc2XuUrZKX0DRG66PJu65iv784Sg&oe=66231A53			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳				0		0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1711522800		View Edit Delete
1245156	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198978	1734922042		532		2618531244994366		9.0488530810128E+14		1711522800	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	402966003129638		1	I love A.B. - andy biersack			120206025756610094		tunnelstudent.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://tunnelstudent.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=Q6Vie1kawk47OYN1xo0W&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&fbpxl=%7B%7Bfbpxl%7D%7D		1711552190	4.0296600312964E+14	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432173043_1170910167676561_8409318987482690190_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NhugUJ2E3vIAb5ezXk3&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCh327ncIOhjMvtpN6DyK1ZYRPFKPZbCb2_Cjfb50k_Qw&oe=662311D5	regular_page	0	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432128607_1617117405756016_3607839568440673794_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ATvC7jYoqCUAb4x2fQS&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBTQ4EOrnFnmGvFt1VRiyucQiOHicOItI-517m_XO5Gug&oe=66231D5F			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳				0		0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1711522800		View Edit Delete
1245157	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198978	1734922042		532		1190682448977543		9.0488530810128E+14		1711609200	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	402966003129638		1	I love A.B. - andy biersack			120206025756440094		tunnelstudent.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://tunnelstudent.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=Q6Vie1kawk47OYN1xo0W&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&fbpxl=%7B%7Bfbpxl%7D%7D		1711552076	4.0296600312964E+14	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433246713_929327385401571_7521243286456051867_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zWxbfxkzDN4Ab6GGY2X&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfA4qWAVQRhIAC_5mn5zn6kvJ5ORiZCPbXh0S9b3tHVVDg&oe=66230B5F	regular_page	0	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434275846_1384302318945639_2418547638996955313_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7bTuDVvk3xAAb5MQY8y&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDkGp-rWCKxSbfyf2bQIcfFU3SwJP9o8w9o8NU58cyTQg&oe=662313E6			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳				0		0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1711522800		View Edit Delete
1245240	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713199002	1734922042		532		707938348081439		6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964709220695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125617	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1108363373698408_4479565909772977033_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XR3lYjKHQmsAb5RyMCO&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAdoC9k0h_60zINrvuqHymEDPBZDRTy3mPvNo044PmPFg&oe=662318E7	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1154223309072620_622648342263838121_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pMEnoTBfXqgAb7Lr9sU&_nc_oc=Adgkf9CBizwNsCOfTek1vZVoSf31XWyHLGQ4ydoDt_kDlZCMgMdtLPcVs2RLEJthDCL06iPI3nh0fYh0WanQqHHL&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDwjWt2mIHC-8056mxbU_YJmNvnQmm5En0J1JklniSpDw&oe=66232FD5			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245158	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198978	1734922042		532		1771034423726065		9.0488530810128E+14		1711522800	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	402966003129638		1	I love A.B. - andy biersack			120206025756410094		tunnelstudent.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://tunnelstudent.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=Q6Vie1kawk47OYN1xo0W&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&fbpxl=%7B%7Bfbpxl%7D%7D		1711552111	4.0296600312964E+14	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434179594_745921440640610_368285448153917516_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Q_L0mmsskd0Ab7suMrI&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAG6viiZFt5DOlZXOzeJXe0i0LFWeESRX_ifZIU5yrYiw&oe=662330B2	regular_page	0	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434399523_385653110963704_4193943954433525843_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=T-ambiR46TEAb5aCCot&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAFmPuN9-Q8gjDrIIogApm5tsz1M5UY2GexgMscr9Mhwg&oe=66231A66			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳				0		0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1711522800		View Edit Delete
1245159	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198978	1734922049		532		3865363323786787		9.0488530810128E+14		1711609200	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	402966003129638		1	I love A.B. - andy biersack			120206025756380094		tunnelstudent.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://tunnelstudent.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=Q6Vie1kawk47OYN1xo0W&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&fbpxl=%7B%7Bfbpxl%7D%7D		1711552075	4.0296600312964E+14	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433091655_1453416741983075_7132123211253465318_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=OfhUcCBaRN4Ab7sBDh5&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDAUf3qoRs2owQ2m0IERTBk7jQsOgoCsscynrUUV8MjnA&oe=66232F14	regular_page	0	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433139644_865722071982524_1382445386625311697_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UVtAIEkBG0wAb679t_w&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAbluXevsajZCcV1u7H0F5GEmZDTTcb5wxhFrDc5XaQuQ&oe=66232DAD			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳				0		0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1711522800		View Edit Delete
1245160	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198978	1734922049		532		720936160215786	9	9.0488530810128E+14		1711522800	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	402966003129638		1	I love A.B. - andy biersack			120206025756550094		tunnelstudent.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://tunnelstudent.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=Q6Vie1kawk47OYN1xo0W&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&fbpxl=%7B%7Bfbpxl%7D%7D		1711552137	4.0296600312964E+14	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432165893_1787759781697765_8062401144704622322_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mHCTBFkroSgAb7XCJ-W&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDy3JN8OxFXiY0l2fv-hFl-yPPTOG3hr6EzNJ2gtTLBDA&oe=66233317	regular_page	0	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432252438_954972285829637_3965607497794401383_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ouZKESRT2WUAb5MTA4G&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDBqN0QzkeIZuxiJe-iGdZuFWm4zHK4WYUF4z4qxhuQ-A&oe=66231D4A			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳				0		0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1711522800		View Edit Delete
1245249	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713199005	1734922049		532		1353226575376810	1	1.1398083438255E+15		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	330986410908792		0	Equity Distribution			120209075453480596		ffm.to	Listen now		NONE	video	Roc Marciano		https://ffm.to/gold-crossbow		1711049348	3.3098641090879E+14	Equity Distribution	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432057296_1069983790929131_6106975070023928301_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ll3ffWh3OLkAb7bkunW&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDh2QhPz6oAJm1JvCunEAVA2P7pQHKfrn7NTImYt45zIw&oe=6623254A	person_profile	0	Equity Distribution	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431440733_399322086069103_6780036797560075228_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=sXy-051hFNcAb7wNETn&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCtmqp32M33yLEBwasNTe14yj4L69pCClixZsb45JeQhw&oe=66233D93			0	3	Roc Marciano x Gold Crossbow		Equity Distribution		3338	https://facebook.com/EQDistro	0		LISTEN_NOW						1711004400		View Edit Delete
1245161	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198979	1734922050		532		788106813193951		9.0488530810128E+14		1711609200	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	402966003129638		1	I love A.B. - andy biersack			120206221167820527		tunnelstudent.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://tunnelstudent.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=Q6Vie1kawk47OYN1xo0W&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&fbpxl=%7B%7Bfbpxl%7D%7D		1711551796	4.0296600312964E+14	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434222811_382406231359677_8363256886030553338_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7XkE01S5IP8Ab4xJ2O8&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDzJWYj6lwd4nCWY5I85cZl-swlfPJ0764l2f0NRkn2kA&oe=662327D7	regular_page	0	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434219193_788297272763426_7970358675286222086_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=rKnVVPRLGK4Ab4nDLR9&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDlSSFZdy7BOckL85ajkSeBkO3LX4Tl9g_eCag9xIWXwg&oe=66233C1C			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳				0		0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1711522800		View Edit Delete
1245185	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198990	1734922050		532		1449498852307646	1	7.4493002414598E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	498388803570146		0	Historic Florida Militia, Inc.			6532218496821		School of the 16th Century	INTERESTED		NONE	event	School of the 16th Century	It’s time to go back to school. Way back to “The School of the Sixteenth Century”. Once again the Historic Florida Militia has partnered with the Saint Augustine Historical Society to present this years “School” on the grounds of the Oldest House Museum Complex. (Located at 14 St. Francis Street. Old Town Trolley has a stop directly outside the museum.) See what what life was like in the very beginning of our city. “Classes” will be held at this beautiful and serene property on Saturday Feb 17th. Witness demonstrations of historic weapons, including the crossbow, the matchlock musket, pikes, and edged weapons. See the clothing, crafts, culinary techniques, and the military and religious practices of that time. New this year are courses on the women of the Menendez expedition and primitive fabric dyeing. Admission to the 16th century encampment will be free and open to the public on Saturday April 20th from 10am to 4pm. #HistoricCoastCulture #TouristDevelopmentCouncil.	https://www.facebook.com/events/419766497268723/		1711236709	4.9838880357015E+14	Historic Florida Militia, Inc.	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432104958_447405914294117_5071740986896755198_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Zfg0un5Wof4Ab42JGZp&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBw0FTfRJsE4cLzewrYMsmdw0ilsLs3VjIw6zrHW_MxpA&oe=66232AA3	person_profile	0					0	3	It’s time to go back to school. Way back to “The School of the Sixteenth Century”. Once again the Historic Florida Militia has partnered with the Saint Augustine Historical Society to present this years “School” on the grounds of the Oldest House Museum Complex. (Located at 14 St. Francis Street. Old Town Trolley has a stop directly outside the museum.) See what what life was like in the very beginning of our city. “Classes” will be held at this beautiful and serene property on Saturday Feb 17th. Witness demonstrations of historic weapons, including the crossbow, the matchlock musket, pikes, and edged weapons. See the clothing, crafts, culinary techniques, and the military and religious practices of that time. New this year are courses on the women of the Menendez expedition and primitive fabric dyeing. Admission to the 16th century encampment will be free and open to the public on Saturday April 20th from 10am to 4pm. <br /> #HistoricCoastCulture #TouristDevelopmentCouncil.		Historic Florida Militia, Inc.		1692	https://facebook.com/100064649473271	0		EVENT_RSVP						1711177200		View Edit Delete
1245162	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198979	1734922051		532		3085697484905198		9.0488530810128E+14		1711522800	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	402966003129638		1	I love A.B. - andy biersack			120206221167850527		tunnelstudent.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://tunnelstudent.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=Q6Vie1kawk47OYN1xo0W&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&fbpxl=%7B%7Bfbpxl%7D%7D		1711551449	4.0296600312964E+14	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434252512_410411474919855_2889258650411127651_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-QLb8xG22k4Ab6v46uG&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAah3PvSH6C-8KdPnGGJEeGnTV4ZdGE1K3ISdmk1Ogzow&oe=6623314D	regular_page	0	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434332774_7362210790533796_5216996924127506374_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=v4yNcpk1vt4Ab5ygsgL&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCvj46_RwQ1Jmo13Ncl-l0wpcN-Mprsa5-Ag7zDP7v1_A&oe=66231B2C			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳				0		0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1711522800		View Edit Delete
1245163	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198979	1734922051		532		1092998265320997	14	1.1122950832506E+15		1711609200	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	402966003129638		1	I love A.B. - andy biersack			120206221242640527		tunnelstudent.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://tunnelstudent.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=Q6Vie1kawk47OYN1xo0W&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&fbpxl=%7B%7Bfbpxl%7D%7D		1711551923	4.0296600312964E+14	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433008377_3230372293924564_2696678552488206484_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FR9iOfZ2MgMAb4h_pwr&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBImSmjX-nJqbV_YIkifSpqRZKKOqB6rjKhDodA1WlzQw&oe=66231902	regular_page	0	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432998243_815005440452007_1776444854117561157_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=k_6MbGHJ12kAb6ViADU&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB4_Znjr8xGh_KGYvg4r2DyxYMn3Z7ijMEuo_Wo-arrgA&oe=66232FA3			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳				0		0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1711522800		View Edit Delete
1245164	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198979	1734922051		532		371168535747999		1.1122950832506E+15		1711609200	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	402966003129638		1	I love A.B. - andy biersack			120206221242350527		tunnelstudent.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://tunnelstudent.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=Q6Vie1kawk47OYN1xo0W&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&fbpxl=%7B%7Bfbpxl%7D%7D		1711551923	4.0296600312964E+14	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433303573_1090694828877926_2181566797442513048_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lGGwR3Ldw90Ab5h8rPI&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAzLbU8GCXT016ba_z0dQGWeWQFdQg_QVc8mwP63cBdGw&oe=66232D65	regular_page	0	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434284650_740144134956152_8460641318163019358_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=EFrmM9b7MvsAb4G0GGe&_nc_oc=AdgkqGn1v9-sp4xNcomtMWuokPSCqXf-zQDVFOFRWr3EXk2MM2hV03cU4xMDdxQLPdaA2NRxVW314y2qN209f-Sv&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD04_ztpoEoWXsLpeVkmDZ6B-p7CvlN8UT4bGOsscg4JQ&oe=66232FBA			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳				0		0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1711522800		View Edit Delete
1245165	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198980	1734922051		532		413217124638844		1.1122950832506E+15		1711609200	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	402966003129638		1	I love A.B. - andy biersack			120206221242310527		tunnelstudent.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://tunnelstudent.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=Q6Vie1kawk47OYN1xo0W&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&fbpxl=%7B%7Bfbpxl%7D%7D		1711551923	4.0296600312964E+14	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434038083_1473389660280671_6916056184488262472_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Zv1kY3FAmbIAb6d0Nu_&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCHj9Ei3Px0-fMSFL3A3xhpplehcJ6cWd_5iER_BWakOg&oe=66230E47	regular_page	0	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433949528_3129745467157987_2447555507541157340_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FE-yAmmg_EUAb4LBfy9&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAgxLiU3JqHuN_CAgEXGM7KChSx7tgcWTbgQXoX0RYfZg&oe=66231EC7			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳				0		0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1711522800		View Edit Delete
1245191	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198991	1734922051		532		1137570613920065		4.2983514283568E+14		1711263600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	248588431673618		0	Milton Caprisa			120208784352110248		msnddxm.shop	Shop now		NONE	video			http://msnddxm.shop/		1711191382	2.4858843167362E+14	Milton Caprisa	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433139717_932551984986644_8193530233443845277_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=jlsmyhNqsooAb6AQXSk&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCb7fMTvHIgObSbvOsfxdLUh2feqCdbA5cGfZT7tpJ41g&oe=66231ACE	person_profile	0	Milton Caprisa	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433172877_8095387287144767_2619626527976205726_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1IdfW0xLZKgAb7KHRRx&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAnLTQwHLH5tnaSfB8NxaO7kerD3XyM5UClYcgG9lQsow&oe=6623340E			0	3	🏹️The best hunting crossbow comes from generations of hard work developing the most cutting-edge technology to produce the fastest crossbow on the market.		Milton Caprisa		5	https://facebook.com/61557439433681	0		SHOP_NOW						1711177200		View Edit Delete
1245166	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198980	1734922051		532		731185542184432		1.1122950832506E+15		1711609200	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	402966003129638		1	I love A.B. - andy biersack			120206221242280527		tunnelstudent.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://tunnelstudent.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=Q6Vie1kawk47OYN1xo0W&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&fbpxl=%7B%7Bfbpxl%7D%7D		1711551924	4.0296600312964E+14	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433143920_719364190384864_5986387495705050456_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nAs2sAyyQAwAb5jupQW&_nc_oc=AdiuxPdQ9sBl41ijSEUfj87W_TFoea_SiJo6xqGS8bhAX5uKQyJm5vC7EGjEGkY8FVYoqqexq7DBbroFkNemVzoq&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA1_DpbzFS74BCcMNWXKRKrkKGguwL7_GKJ0QGhP7OXJQ&oe=662331D7	regular_page	0	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433039607_941944070573812_5159840137279620298_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=g8LaZKZB3iwAb7TOjMV&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBrj47u7SyBBZW8JXgemgO5moII5rVzFm9PXOG4cAWSbg&oe=662323C3			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳				0		0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1711522800		View Edit Delete
1245167	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198980	1734922052		532		3655668928002596		1.1122950832506E+15		1711609200	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	402966003129638		1	I love A.B. - andy biersack			120206221242260527		tunnelstudent.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://tunnelstudent.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=Q6Vie1kawk47OYN1xo0W&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&fbpxl=%7B%7Bfbpxl%7D%7D		1711551987	4.0296600312964E+14	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434383606_956450256098960_6914428515570947868_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=39NBbw-sIusAb68lbsK&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDqpOxfmGIE4mNPxczkacBMjYcjKK0_ky6pH33haWeZiQ&oe=6623172F	regular_page	0	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434529355_1489439098653687_7850910788544465649_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=OK_U2063TLYAb73HRbG&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCpMg6XflVY083XZBemPQHSH2cYHb0xw-bA6Pys1l9mQA&oe=66231CA7			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳				0		0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1711522800		View Edit Delete
1245168	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198980	1734922052		532		240948445776291		1.1122950832506E+15		1711609200	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	402966003129638		1	I love A.B. - andy biersack			120206221167750527		tunnelstudent.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://tunnelstudent.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=Q6Vie1kawk47OYN1xo0W&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&fbpxl=%7B%7Bfbpxl%7D%7D		1711551797	4.0296600312964E+14	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433887351_427210456461078_8328281203660181200_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1zraAOKxPhsAb7a3H75&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDYQdSJJYJZvw4F2tB69tldyy4dJX-F1ghdswsN-I52Vg&oe=66233807	regular_page	0	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433970913_2440862449435727_17092525968235942_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lFSWQ700ligAb4Ov9sn&_nc_oc=AdhFKsZs9075rXh_SeUehD38ab_b1TTZGDp2R4DV9sBIwdD3jfTbd58v4_Ky05yjxtEV-EkLljaz0PqLS-z19yzb&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAob_Cx2HMlBY28T2xeQ2Oa6sjVp9VQulHecZ1hdOPz_g&oe=66230BB6			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳				0		0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1711522800		View Edit Delete
1245169	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198980	1734922052		532		297774439843439		1.1122950832506E+15		1711609200	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	402966003129638		1	I love A.B. - andy biersack			120206221167900527		tunnelstudent.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://tunnelstudent.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=Q6Vie1kawk47OYN1xo0W&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&fbpxl=%7B%7Bfbpxl%7D%7D		1711552036	4.0296600312964E+14	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434270942_730480929195769_2891698292395123465_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3uUuNZDy-CEAb4XNSFJ&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDfQSOsLV0CxFrNWCTetLsi2-hiFiR-eH3bF0giz738QA&oe=662327AD	regular_page	0	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433120835_3270160156619905_9038438506698341740_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Qd4wiT17Vr4Ab77mSO8&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBB4IdYpht1_nzVEn9rsIqkodGyMSvpogOC8EyQvfLGyQ&oe=66230FA1			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳				0		0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1711522800		View Edit Delete
1245258	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713199007	1734922052		532		928581035479476	2	1.688994344959E+15		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	100365976129594		0	Puzzles & Chaos			120206549330770257		play.google.com	Play game		NONE	video	HEAD-ON CONFRONTATION		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.global.pnck		1711009568	1.0036597612959E+14	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433091394_797042015780526_3723277490646001289_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-FHDe8jbEXIAb70zzMy&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBTas-d1h2Ruo5VxCxEhWEcO1e7DWv_ZnniQZptqmgRjQ&oe=66233486	person_profile	0	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433079860_631148279166920_7668260006395454014_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=em7Ed55S1tUAb67u2e6&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAmGqOP19mWuLILz0cXs9ol2rkW52_4Pca1bvpNxnvgLA&oe=6623279A			0	3	⚠Your allies have called you out! Match pieces to awaken heroes.		Puzzles & Chaos		11827	https://facebook.com/PuzzlesAndChaos	0		PLAY_GAME						1711004400		View Edit Delete
1245170	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198980	1734922052		532		370928269243816		1.1122950832506E+15		1711609200	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	402966003129638		1	I love A.B. - andy biersack			120206221168030527		tunnelstudent.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://tunnelstudent.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=Q6Vie1kawk47OYN1xo0W&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&fbpxl=%7B%7Bfbpxl%7D%7D		1711551799	4.0296600312964E+14	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433986605_397314153240200_4744980853760384344_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=DxynmxebJfMAb6iWoCq&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAqlIQ-jlg7a6FHHAhchl08CUt8XJalcI7k_HfMNy9e7Q&oe=66232D79	regular_page	0	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433937674_395027780054216_5961166508483095081_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4Kzt8Y4v2WQAb4bvXhv&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD-MljQ4x3Is2eJmdwPKPIi1nqr6nKsXo8GzzRTrTE8Og&oe=66232193			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳				0		0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1711522800		View Edit Delete
1245171	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198980	1734922053		532		816539033635440		1.1122950832506E+15		1711609200	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	402966003129638		1	I love A.B. - andy biersack			120206221167720527		tunnelstudent.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://tunnelstudent.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=Q6Vie1kawk47OYN1xo0W&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&fbpxl=%7B%7Bfbpxl%7D%7D		1711551794	4.0296600312964E+14	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434256661_1463733681021061_55093729452205373_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qFUO6wo1wzAAb7YQlhp&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCrOmf2w9MVd1N-6UAzYOU4c2sc8uNcHf1-En2WZU6smg&oe=66232F3C	regular_page	0	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434366407_772571294804336_2810863686494873373_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ofITF7t7Aq4Ab4DfYcf&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDseZVcqKzALidPBvd0WjyL6hcvNqLBEmptpznOhFj_wQ&oe=66232212			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳				0		0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1711522800		View Edit Delete
1245172	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198981	1734922053		532		954517562685554		1.1122950832506E+15		1711609200	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	402966003129638		1	I love A.B. - andy biersack			120206221168240527		tunnelstudent.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://tunnelstudent.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=Q6Vie1kawk47OYN1xo0W&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&fbpxl=%7B%7Bfbpxl%7D%7D		1711551839	4.0296600312964E+14	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434192472_1433832683926688_7950283003444132288_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9skDFPhiiVsAb593Yrf&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfB55QyjvkscVRWoHRX1b-z3qVy9mm3CNtMUefPgtDMa_A&oe=66231903	regular_page	0	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434175979_1350379572343361_789189012292270197_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dB24Z_DEFUoAb7QyjUu&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAtPj8LTRJFt8Mv9Dr6RZHwxdC4rj3QY12LDA63ktc9AA&oe=662327FF			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳				0		0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1711522800		View Edit Delete
1245173	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198981	1734922053		532		978328407055687		1.1122950832506E+15		1711609200	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	402966003129638		1	I love A.B. - andy biersack			120206221167870527		tunnelstudent.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://tunnelstudent.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=Q6Vie1kawk47OYN1xo0W&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&fbpxl=%7B%7Bfbpxl%7D%7D		1711551794	4.0296600312964E+14	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433930866_984629053376979_4849106811028690970_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=13yIiQUWCGkAb7TocsB&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB9l_7g1UgZoY9C2pIK2xGxEY4D-O7goJmj17hcNN5kBg&oe=66231922	regular_page	0	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434458896_1611383819687564_948373712435518183_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mNLFEtzBL8wAb5RZd1E&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAm1_W4JDKRHDO8A5Muo6cZ_nhxYUY4DOj9ZgESo6cQyg&oe=66232596			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳				0		0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1711522800		View Edit Delete
1245201	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198993	1734922053		532		1348360672492527	2	6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964712910695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125624	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433684869_457092449981648_3407831440630043047_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_bpPR583h1AAb4i5O2l&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfABdyB74CFxSs7kY8n0EmG_6KgGJDSwvVoLHVqM1Cd3bQ&oe=66231C5C	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433545868_283000594837085_6561487442196160306_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SkrpYdi02zYAb5zFSEn&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBG-PEHqDQ1ngGWNLnmcQKMEGMfO48D_H1Re1WNIi0YkA&oe=662337EA			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245174	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198981	1734922054		532		1151321322966200		1.1122950832506E+15		1711609200	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	402966003129638		1	I love A.B. - andy biersack			120206221167800527		tunnelstudent.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://tunnelstudent.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=Q6Vie1kawk47OYN1xo0W&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&fbpxl=%7B%7Bfbpxl%7D%7D		1711551799	4.0296600312964E+14	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433132780_3349280328711457_2301518798594436208_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=uBT8FbgyADMAb4-qAja&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA97GbfSgJNIFKC0ZxB3MOl_ChfaByW_4AZ4-AyD1RaIQ&oe=662336DB	regular_page	0	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433449953_296327913488507_7592617265079745941_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ylktLMW5wGAAb7C0G7y&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBiEtz70R0JzWdR8FdnHk3Gk8eJt2xJS3bkD0Rq-kTuYA&oe=66234023			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳				0		0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1711522800		View Edit Delete
1245175	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198981	1734922054		532		1182703012893890		1.1122950832506E+15		1711609200	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	402966003129638		1	I love A.B. - andy biersack			120206221167940527		tunnelstudent.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://tunnelstudent.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=Q6Vie1kawk47OYN1xo0W&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&fbpxl=%7B%7Bfbpxl%7D%7D		1711552058	4.0296600312964E+14	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434327308_2349000271976891_3402216671218897768_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=utAIYfplgmoAb7OnWEW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAECXI6D8qS2clBBzB6VRut0tYQsECIOR1EB56sY6_xrA&oe=66233882	regular_page	0	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434138366_738777791731444_8906656466165811261_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Q3SBHBAjBf0Ab4vCPvV&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAhvNixrn45e6Wcd49pBQsmvPzK48EOe93pxAqHT2kD5g&oe=662322DC			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳				0		0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1711522800		View Edit Delete
1245176	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198981	1734922054		532		2082037572176045		1.1122950832506E+15		1711609200	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	402966003129638		1	I love A.B. - andy biersack			120206221167690527		tunnelstudent.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://tunnelstudent.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=Q6Vie1kawk47OYN1xo0W&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&fbpxl=%7B%7Bfbpxl%7D%7D		1711551798	4.0296600312964E+14	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434410033_262478853591988_2035390155654875575_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=N2c09EACA4UAb6VvFim&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfA7qiOAl1hE3EzfRoAP-Xa-XwRJrxUqjJQmEVVTnoVUEw&oe=66233DFA	regular_page	0	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434377705_1468214437106308_7620166099023531083_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0GqBOpq7txEAb7qFLuP&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC0m_i2OYpaCaQOfvDYeY-TWKko73iCqHtrXMCz1l3ZRA&oe=66232F02			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳				0		0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1711522800		View Edit Delete
1245177	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198982	1734922054		532		909720550933161	3	1.3680873738995E+15		1711522800	person_profile		taken-down	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	528423657263233		0	Serious Bookings			6544304682244		zklshopec1.top	Learn more		NONE	video			https://zklshopec1.top/products/q?campaign_id={{campaign.id}}&adset_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}		1711529551	5.2842365726323E+14	Serious Bookings	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434269680_450752013973618_4264633037474322466_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ASRitgJXzIUAb69mkUA&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAI4ikWKuyYBGlr9rgG2f5kceTb1pth1KBLG8BGF8XO6g&oe=662337B9	person_profile	0					0	3			Serious Bookings		80	https://facebook.com/seriousbookings	0		LEARN_MORE						1711522800		View Edit Delete
1245178	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198982	1734922054		532		25161396986841638		1.3680873738995E+15		1711522800	person_profile		taken-down	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	528423657263233		0	Serious Bookings			6544304682244		zklshopec1.top	Learn more		NONE	video			https://zklshopec1.top/products/q?campaign_id={{campaign.id}}&adset_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}		1711529551	5.2842365726323E+14	Serious Bookings	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434269680_450752013973618_4264633037474322466_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ASRitgJXzIUAb69mkUA&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAI4ikWKuyYBGlr9rgG2f5kceTb1pth1KBLG8BGF8XO6g&oe=662337B9	person_profile	0					0	3			Serious Bookings		80	https://facebook.com/seriousbookings	0		LEARN_MORE						1711522800		View Edit Delete
1245179	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198982	1734922054		532		7195905193855071		1.3680873738995E+15		1711522800	person_profile		taken-down	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	528423657263233		0	Serious Bookings			6544304682244		zklshopec1.top	Learn more		NONE	video			https://zklshopec1.top/products/q?campaign_id={{campaign.id}}&adset_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}		1711529551	5.2842365726323E+14	Serious Bookings	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434269680_450752013973618_4264633037474322466_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ASRitgJXzIUAb69mkUA&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAI4ikWKuyYBGlr9rgG2f5kceTb1pth1KBLG8BGF8XO6g&oe=662337B9	person_profile	0					0	3			Serious Bookings		80	https://facebook.com/seriousbookings	0		LEARN_MORE						1711522800		View Edit Delete
1245180	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198983	1734922054		532		1163792057978204	3	1.1675727312844E+15		1711609200	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	402966003129638		1	I love A.B. - andy biersack			120205983986090094		tunnelstudent.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://tunnelstudent.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=Q6Vie1kawk47OYN1xo0W&ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign_name={{campaign.name}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}&adset_name={{adset.name}}&placement={{placement}}&site_source_name={{site_source_name}}&fbpxl={{fbpxl}}		1711451713	4.0296600312964E+14	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434221500_935435758078760_119874943502748411_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NCROx9djPZ8Ab7Q0krs&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBpUTD3hsKVKCdkkfw-Rc-KyaXXQ4-3YJZOMmB7OYiffg&oe=66232E4D	regular_page	0	I love A.B. - andy biersack	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434186998_408673151859139_8393354978950712549_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=aO9VhoNkiM8Ab57t8Cv&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBnv6-8KqpZSJrwYltE05FY2JukOkRJB1G_3z35mBO4OQ&oe=66232760			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳				0		0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1711436400		View Edit Delete
1245181	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198983	1734922055		532		2649467881887070	2	2.7569898477756E+15		1711609200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	181760488365196		0	Devices for work			120207730854630126		ridermiseri.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://ridermiseri.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=tBvBWazjmFpYTEwnf7DD&ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign_name={{campaign.name}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}&adset_name={{adset.name}}&placement={{placement}}&fbclid={{fbclid}}&site_source_name={{site_source_name}}&ids=KIyg7d		1711435571	1.817604883652E+14	Devices for work	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433842562_1362745041066287_189163946256304676_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=RPxA_qmm_icAb7-4NK7&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDo3hJ10VDitHTAOApjfNnN_pkeLbLXaNOIvlsGf6PztQ&oe=662338A4	person_profile	0	Devices for work	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434140343_1654282735107254_7407386334183254158_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wqlfLxvp5DMAb4vYxLs&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBoTjELfgN9aIx8jifDoDR-6Ws_dRD7OOS198FqWiebiA&oe=6623108B			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway,,, 🥳		Devices for work		809	https://facebook.com/61556081113592	0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1711436400		View Edit Delete
1245182	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198983	1734922055		532		3613379868925062		2.7569898477756E+15		1711522800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	181760488365196		0	Devices for work			120207730854580126		ridermiseri.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://ridermiseri.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=tBvBWazjmFpYTEwnf7DD&ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign_name={{campaign.name}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}&adset_name={{adset.name}}&placement={{placement}}&fbclid={{fbclid}}&site_source_name={{site_source_name}}&ids=KIyg7d		1711435574	1.817604883652E+14	Devices for work	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434177854_930320678642176_7289043689340575824_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=OC4pfljm3sQAb63v0nS&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfALacs51X4cvbQup1aj63567CwTZ6qkHbfRspokJdt_rg&oe=66232DBE	person_profile	0	Devices for work	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434138223_838516654759698_3854233384221918371_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=aYrPycMCYPMAb5NN3WI&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDgI1nD0v90QS-pFTvmecMBxVnfar-6ObvrI29lKiOnzg&oe=662319C4			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway,,, 🥳		Devices for work		809	https://facebook.com/61556081113592	0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1711436400		View Edit Delete
1245183	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198987	1734922055		532		3800277893588897	1	9.3869734427434E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	142623199141456		0	K.A.Tucker (Author)			6581508493968		amazon.com	Learn more		NONE	image	FREE IN KINDLE UNLIMITED! 🔥	Free in Kindle Unlimited	https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08YD7GY64/		1709389451	1.4262319914146E+14	K.A.Tucker (Author)	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/429768682_908889890741860_9111157815245272451_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dVHvBUiWNC0Ab6uxjbZ&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDqsi_mHNRlb1dFMreQD1r_X5fjlwLdGgU2WLrRkZZMuQ&oe=6623242B	person_profile	0					0	3	I wake, gasping for air. <br /> A deep throb pains my lungs. <br /> The floor beneath me is soft and dewy, the ceiling above a blanket of darkness. It takes me a moment to realize I’m lying in grass, under a night sky.<br /> And a few more moments to remember Sofie driving that horn into my chest.<br /> My heart races as I draw my hand to where my body aches, expecting to find the object still protruding. Nothing but tenderness remains. “What did you do to me?” I mutter, my voice hoarse.<br /> Obviously, I didn’t die, but it sure feels like she tried to kill me. <br /> With a wince, I pull myself into a sitting position. And frown at the billow of material around me, confusion scrambling my thoughts. My jeans and sweater are gone, replaced by this enormous dress, with layers of silk and a plunging neckline. She stabbed me and then changed me into formal wear? <br /> I hold up my hand. Even in the darkness, I can make out the outline of the ring Sofie slipped onto my finger, the one she believes will somehow protect me. <br /> I don’t have time to make sense of this. I need to get the hell out of here. <br /> I heave myself off the wet ground, stumbling a few steps before I regain my balance, my head swimming. Walls of cedar hedge tower over me on either side, forming a long, narrow corridor that gives me only two options—left or right.<br /> Shouts ring in the distance—I can’t gauge how far away, but they’re definitely coming from my left. They’re male in timbre, interspersed with clangs of metal against metal. In the air, the smell of smoke lingers. Something burns.<br /> I take off in the opposite direction of the commotion, sprinting as fast as the darkness and the throb in my chest allows, stumbling in the tangle of bulky material swirling around my legs and a pair of wobbly heeled shoes. By the time the hedge opens into a cobblestone pathway lit with lanterns, I’m panting, my lungs heaving from strain, and I’m ready to tear the skirts from my body. <br /> The moon is full and casting white light where I could not see it before, buried within the cedar. Is this the garden Sofie was talking about? The one with the soldiers, where I’ll find the stone? I’m definitely in a garden. There are bushes with roses the size of my palm, their potent fragrance melding with the stench of smoke. The air hints at a warm summer night. Wherever Islor is, it must be far south of Belgium. <br /> Blocks of jagged broken stone are strewn across the pathway ahead, as if something was demolished. Among the disarray, a shiny object gleams in the moonlight. Curious, I navigate around the debris to collect it. It’s an arrowhead, much like the ones Sofie’s guards had in their crossbow, only a brilliant silver.<br /> And it’s drenched in someone’s blood.<br /> <br /> FREE IN KINDLE UNLIMITED FOR A LIMITED TIME		K.A.Tucker (Author)		40527	https://facebook.com/K.A.Tucker.Author	0		LEARN_MORE						1711350000		View Edit Delete
1245184	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198988	1734922056		532		7502487753122726	5	1.4906110848375E+15		1711868400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	202204112986379		0	Surprise Savings			120207400705850770		swishairtime.info	Learn more		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://swishairtime.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=BvP7v5dDKPCoGKFg8VfI&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&fbpxl=%7B%7Bfbpxl%7D%7D		1711279759	2.0220411298638E+14	Surprise Savings	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434133400_929324591986217_407914846469227824_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=MipEf45U_D0Ab5T9SiH&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBAK6k73h3rAELQwpapgvPtLapLzU2OxfYNLbFn2HDMuA&oe=66233E4C	person_profile	0	Surprise Savings	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434218049_1855506298298586_2760266513041873713_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=e3Q73zEJ2KoAb59JSe0&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCnAl0dTHxjJoNSVV049Abyv7EwllRM8q5s46I_I0A5jw&oe=66232B7A			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a Ravin R29 Crossbow for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳		Surprise Savings		133	https://facebook.com/61557395454560	0		LEARN_MORE						1711263600		View Edit Delete
1245186	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198990	1734922056		532		428020822927047	1	7.9827359887391E+14		1711436400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	218810774653254		0	Techguru			120208865570430723		oaklandfoundr.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://oaklandfoundr.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=rHSKhu2NVO7gIRr31N5P&ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign_name={{campaign.name}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}&adset_name={{adset.name}}&placement={{placement}}&fbclid={{fbclid}}&site_source_name={{site_source_name}}		1711202093	2.1881077465325E+14	Techguru	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/418159375_423033293593854_5432948102159785539_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=j4cqDehtlmkAb5O1iYe&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAaGvnhWB4KN9tqMb4uCEjO-zDix2DZHnHSrhk-A84iZQ&oe=6623351E	person_profile	0	Techguru	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/418170690_1497789944135435_6539115471951984694_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZMWtpNf2WWAAb4cv3IC&_nc_oc=AdjYPvJmXDtk-TwAwUWd5xai3iq9FzPys7_Navsjem-Zv2bfZPCTz_QIJXjYmC1Y-DT5gORMIRoxQ-BzP1yE6i3H&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBUjk3UrfKrIWGg6ddd0z3XiDGZnxB54rvLxR2Rthhagg&oe=66233757			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a Ravin R29 Crossbow for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳		Techguru		831	https://facebook.com/61556263801499	0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1711177200		View Edit Delete
1245187	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198990	1734922057		532		3604116899899991	20	4.2983514283568E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	248588431673618		0	Milton Caprisa			120208784351650248		msnddxm.shop	Shop now		NONE	video			http://msnddxm.shop/		1711191384	2.4858843167362E+14	Milton Caprisa	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433238266_1720061161851228_7213279926746089482_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nN5kuLu8otAAb5O-thm&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBcZe_e_68F2JrbC-uDAtree-np8alK2W3h_rs-7qhdog&oe=662322DC	person_profile	0	Milton Caprisa	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433229985_368630112806154_6603790424657153261_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TeSqIrXP_1MAb6ZOOeE&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCLQH7uZ-fdARvtw6piOB70gupKNyj8Izp-wgoZxh0Pkg&oe=662322F6			0	3	🏹️The best hunting crossbow comes from generations of hard work developing the most cutting-edge technology to produce the fastest crossbow on the market.		Milton Caprisa		5	https://facebook.com/61557439433681	0		SHOP_NOW						1711177200		View Edit Delete
1245188	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198990	1734922058		532		252514631267308		4.2983514283568E+14		1711263600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	248588431673618		0	Milton Caprisa			120208784351590248		msnddxm.shop	Shop now		NONE	video			http://msnddxm.shop/		1711191386	2.4858843167362E+14	Milton Caprisa	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434015961_773188501439658_8421461378041250995_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0r6r6Y0t34wAb4m0a9T&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBGC0pRuV_g6a1y-xqp9Kr-wb0ZYc9tUECCZgsAzuxYcg&oe=662337D2	person_profile	0	Milton Caprisa	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/420197916_1889553414812338_5721297984318511023_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6m6Dr4MjHegAb7x4lKV&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDse0O8xAwqrA4bohk0VFCfZbh-LmJdm1oQLn2_bFhZbg&oe=66232F79			0	3	🏹️The best hunting crossbow comes from generations of hard work developing the most cutting-edge technology to produce the fastest crossbow on the market.		Milton Caprisa		5	https://facebook.com/61557439433681	0		SHOP_NOW						1711177200		View Edit Delete
1245189	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198990	1734922059		532		416881724220443		4.2983514283568E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	248588431673618		0	Milton Caprisa			120208784351770248		msnddxm.shop	Shop now		NONE	video			http://msnddxm.shop/		1711191385	2.4858843167362E+14	Milton Caprisa	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433870020_792744702191906_7398537347314827193_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-ih-b6HI4P4Ab7Bgjf3&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfApbpUBAA94xH2i_JhjGBuWzPzff27bcKzG64Ub32qi5Q&oe=66233BD8	person_profile	0	Milton Caprisa	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433946503_272453215951772_1712409009461375451_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Gq5vwQMc_n4Ab6oMjh7&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBfe1PQQjpjJPPCiOyU-Pq8b59ZMyOB8WiO9DfMQRh73Q&oe=6623371B			0	3	🏹️The best hunting crossbow comes from generations of hard work developing the most cutting-edge technology to produce the fastest crossbow on the market.		Milton Caprisa		5	https://facebook.com/61557439433681	0		SHOP_NOW						1711177200		View Edit Delete
1245190	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198990	1734922059		532		784035646932548	20	4.2983514283568E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	248588431673618		0	Milton Caprisa			120208784351670248		msnddxm.shop	Shop now		NONE	video			http://msnddxm.shop/		1711191384	2.4858843167362E+14	Milton Caprisa	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431562565_6972139836229390_8467100763877705327_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=OhCemLeeY0cAb4IcGcg&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBzv9a8ZsGkw6OWJT62Wtzt2FEZf4ozBa9DS9oHkMH8zA&oe=66230CA8	person_profile	0	Milton Caprisa	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431568651_1134049474440045_1402622191758474383_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fyV5HGfeFA8Ab4DDklc&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBiNtEODShRqjRa8135-2CVhJfEd8Y9yVdj4GgCjwFOlA&oe=66232F19			0	3	🏹️The best hunting crossbow comes from generations of hard work developing the most cutting-edge technology to produce the fastest crossbow on the market.		Milton Caprisa		5	https://facebook.com/61557439433681	0		SHOP_NOW						1711177200		View Edit Delete
1245287	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713199010	1734922059		532		954366192372958	1	1.5399546432051E+15		1711436400	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	106204742218142		0	gregbridgesart			6560936327149		instagram.com	Visit Instagram Profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/gregbridgesart		1710884494	1.0620474221814E+14	gregbridgesart	https://scontent-bos5-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/363895122_621162433473069_7198498876232514127_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=3fd06f&_nc_ohc=FSY_4hlJgtUAb4BBYGS&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfBR02qPa8leFu0Efmf4HYeeTdRuaZflAJf2mEcnAEMFZA&oe=66231185	ig_ads_identity	1	Greg Bridges	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433263480_1078521833439170_8004495767132722397_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=s0bUQcbCUcMAb5y3z7V&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBDoc8HpFG9h5UjP3EuIv5eoc7H53TPGzS7R2zrGPZXYA&oe=66231D98			0	3			gregbridgesart		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/gregbridgesart	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1710831600		View Edit Delete
1245192	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198991	1734922059		532		1471209603433996	3	1.4538383585731E+15		1711263600	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	104592775600057		1	Liquidation sale			120207248053100255		unripenesss.info	Get offer		NONE	video	👇Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately👇		https://unripenesss.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=Ia8EHtSNvPE5xLhIca1t&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&fbclid=%7B%7Bfbclid%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&chk=Lv7KvxZ		1711183609	1.0459277560006E+14	Liquidation sale	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433975846_402414415870170_2941716336783496304_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=W66A63_A6AAAb6_RIDJ&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDBR-Ldr1rhW-CV9dqYO576TxoAsABbNr9MYxAO7ywhQA&oe=66231716	regular_page	0	Liquidation sale	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431555383_1125052448825757_8224218700387984701_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=t9ITDTo6UtIAb4qwE_C&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCuv7V-3l3WAZjf7wDZPXszVhnoocXKsAvKK0B5s5QdvQ&oe=66234062			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this,😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the 2,593 lucky people who have secured a TenPoint-Nitro-505 for just $9.95 in our 2024 spring Giveaway🥳				0		0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1711177200		View Edit Delete
1245193	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198991	1734922060		532		1518751572014667		1.4538383585731E+15		1711522800	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	104592775600057		1	Liquidation sale			120206587171630393		unripenesss.info	Get offer		NONE	video	👇Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately👇		https://unripenesss.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=Ia8EHtSNvPE5xLhIca1t&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&fbclid=%7B%7Bfbclid%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&chk=Lv7KvxZ		1711183346	1.0459277560006E+14	Liquidation sale	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434101932_1128829411879579_3718079481774599395_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Hnr900prQZkAb5wp3vN&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCodpRBDH9-dwteDhc7rgfgUNBvKzE8pisAVB13bxngYw&oe=6623257F	regular_page	0	Liquidation sale	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434244997_1561766767724972_7808108616623864592_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Q4f3iD_QXWwAb4FDks_&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAFMCcxD02WecsVTgQzhchSIeperdY0iP4IEOyxw6If3g&oe=662333C9			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this,😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the 2,593 lucky people who have secured a TenPoint-Nitro-505 for just $9.95 in our 2024 spring Giveaway🥳				0		0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1711177200		View Edit Delete
1245194	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198991	1734922060		532		7474480465935792		1.4538383585731E+15		1711522800	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	104592775600057		1	Liquidation sale			120208319616070564		unripenesss.info	Get offer		NONE	video	👇Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately👇		https://unripenesss.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=Ia8EHtSNvPE5xLhIca1t&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&fbclid=%7B%7Bfbclid%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&chk=Lv7KvxZ		1711183242	1.0459277560006E+14	Liquidation sale	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433259670_2413309345545647_9119231969045705250_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Scz1gfGgQOAAb5NKaYa&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDMbASfFGQRRJNco3ew_h_MlM-W0_FcQYtDEPkno9yLTA&oe=66231626	regular_page	0	Liquidation sale	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433029468_1232898747671484_2589590370759723158_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QKOTBnZ7YgQAb4m_nNi&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC2oTX5fm-wfCw199IHuK3gW2dmm8W5C5_mDXfgxIf4hw&oe=66234152			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this,😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the 2,593 lucky people who have secured a TenPoint-Nitro-505 for just $9.95 in our 2024 spring Giveaway🥳				0		0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1711177200		View Edit Delete
1245195	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198992	1734922060		532		938508454234046	1	9.3979354451536E+14		1711436400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	412249035602001		0	Nail art love			120208616664560506		oaklandfoundr.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://oaklandfoundr.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=rHSKhu2NVO7gIRr31N5P&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&fbclid=%7B%7Bfbclid%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D		1711180850	4.12249035602E+14	Nail art love	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434286619_1579267836198737_8464997126678366884_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7kCT2yVAT-AAb4MGblf&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfACKmm5GriNtQG4uMDVowKUng8CXhJlSQVveryH6hL52A&oe=66233551	person_profile	0	Nail art love	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433123582_3612969575683495_7248090831578340850_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=e-uz7drirDkAb4jWZr1&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAGmDi7DCLZDAUdlMiVbpk9ZGPtYIo7Yotc1O_ZgYAOLw&oe=6623196E			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a Ravin R29 Crossbow for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳		Nail art love		1303	https://facebook.com/61551664676182	0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1711177200		View Edit Delete
1245202	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198993	1734922060		532		1348360672492527	2	6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964712910695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125624	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433684869_457092449981648_3407831440630043047_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_bpPR583h1AAb4i5O2l&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfABdyB74CFxSs7kY8n0EmG_6KgGJDSwvVoLHVqM1Cd3bQ&oe=66231C5C	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433545868_283000594837085_6561487442196160306_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SkrpYdi02zYAb5zFSEn&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBG-PEHqDQ1ngGWNLnmcQKMEGMfO48D_H1Re1WNIi0YkA&oe=662337EA			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245196	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198992	1734922060		532		1349117235662318	5	1.4906110848375E+15		1711868400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	202204112986379		0	Surprise Savings			120205991251720575		swishairtime.info	Learn more		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://swishairtime.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=BvP7v5dDKPCoGKFg8VfI&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&fbpxl=%7B%7Bfbpxl%7D%7D		1710795081	2.0220411298638E+14	Surprise Savings	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432472530_1622213328588533_8248215330437726772_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hHxzpSA9DrAAb79-MP9&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAjDOEsQ3DlT3ZeWgDiPGyN3r-3WN1k4fV2fuEz8p1Mdg&oe=66233801	person_profile	0	Surprise Savings	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433532258_781148220567003_5059582937767300576_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Zv_A56GRcbkAb4w-BNf&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfApzQANbJZF0RbCtsLJHF3DbJvZmldAreovJdfbfRkAeg&oe=6623388E			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a Ravin R29 Crossbow for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳		Surprise Savings		133	https://facebook.com/61557395454560	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245197	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198992	1734922061		532		394031083336713		1.4906110848375E+15		1711868400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	202204112986379		0	Surprise Savings			120205991251430575		swishairtime.info	Learn more		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://swishairtime.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=BvP7v5dDKPCoGKFg8VfI&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&fbpxl=%7B%7Bfbpxl%7D%7D		1710795087	2.0220411298638E+14	Surprise Savings	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432589557_1573429963433663_8582202295173063832_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NXf2KLRlbCcAb5fMG6u&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAyXdMwOfZUlb6BCNPel7t9TKnRiLWijQAdrrQ-noCIOg&oe=66233558	person_profile	0	Surprise Savings	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433099990_1759519634544137_40484855758763547_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qK0Fd4CXHbgAb4Bh0Cj&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCbAQV8nGCBuogMtU5roWhLpC-rsaKHzADENKGRI0UZJg&oe=66232314			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a Ravin R29 Crossbow for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳		Surprise Savings		133	https://facebook.com/61557395454560	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245198	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198992	1734922061		532		1126388981735960		1.4906110848375E+15		1711868400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	202204112986379		0	Surprise Savings			120205991251430575		swishairtime.info	Learn more		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://swishairtime.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=BvP7v5dDKPCoGKFg8VfI&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&fbpxl=%7B%7Bfbpxl%7D%7D		1710795087	2.0220411298638E+14	Surprise Savings	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432589557_1573429963433663_8582202295173063832_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NXf2KLRlbCcAb5fMG6u&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAyXdMwOfZUlb6BCNPel7t9TKnRiLWijQAdrrQ-noCIOg&oe=66233558	person_profile	0	Surprise Savings	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433099990_1759519634544137_40484855758763547_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qK0Fd4CXHbgAb4Bh0Cj&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCbAQV8nGCBuogMtU5roWhLpC-rsaKHzADENKGRI0UZJg&oe=66232314			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a Ravin R29 Crossbow for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳		Surprise Savings		133	https://facebook.com/61557395454560	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245199	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198993	1734922061		532		1348360672492527	2	6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964712910695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125624	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433684869_457092449981648_3407831440630043047_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_bpPR583h1AAb4i5O2l&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfABdyB74CFxSs7kY8n0EmG_6KgGJDSwvVoLHVqM1Cd3bQ&oe=66231C5C	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433545868_283000594837085_6561487442196160306_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SkrpYdi02zYAb5zFSEn&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBG-PEHqDQ1ngGWNLnmcQKMEGMfO48D_H1Re1WNIi0YkA&oe=662337EA			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245200	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198993	1734922061		532		1348360672492527	2	6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964712910695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125624	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433684869_457092449981648_3407831440630043047_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_bpPR583h1AAb4i5O2l&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfABdyB74CFxSs7kY8n0EmG_6KgGJDSwvVoLHVqM1Cd3bQ&oe=66231C5C	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433545868_283000594837085_6561487442196160306_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SkrpYdi02zYAb5zFSEn&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBG-PEHqDQ1ngGWNLnmcQKMEGMfO48D_H1Re1WNIi0YkA&oe=662337EA			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245203	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198993	1734922062		532		1348360672492527	2	6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964712910695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125624	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433684869_457092449981648_3407831440630043047_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_bpPR583h1AAb4i5O2l&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfABdyB74CFxSs7kY8n0EmG_6KgGJDSwvVoLHVqM1Cd3bQ&oe=66231C5C	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433545868_283000594837085_6561487442196160306_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SkrpYdi02zYAb5zFSEn&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBG-PEHqDQ1ngGWNLnmcQKMEGMfO48D_H1Re1WNIi0YkA&oe=662337EA			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245204	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198993	1734922062		532		1348360672492527	2	6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964712910695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125624	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433684869_457092449981648_3407831440630043047_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_bpPR583h1AAb4i5O2l&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfABdyB74CFxSs7kY8n0EmG_6KgGJDSwvVoLHVqM1Cd3bQ&oe=66231C5C	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433545868_283000594837085_6561487442196160306_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SkrpYdi02zYAb5zFSEn&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBG-PEHqDQ1ngGWNLnmcQKMEGMfO48D_H1Re1WNIi0YkA&oe=662337EA			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245205	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198993	1734922062		532		1348360672492527	2	6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964712910695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125624	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433684869_457092449981648_3407831440630043047_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_bpPR583h1AAb4i5O2l&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfABdyB74CFxSs7kY8n0EmG_6KgGJDSwvVoLHVqM1Cd3bQ&oe=66231C5C	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433545868_283000594837085_6561487442196160306_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SkrpYdi02zYAb5zFSEn&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBG-PEHqDQ1ngGWNLnmcQKMEGMfO48D_H1Re1WNIi0YkA&oe=662337EA			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245206	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198994	1734922063		532		1348360672492527	2	6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964712910695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125624	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433684869_457092449981648_3407831440630043047_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_bpPR583h1AAb4i5O2l&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfABdyB74CFxSs7kY8n0EmG_6KgGJDSwvVoLHVqM1Cd3bQ&oe=66231C5C	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433545868_283000594837085_6561487442196160306_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SkrpYdi02zYAb5zFSEn&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBG-PEHqDQ1ngGWNLnmcQKMEGMfO48D_H1Re1WNIi0YkA&oe=662337EA			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245207	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198994	1734922063		532		1348360672492527	2	6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964712910695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125624	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433684869_457092449981648_3407831440630043047_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_bpPR583h1AAb4i5O2l&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfABdyB74CFxSs7kY8n0EmG_6KgGJDSwvVoLHVqM1Cd3bQ&oe=66231C5C	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433545868_283000594837085_6561487442196160306_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SkrpYdi02zYAb5zFSEn&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBG-PEHqDQ1ngGWNLnmcQKMEGMfO48D_H1Re1WNIi0YkA&oe=662337EA			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245252	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713199006	1734922063		532		400193096092659	2	4.1456613123646E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	100365976129594		0	Puzzles & Chaos			120208298157980763		play.google.com	Play game		NONE	video	Match-3, Fantasy, Strategy		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.global.pnck		1711014973	1.0036597612959E+14	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433132857_420666677224066_7892041513657596958_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xWqJDOqOG1EAb7Urljn&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAMB6-iFYuztNJciM7M0GeRVEfnnQThxZoKdWYzX_NmoA&oe=66232A4B	person_profile	0	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432782511_1067390167669323_5371551634756380353_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=n4Rv4M0prHAAb69XlK4&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBpWptmQHSWQ0EPaxqFpRBgbH-48vJrGtHmn8qsJwwRaw&oe=66231533			0	3	Elemental magic, all at your fingertips.		Puzzles & Chaos		11827	https://facebook.com/PuzzlesAndChaos	0		PLAY_GAME						1711609200		View Edit Delete
1245208	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198994	1734922063		532		1348360672492527	2	6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964712910695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125624	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433684869_457092449981648_3407831440630043047_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_bpPR583h1AAb4i5O2l&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfABdyB74CFxSs7kY8n0EmG_6KgGJDSwvVoLHVqM1Cd3bQ&oe=66231C5C	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433545868_283000594837085_6561487442196160306_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SkrpYdi02zYAb5zFSEn&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBG-PEHqDQ1ngGWNLnmcQKMEGMfO48D_H1Re1WNIi0YkA&oe=662337EA			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245209	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198994	1734922064		532		1348360672492527	2	6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964712910695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125624	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433684869_457092449981648_3407831440630043047_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_bpPR583h1AAb4i5O2l&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfABdyB74CFxSs7kY8n0EmG_6KgGJDSwvVoLHVqM1Cd3bQ&oe=66231C5C	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433545868_283000594837085_6561487442196160306_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SkrpYdi02zYAb5zFSEn&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBG-PEHqDQ1ngGWNLnmcQKMEGMfO48D_H1Re1WNIi0YkA&oe=662337EA			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245210	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198994	1734922064		532		1348360672492527	2	6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964712910695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125624	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433684869_457092449981648_3407831440630043047_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_bpPR583h1AAb4i5O2l&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfABdyB74CFxSs7kY8n0EmG_6KgGJDSwvVoLHVqM1Cd3bQ&oe=66231C5C	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433545868_283000594837085_6561487442196160306_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SkrpYdi02zYAb5zFSEn&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBG-PEHqDQ1ngGWNLnmcQKMEGMfO48D_H1Re1WNIi0YkA&oe=662337EA			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245211	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198994	1734922064		532		1348360672492527	2	6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964712910695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125624	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433684869_457092449981648_3407831440630043047_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_bpPR583h1AAb4i5O2l&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfABdyB74CFxSs7kY8n0EmG_6KgGJDSwvVoLHVqM1Cd3bQ&oe=66231C5C	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433545868_283000594837085_6561487442196160306_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SkrpYdi02zYAb5zFSEn&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBG-PEHqDQ1ngGWNLnmcQKMEGMfO48D_H1Re1WNIi0YkA&oe=662337EA			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245212	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198994	1734922065		532		1348360672492527	2	6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964712910695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125624	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433684869_457092449981648_3407831440630043047_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_bpPR583h1AAb4i5O2l&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfABdyB74CFxSs7kY8n0EmG_6KgGJDSwvVoLHVqM1Cd3bQ&oe=66231C5C	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433545868_283000594837085_6561487442196160306_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SkrpYdi02zYAb5zFSEn&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBG-PEHqDQ1ngGWNLnmcQKMEGMfO48D_H1Re1WNIi0YkA&oe=662337EA			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245253	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713199006	1734922067		532		400332066087680	2	7.7252126168958E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	100365976129594		0	Puzzles & Chaos			120208298142230763		play.google.com	Play game		NONE	video	Become a wizard!		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.global.pnck		1711014929	1.0036597612959E+14	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433555615_386391070865943_1511566564338000278_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9gQYNCNwMX8Ab4XorFX&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCw2Ybi6U5aioMRl4x9uIOx1K2RqxKBLWTbtTFSyjNIgg&oe=66231C54	person_profile	0	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434053545_1462329431351639_7839138242094447026_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Yd0WdJroC7UAb6V9ilg&_nc_oc=AdifUC-O7ZZtu8SgbvFdXPRu39DgvYrCReg4x0wSIcjCE4-od3JXWG5-HBCoGw6t79qozWiNRCLIVuzaTt46tosJ&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB7V3Lp5E-MZQ6rEM7dOV8Abgrj_S2CQ9gLzYcnnu9XJg&oe=66232916			0	3	👻I bet you&#039;ve never seen a game like this before!		Puzzles & Chaos		11827	https://facebook.com/PuzzlesAndChaos	0		PLAY_GAME						1711609200		View Edit Delete
1245213	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:47 PM	1713198995	1734922076		532		1348360672492527	2	6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964712910695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125624	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433684869_457092449981648_3407831440630043047_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_bpPR583h1AAb4i5O2l&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfABdyB74CFxSs7kY8n0EmG_6KgGJDSwvVoLHVqM1Cd3bQ&oe=66231C5C	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433545868_283000594837085_6561487442196160306_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SkrpYdi02zYAb5zFSEn&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBG-PEHqDQ1ngGWNLnmcQKMEGMfO48D_H1Re1WNIi0YkA&oe=662337EA			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245214	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713198995	1734922088		532		1348360672492527	2	6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964712910695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125624	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433684869_457092449981648_3407831440630043047_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_bpPR583h1AAb4i5O2l&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfABdyB74CFxSs7kY8n0EmG_6KgGJDSwvVoLHVqM1Cd3bQ&oe=66231C5C	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433545868_283000594837085_6561487442196160306_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SkrpYdi02zYAb5zFSEn&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBG-PEHqDQ1ngGWNLnmcQKMEGMfO48D_H1Re1WNIi0YkA&oe=662337EA			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245215	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713198995	1734922090		532		1348360672492527	2	6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964712910695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125624	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433684869_457092449981648_3407831440630043047_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_bpPR583h1AAb4i5O2l&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfABdyB74CFxSs7kY8n0EmG_6KgGJDSwvVoLHVqM1Cd3bQ&oe=66231C5C	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433545868_283000594837085_6561487442196160306_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SkrpYdi02zYAb5zFSEn&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBG-PEHqDQ1ngGWNLnmcQKMEGMfO48D_H1Re1WNIi0YkA&oe=662337EA			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245216	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713198995	1734922094		532		1348360672492527	2	6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964712910695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125624	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433684869_457092449981648_3407831440630043047_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_bpPR583h1AAb4i5O2l&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfABdyB74CFxSs7kY8n0EmG_6KgGJDSwvVoLHVqM1Cd3bQ&oe=66231C5C	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433545868_283000594837085_6561487442196160306_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SkrpYdi02zYAb5zFSEn&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBG-PEHqDQ1ngGWNLnmcQKMEGMfO48D_H1Re1WNIi0YkA&oe=662337EA			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245217	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713198995	1734922096		532		1348360672492527	2	6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964712910695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125624	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433684869_457092449981648_3407831440630043047_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_bpPR583h1AAb4i5O2l&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfABdyB74CFxSs7kY8n0EmG_6KgGJDSwvVoLHVqM1Cd3bQ&oe=66231C5C	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433545868_283000594837085_6561487442196160306_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SkrpYdi02zYAb5zFSEn&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBG-PEHqDQ1ngGWNLnmcQKMEGMfO48D_H1Re1WNIi0YkA&oe=662337EA			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245254	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199006	1734922097		532		429815766212386		7.7252126168958E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	100365976129594		0	Puzzles & Chaos			120208298059570763		play.google.com	Play game		NONE	video	Become a wizard!		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.global.pnck		1711014849	1.0036597612959E+14	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433134529_3616521075344291_2214371745853639127_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=uRxzD3fT6EUAb708fzH&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBbiR_GkhATrIs_NO0ru4Yemo6je69DJJc4nOm4YZ9jxw&oe=66231EB5	person_profile	0	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433116852_1553673642080278_492118108515928184_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nlHbyKZgXbQAb58galk&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCLZdRap-eNBt1nLFdmPZ_h8MZzIokAJyrjKg5GUIF40Q&oe=66230E26			0	3	👻I bet you&#039;ve never seen a game like this before!		Puzzles & Chaos		11827	https://facebook.com/PuzzlesAndChaos	0		PLAY_GAME						1711004400		View Edit Delete
1245218	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713198995	1734922097		532		1348360672492527	2	6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964712910695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125624	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433684869_457092449981648_3407831440630043047_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_bpPR583h1AAb4i5O2l&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfABdyB74CFxSs7kY8n0EmG_6KgGJDSwvVoLHVqM1Cd3bQ&oe=66231C5C	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433545868_283000594837085_6561487442196160306_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SkrpYdi02zYAb5zFSEn&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBG-PEHqDQ1ngGWNLnmcQKMEGMfO48D_H1Re1WNIi0YkA&oe=662337EA			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245219	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713198996	1734922098		532		1348360672492527	2	6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964712910695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125624	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433684869_457092449981648_3407831440630043047_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_bpPR583h1AAb4i5O2l&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfABdyB74CFxSs7kY8n0EmG_6KgGJDSwvVoLHVqM1Cd3bQ&oe=66231C5C	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433545868_283000594837085_6561487442196160306_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SkrpYdi02zYAb5zFSEn&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBG-PEHqDQ1ngGWNLnmcQKMEGMfO48D_H1Re1WNIi0YkA&oe=662337EA			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245241	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199003	1734922099		532		707938348081439		6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964709220695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125617	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1108363373698408_4479565909772977033_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XR3lYjKHQmsAb5RyMCO&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAdoC9k0h_60zINrvuqHymEDPBZDRTy3mPvNo044PmPFg&oe=662318E7	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1154223309072620_622648342263838121_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pMEnoTBfXqgAb7Lr9sU&_nc_oc=Adgkf9CBizwNsCOfTek1vZVoSf31XWyHLGQ4ydoDt_kDlZCMgMdtLPcVs2RLEJthDCL06iPI3nh0fYh0WanQqHHL&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDwjWt2mIHC-8056mxbU_YJmNvnQmm5En0J1JklniSpDw&oe=66232FD5			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245242	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199003	1734922099		532		707938348081439		6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964709220695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125617	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1108363373698408_4479565909772977033_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XR3lYjKHQmsAb5RyMCO&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAdoC9k0h_60zINrvuqHymEDPBZDRTy3mPvNo044PmPFg&oe=662318E7	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1154223309072620_622648342263838121_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pMEnoTBfXqgAb7Lr9sU&_nc_oc=Adgkf9CBizwNsCOfTek1vZVoSf31XWyHLGQ4ydoDt_kDlZCMgMdtLPcVs2RLEJthDCL06iPI3nh0fYh0WanQqHHL&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDwjWt2mIHC-8056mxbU_YJmNvnQmm5En0J1JklniSpDw&oe=66232FD5			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245220	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713198996	1734922099		532		1348360672492527	2	6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964712910695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125624	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433684869_457092449981648_3407831440630043047_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_bpPR583h1AAb4i5O2l&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfABdyB74CFxSs7kY8n0EmG_6KgGJDSwvVoLHVqM1Cd3bQ&oe=66231C5C	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433545868_283000594837085_6561487442196160306_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SkrpYdi02zYAb5zFSEn&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBG-PEHqDQ1ngGWNLnmcQKMEGMfO48D_H1Re1WNIi0YkA&oe=662337EA			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245221	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713198997	1734922099		532		707938348081439		6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964709220695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125617	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1108363373698408_4479565909772977033_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XR3lYjKHQmsAb5RyMCO&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAdoC9k0h_60zINrvuqHymEDPBZDRTy3mPvNo044PmPFg&oe=662318E7	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1154223309072620_622648342263838121_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pMEnoTBfXqgAb7Lr9sU&_nc_oc=Adgkf9CBizwNsCOfTek1vZVoSf31XWyHLGQ4ydoDt_kDlZCMgMdtLPcVs2RLEJthDCL06iPI3nh0fYh0WanQqHHL&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDwjWt2mIHC-8056mxbU_YJmNvnQmm5En0J1JklniSpDw&oe=66232FD5			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245222	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713198997	1734922099		532		707938348081439		6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964709220695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125617	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1108363373698408_4479565909772977033_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XR3lYjKHQmsAb5RyMCO&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAdoC9k0h_60zINrvuqHymEDPBZDRTy3mPvNo044PmPFg&oe=662318E7	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1154223309072620_622648342263838121_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pMEnoTBfXqgAb7Lr9sU&_nc_oc=Adgkf9CBizwNsCOfTek1vZVoSf31XWyHLGQ4ydoDt_kDlZCMgMdtLPcVs2RLEJthDCL06iPI3nh0fYh0WanQqHHL&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDwjWt2mIHC-8056mxbU_YJmNvnQmm5En0J1JklniSpDw&oe=66232FD5			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245255	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199006	1734922101		532		608886798112557	1	1.1693290511452E+15		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	100365976129594		0	Puzzles & Chaos			120208298057250763		play.google.com	Play game		NONE	video	A viral mini-game!		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.global.pnck		1711014733	1.0036597612959E+14	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432777196_1448401762774435_3981301008163968002_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=spjARxFaTUsAb5uswZh&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAUYOetXE8k42V0B4FDFU8DiUXRwl8YRLyrr81VLLyPoQ&oe=66232EBE	person_profile	0	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432787441_1147250166289929_4580524613959228968_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FJzTsX9maEkAb7EKqjZ&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAExIQj2ecNib1IrbxtXVy-vvJpS5BrZCWW_nTBOX8Y4w&oe=66232664			0	3	Left or right? 👈👉<br /> Your choice!		Puzzles & Chaos		11827	https://facebook.com/PuzzlesAndChaos	0		PLAY_GAME						1712646000		View Edit Delete
1245223	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713198998	1734922102		532		707938348081439		6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964709220695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125617	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1108363373698408_4479565909772977033_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XR3lYjKHQmsAb5RyMCO&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAdoC9k0h_60zINrvuqHymEDPBZDRTy3mPvNo044PmPFg&oe=662318E7	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1154223309072620_622648342263838121_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pMEnoTBfXqgAb7Lr9sU&_nc_oc=Adgkf9CBizwNsCOfTek1vZVoSf31XWyHLGQ4ydoDt_kDlZCMgMdtLPcVs2RLEJthDCL06iPI3nh0fYh0WanQqHHL&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDwjWt2mIHC-8056mxbU_YJmNvnQmm5En0J1JklniSpDw&oe=66232FD5			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245224	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713198998	1734922102		532		707938348081439		6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964709220695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125617	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1108363373698408_4479565909772977033_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XR3lYjKHQmsAb5RyMCO&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAdoC9k0h_60zINrvuqHymEDPBZDRTy3mPvNo044PmPFg&oe=662318E7	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1154223309072620_622648342263838121_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pMEnoTBfXqgAb7Lr9sU&_nc_oc=Adgkf9CBizwNsCOfTek1vZVoSf31XWyHLGQ4ydoDt_kDlZCMgMdtLPcVs2RLEJthDCL06iPI3nh0fYh0WanQqHHL&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDwjWt2mIHC-8056mxbU_YJmNvnQmm5En0J1JklniSpDw&oe=66232FD5			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245243	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199004	1734922102		532		1319421515391700	3	9.2576296927736E+14		1711522800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	191241347560220		0	H2o stačí přidat vodu			120209881264680749		tunnelstudent.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://tunnelstudent.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=Q6Vie1kawk47OYN1xo0W&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&fbpxl=%7B%7Bfbpxl%7D%7D		1711116806	1.9124134756022E+14	H2o stačí přidat vodu	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433937224_1565357737591961_7206264131798537315_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=F7in05zYUEwAb6eQfWr&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBEPVuXyiq2-C6QeN5DyTdehqnfFyIf3BLKFNFdCZUY7w&oe=66233495	person_profile	0	H2o stačí přidat vodu	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434015920_3385636141581346_2109119832521818015_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5iSZum5izQUAb6tQh4P&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCG8gOroq6z4kBVTFbqbQ7NEb_ZzKnsozCn7JsQENNi6g&oe=66234371			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳		H2o stačí přidat vodu		37	https://facebook.com/100069736283298	0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245225	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713198998	1734922102		532		707938348081439		6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964709220695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125617	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1108363373698408_4479565909772977033_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XR3lYjKHQmsAb5RyMCO&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAdoC9k0h_60zINrvuqHymEDPBZDRTy3mPvNo044PmPFg&oe=662318E7	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1154223309072620_622648342263838121_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pMEnoTBfXqgAb7Lr9sU&_nc_oc=Adgkf9CBizwNsCOfTek1vZVoSf31XWyHLGQ4ydoDt_kDlZCMgMdtLPcVs2RLEJthDCL06iPI3nh0fYh0WanQqHHL&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDwjWt2mIHC-8056mxbU_YJmNvnQmm5En0J1JklniSpDw&oe=66232FD5			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245226	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713198998	1734922102		532		707938348081439		6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964709220695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125617	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1108363373698408_4479565909772977033_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XR3lYjKHQmsAb5RyMCO&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAdoC9k0h_60zINrvuqHymEDPBZDRTy3mPvNo044PmPFg&oe=662318E7	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1154223309072620_622648342263838121_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pMEnoTBfXqgAb7Lr9sU&_nc_oc=Adgkf9CBizwNsCOfTek1vZVoSf31XWyHLGQ4ydoDt_kDlZCMgMdtLPcVs2RLEJthDCL06iPI3nh0fYh0WanQqHHL&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDwjWt2mIHC-8056mxbU_YJmNvnQmm5En0J1JklniSpDw&oe=66232FD5			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245227	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713198998	1734922102		532		707938348081439		6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964709220695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125617	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1108363373698408_4479565909772977033_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XR3lYjKHQmsAb5RyMCO&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAdoC9k0h_60zINrvuqHymEDPBZDRTy3mPvNo044PmPFg&oe=662318E7	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1154223309072620_622648342263838121_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pMEnoTBfXqgAb7Lr9sU&_nc_oc=Adgkf9CBizwNsCOfTek1vZVoSf31XWyHLGQ4ydoDt_kDlZCMgMdtLPcVs2RLEJthDCL06iPI3nh0fYh0WanQqHHL&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDwjWt2mIHC-8056mxbU_YJmNvnQmm5En0J1JklniSpDw&oe=66232FD5			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245250	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199006	1734922102		532		2012232925844131	4	9.452229571124E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	265052230017125		0	Prize Palooza			120206929983480468		emergclutch.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇 текст		https://emergclutch.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=3mmVUnZu9O6vIo7UVx8l&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&fbpxl=%7B%7Bfbpxl%7D%7D		1709852338	2.6505223001712E+14	Prize Palooza	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/428711768_950262796466391_9136695844665541673_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NF65Wr0wErIAb4NbPBP&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA54wKclH4j9zDlHLhMynOPlwIOTV-BTXkvTF0RCIH1zg&oe=662325FB	person_profile	0	Prize Palooza	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/428708429_1645131256020970_6871005237799107317_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=H9899vCbBfQAb5Gdwq8&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAwm3SBRe0nt4g951PvpDtT0bO8WB4sigOhKa-C3SsqCw&oe=66233C6B			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳		Prize Palooza		255	https://facebook.com/61556812859534	0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1711004400		View Edit Delete
1245228	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713198999	1734922102		532		707938348081439		6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964709220695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125617	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1108363373698408_4479565909772977033_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XR3lYjKHQmsAb5RyMCO&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAdoC9k0h_60zINrvuqHymEDPBZDRTy3mPvNo044PmPFg&oe=662318E7	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1154223309072620_622648342263838121_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pMEnoTBfXqgAb7Lr9sU&_nc_oc=Adgkf9CBizwNsCOfTek1vZVoSf31XWyHLGQ4ydoDt_kDlZCMgMdtLPcVs2RLEJthDCL06iPI3nh0fYh0WanQqHHL&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDwjWt2mIHC-8056mxbU_YJmNvnQmm5En0J1JklniSpDw&oe=66232FD5			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245229	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713198999	1734922103		532		707938348081439		6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964709220695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125617	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1108363373698408_4479565909772977033_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XR3lYjKHQmsAb5RyMCO&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAdoC9k0h_60zINrvuqHymEDPBZDRTy3mPvNo044PmPFg&oe=662318E7	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1154223309072620_622648342263838121_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pMEnoTBfXqgAb7Lr9sU&_nc_oc=Adgkf9CBizwNsCOfTek1vZVoSf31XWyHLGQ4ydoDt_kDlZCMgMdtLPcVs2RLEJthDCL06iPI3nh0fYh0WanQqHHL&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDwjWt2mIHC-8056mxbU_YJmNvnQmm5En0J1JklniSpDw&oe=66232FD5			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245230	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713198999	1734922103		532		707938348081439		6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964709220695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125617	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1108363373698408_4479565909772977033_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XR3lYjKHQmsAb5RyMCO&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAdoC9k0h_60zINrvuqHymEDPBZDRTy3mPvNo044PmPFg&oe=662318E7	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1154223309072620_622648342263838121_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pMEnoTBfXqgAb7Lr9sU&_nc_oc=Adgkf9CBizwNsCOfTek1vZVoSf31XWyHLGQ4ydoDt_kDlZCMgMdtLPcVs2RLEJthDCL06iPI3nh0fYh0WanQqHHL&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDwjWt2mIHC-8056mxbU_YJmNvnQmm5En0J1JklniSpDw&oe=66232FD5			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245231	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713198999	1734922103		532		707938348081439		6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964709220695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125617	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1108363373698408_4479565909772977033_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XR3lYjKHQmsAb5RyMCO&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAdoC9k0h_60zINrvuqHymEDPBZDRTy3mPvNo044PmPFg&oe=662318E7	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1154223309072620_622648342263838121_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pMEnoTBfXqgAb7Lr9sU&_nc_oc=Adgkf9CBizwNsCOfTek1vZVoSf31XWyHLGQ4ydoDt_kDlZCMgMdtLPcVs2RLEJthDCL06iPI3nh0fYh0WanQqHHL&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDwjWt2mIHC-8056mxbU_YJmNvnQmm5En0J1JklniSpDw&oe=66232FD5			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245232	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713198999	1734922103		532		707938348081439		6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964709220695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125617	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1108363373698408_4479565909772977033_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XR3lYjKHQmsAb5RyMCO&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAdoC9k0h_60zINrvuqHymEDPBZDRTy3mPvNo044PmPFg&oe=662318E7	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1154223309072620_622648342263838121_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pMEnoTBfXqgAb7Lr9sU&_nc_oc=Adgkf9CBizwNsCOfTek1vZVoSf31XWyHLGQ4ydoDt_kDlZCMgMdtLPcVs2RLEJthDCL06iPI3nh0fYh0WanQqHHL&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDwjWt2mIHC-8056mxbU_YJmNvnQmm5En0J1JklniSpDw&oe=66232FD5			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245233	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713198999	1734922103		532		707938348081439		6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964709220695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125617	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1108363373698408_4479565909772977033_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XR3lYjKHQmsAb5RyMCO&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAdoC9k0h_60zINrvuqHymEDPBZDRTy3mPvNo044PmPFg&oe=662318E7	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1154223309072620_622648342263838121_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pMEnoTBfXqgAb7Lr9sU&_nc_oc=Adgkf9CBizwNsCOfTek1vZVoSf31XWyHLGQ4ydoDt_kDlZCMgMdtLPcVs2RLEJthDCL06iPI3nh0fYh0WanQqHHL&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDwjWt2mIHC-8056mxbU_YJmNvnQmm5En0J1JklniSpDw&oe=66232FD5			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245234	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199000	1734922103		532		707938348081439		6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964709220695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125617	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1108363373698408_4479565909772977033_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XR3lYjKHQmsAb5RyMCO&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAdoC9k0h_60zINrvuqHymEDPBZDRTy3mPvNo044PmPFg&oe=662318E7	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1154223309072620_622648342263838121_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pMEnoTBfXqgAb7Lr9sU&_nc_oc=Adgkf9CBizwNsCOfTek1vZVoSf31XWyHLGQ4ydoDt_kDlZCMgMdtLPcVs2RLEJthDCL06iPI3nh0fYh0WanQqHHL&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDwjWt2mIHC-8056mxbU_YJmNvnQmm5En0J1JklniSpDw&oe=66232FD5			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245235	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199000	1734922103		532		707938348081439		6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964709220695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125617	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1108363373698408_4479565909772977033_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XR3lYjKHQmsAb5RyMCO&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAdoC9k0h_60zINrvuqHymEDPBZDRTy3mPvNo044PmPFg&oe=662318E7	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1154223309072620_622648342263838121_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pMEnoTBfXqgAb7Lr9sU&_nc_oc=Adgkf9CBizwNsCOfTek1vZVoSf31XWyHLGQ4ydoDt_kDlZCMgMdtLPcVs2RLEJthDCL06iPI3nh0fYh0WanQqHHL&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDwjWt2mIHC-8056mxbU_YJmNvnQmm5En0J1JklniSpDw&oe=66232FD5			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245236	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199000	1734922103		532		707938348081439		6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964709220695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125617	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1108363373698408_4479565909772977033_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XR3lYjKHQmsAb5RyMCO&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAdoC9k0h_60zINrvuqHymEDPBZDRTy3mPvNo044PmPFg&oe=662318E7	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1154223309072620_622648342263838121_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pMEnoTBfXqgAb7Lr9sU&_nc_oc=Adgkf9CBizwNsCOfTek1vZVoSf31XWyHLGQ4ydoDt_kDlZCMgMdtLPcVs2RLEJthDCL06iPI3nh0fYh0WanQqHHL&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDwjWt2mIHC-8056mxbU_YJmNvnQmm5En0J1JklniSpDw&oe=66232FD5			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245262	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	5/2/25, 6:03 PM	1713199007	1746226982		532		367552646248518	5	2.6564703992983E+14		1710918000	person_profile		taken-down	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	214429651760593		0	Cassey Edmonds World			120206525816840638		www.dealwbig.top	Learn more		NONE	video	A drop witnesses the rocket ascending – this is the best gift for yourself.🥰❤️		https://www.dealwbig.top/products/dthgfgghfhfgjgjn		1710937041	2.1442965176059E+14	Cassey Edmonds World	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432057570_335349225716308_8511402710475645504_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_xeWPU7u5fEAb64v-GK&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBHV9HbJTxEIlI76464wWXlnr4LwojBUgJSQur-fhBi5Q&oe=66231663	person_profile	0	Cassey Edmonds World	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432052985_1513053442587772_2069210872770648744_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=eE6aMlVsGewAb7QuAz0&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBZEQwPII4MZ4YCuuImSorN7GoIw9vIVOwnM7SwoljG8A&oe=66233E7E			0	3	A drop witnesses the rocket ascending – this is the best gift for yourself.🥰❤️<br /> Click on the link below to receive your best gift for half price🥰❤️😍<br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dealwbig.top%2Fproducts%2Fdthgfgghfhfgjgjn&amp;h=AT3f1fchPPcSAxh9jMsfn_wP8S0n0aO-q9Q_3ZF_Aqe3G0uikNlm6z7N9etJudUVKoeMQIUYbeWz_YrUw-AQ3Xy7df7nNvEPCu0j84D7wQqWR7tLbD-K__D5wQn_NxeaYUQDRyB32jsMFwA6JxX7e9p85lI" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.dealwbig.top/products/dthgfgghfhfgjgjn</a>		Cassey Edmonds World		4	https://facebook.com/61556118337565	0		LEARN_MORE						1710918000		View Edit Delete
1245237	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199001	1734922104		532		707938348081439		6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964709220695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125617	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1108363373698408_4479565909772977033_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XR3lYjKHQmsAb5RyMCO&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAdoC9k0h_60zINrvuqHymEDPBZDRTy3mPvNo044PmPFg&oe=662318E7	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1154223309072620_622648342263838121_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pMEnoTBfXqgAb7Lr9sU&_nc_oc=Adgkf9CBizwNsCOfTek1vZVoSf31XWyHLGQ4ydoDt_kDlZCMgMdtLPcVs2RLEJthDCL06iPI3nh0fYh0WanQqHHL&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDwjWt2mIHC-8056mxbU_YJmNvnQmm5En0J1JklniSpDw&oe=66232FD5			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245238	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199001	1734922104		532		707938348081439		6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964709220695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125617	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1108363373698408_4479565909772977033_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XR3lYjKHQmsAb5RyMCO&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAdoC9k0h_60zINrvuqHymEDPBZDRTy3mPvNo044PmPFg&oe=662318E7	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1154223309072620_622648342263838121_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pMEnoTBfXqgAb7Lr9sU&_nc_oc=Adgkf9CBizwNsCOfTek1vZVoSf31XWyHLGQ4ydoDt_kDlZCMgMdtLPcVs2RLEJthDCL06iPI3nh0fYh0WanQqHHL&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDwjWt2mIHC-8056mxbU_YJmNvnQmm5En0J1JklniSpDw&oe=66232FD5			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245239	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199002	1734922104		532		707938348081439		6.2641737964214E+14		1711177200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205964709220695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1711125617	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1108363373698408_4479565909772977033_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XR3lYjKHQmsAb5RyMCO&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAdoC9k0h_60zINrvuqHymEDPBZDRTy3mPvNo044PmPFg&oe=662318E7	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433182348_1154223309072620_622648342263838121_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pMEnoTBfXqgAb7Lr9sU&_nc_oc=Adgkf9CBizwNsCOfTek1vZVoSf31XWyHLGQ4ydoDt_kDlZCMgMdtLPcVs2RLEJthDCL06iPI3nh0fYh0WanQqHHL&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDwjWt2mIHC-8056mxbU_YJmNvnQmm5En0J1JklniSpDw&oe=66232FD5			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1711090800		View Edit Delete
1245269	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199008	1734922104		532		1739075013253577	20	4.2983514283568E+14		1710918000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	248588431673618		0	Milton Caprisa			120207971632480363		msnddxm.shop	Shop now		NONE	video			http://msnddxm.shop/		1710861005	2.4858843167362E+14	Milton Caprisa	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433635079_1096101411717018_6550811833753633367_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ol6HgoYkrfoAb7Tdk3o&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDcNDxptdIR0FEmBKPBWzRxMUYqt62ytjfuU2XzkGirVA&oe=66233FFF	person_profile	0	Milton Caprisa	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433633631_788231709377223_4605581709458637376_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=N0xlfIn8ljwAb6b34MA&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCrARNMMAVD4n1s9IscG-p-3_x5Wc427rfbTtssmf0iEQ&oe=662326D8			0	3	🏹️The best hunting crossbow comes from generations of hard work developing the most cutting-edge technology to produce the fastest crossbow on the market.		Milton Caprisa		5	https://facebook.com/61557439433681	0		SHOP_NOW						1710918000		View Edit Delete
1245270	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199008	1734922104		532		931663405113005		4.2983514283568E+14		1710918000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	248588431673618		0	Milton Caprisa			120207971632480363		msnddxm.shop	Shop now		NONE	video			http://msnddxm.shop/		1710861005	2.4858843167362E+14	Milton Caprisa	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433635079_1096101411717018_6550811833753633367_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ol6HgoYkrfoAb7Tdk3o&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDcNDxptdIR0FEmBKPBWzRxMUYqt62ytjfuU2XzkGirVA&oe=66233FFF	person_profile	0	Milton Caprisa	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433633631_788231709377223_4605581709458637376_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=N0xlfIn8ljwAb6b34MA&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCrARNMMAVD4n1s9IscG-p-3_x5Wc427rfbTtssmf0iEQ&oe=662326D8			0	3	🏹️The best hunting crossbow comes from generations of hard work developing the most cutting-edge technology to produce the fastest crossbow on the market.		Milton Caprisa		5	https://facebook.com/61557439433681	0		SHOP_NOW						1710918000		View Edit Delete
1245272	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199008	1734922105		532		1053338065768528		4.2983514283568E+14		1710918000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	248588431673618		0	Milton Caprisa			120207971632480363		msnddxm.shop	Shop now		NONE	video			http://msnddxm.shop/		1710861005	2.4858843167362E+14	Milton Caprisa	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433635079_1096101411717018_6550811833753633367_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ol6HgoYkrfoAb7Tdk3o&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDcNDxptdIR0FEmBKPBWzRxMUYqt62ytjfuU2XzkGirVA&oe=66233FFF	person_profile	0	Milton Caprisa	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433633631_788231709377223_4605581709458637376_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=N0xlfIn8ljwAb6b34MA&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCrARNMMAVD4n1s9IscG-p-3_x5Wc427rfbTtssmf0iEQ&oe=662326D8			0	3	🏹️The best hunting crossbow comes from generations of hard work developing the most cutting-edge technology to produce the fastest crossbow on the market.		Milton Caprisa		5	https://facebook.com/61557439433681	0		SHOP_NOW						1710918000		View Edit Delete
1245273	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199008	1734922105		532		1571326147096080		4.2983514283568E+14		1710918000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	248588431673618		0	Milton Caprisa			120207971632480363		msnddxm.shop	Shop now		NONE	video			http://msnddxm.shop/		1710861005	2.4858843167362E+14	Milton Caprisa	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433635079_1096101411717018_6550811833753633367_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Ol6HgoYkrfoAb7Tdk3o&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDcNDxptdIR0FEmBKPBWzRxMUYqt62ytjfuU2XzkGirVA&oe=66233FFF	person_profile	0	Milton Caprisa	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433633631_788231709377223_4605581709458637376_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=N0xlfIn8ljwAb6b34MA&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCrARNMMAVD4n1s9IscG-p-3_x5Wc427rfbTtssmf0iEQ&oe=662326D8			0	3	🏹️The best hunting crossbow comes from generations of hard work developing the most cutting-edge technology to produce the fastest crossbow on the market.		Milton Caprisa		5	https://facebook.com/61557439433681	0		SHOP_NOW						1710918000		View Edit Delete
1245274	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199008	1734922105		532		386297994257192		4.2983514283568E+14		1711090800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	248588431673618		0	Milton Caprisa			120208576158080248		msnddxm.shop	Shop now		NONE	video			http://msnddxm.shop/		1710857316	2.4858843167362E+14	Milton Caprisa	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431483769_1510810329482993_7874851508335088205_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ql3d6QE1dqYAb4zZZsr&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDeSGRo-egM9dcUDn6lH1UqnT2kfP5u0-Ru_GVYKwaytQ&oe=66231C89	person_profile	0	Milton Caprisa	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431588055_877677194112368_6039286581553767856_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=seGoiDgDHK0Ab4Xo6N8&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDoLziXjPgt5zlU9qtF-xU4I7Ctb49e0rN6KtdoDyvkXw&oe=66233750			0	3	🏹️The best hunting crossbow comes from generations of hard work developing the most cutting-edge technology to produce the fastest crossbow on the market.		Milton Caprisa		5	https://facebook.com/61557439433681	0		SHOP_NOW						1710831600		View Edit Delete
1245275	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199009	1734922105		532		439785438399218		4.2983514283568E+14		1710918000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	248588431673618		0	Milton Caprisa			120208576158080248		msnddxm.shop	Shop now		NONE	video			http://msnddxm.shop/		1710857316	2.4858843167362E+14	Milton Caprisa	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431483769_1510810329482993_7874851508335088205_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ql3d6QE1dqYAb4zZZsr&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDeSGRo-egM9dcUDn6lH1UqnT2kfP5u0-Ru_GVYKwaytQ&oe=66231C89	person_profile	0	Milton Caprisa	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431588055_877677194112368_6039286581553767856_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=seGoiDgDHK0Ab4Xo6N8&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDoLziXjPgt5zlU9qtF-xU4I7Ctb49e0rN6KtdoDyvkXw&oe=66233750			0	3	🏹️The best hunting crossbow comes from generations of hard work developing the most cutting-edge technology to produce the fastest crossbow on the market.		Milton Caprisa		5	https://facebook.com/61557439433681	0		SHOP_NOW						1710831600		View Edit Delete
1245276	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199009	1734922105		532		417827237563859		4.2983514283568E+14		1711004400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	248588431673618		0	Milton Caprisa			120208576158080248		msnddxm.shop	Shop now		NONE	video			http://msnddxm.shop/		1710857316	2.4858843167362E+14	Milton Caprisa	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431483769_1510810329482993_7874851508335088205_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ql3d6QE1dqYAb4zZZsr&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDeSGRo-egM9dcUDn6lH1UqnT2kfP5u0-Ru_GVYKwaytQ&oe=66231C89	person_profile	0	Milton Caprisa	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431588055_877677194112368_6039286581553767856_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=seGoiDgDHK0Ab4Xo6N8&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDoLziXjPgt5zlU9qtF-xU4I7Ctb49e0rN6KtdoDyvkXw&oe=66233750			0	3	🏹️The best hunting crossbow comes from generations of hard work developing the most cutting-edge technology to produce the fastest crossbow on the market.		Milton Caprisa		5	https://facebook.com/61557439433681	0		SHOP_NOW						1710831600		View Edit Delete
1245277	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199009	1734922105		532		431850105879005		4.2983514283568E+14		1710918000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	248588431673618		0	Milton Caprisa			120208576158080248		msnddxm.shop	Shop now		NONE	video			http://msnddxm.shop/		1710857316	2.4858843167362E+14	Milton Caprisa	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431483769_1510810329482993_7874851508335088205_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ql3d6QE1dqYAb4zZZsr&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDeSGRo-egM9dcUDn6lH1UqnT2kfP5u0-Ru_GVYKwaytQ&oe=66231C89	person_profile	0	Milton Caprisa	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431588055_877677194112368_6039286581553767856_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=seGoiDgDHK0Ab4Xo6N8&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDoLziXjPgt5zlU9qtF-xU4I7Ctb49e0rN6KtdoDyvkXw&oe=66233750			0	3	🏹️The best hunting crossbow comes from generations of hard work developing the most cutting-edge technology to produce the fastest crossbow on the market.		Milton Caprisa		5	https://facebook.com/61557439433681	0		SHOP_NOW						1710831600		View Edit Delete
1245279	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199009	1734922105		532		1086797845765853		4.2983514283568E+14		1710918000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	248588431673618		0	Milton Caprisa			120208576158080248		msnddxm.shop	Shop now		NONE	video			http://msnddxm.shop/		1710857316	2.4858843167362E+14	Milton Caprisa	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431483769_1510810329482993_7874851508335088205_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ql3d6QE1dqYAb4zZZsr&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDeSGRo-egM9dcUDn6lH1UqnT2kfP5u0-Ru_GVYKwaytQ&oe=66231C89	person_profile	0	Milton Caprisa	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431588055_877677194112368_6039286581553767856_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=seGoiDgDHK0Ab4Xo6N8&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDoLziXjPgt5zlU9qtF-xU4I7Ctb49e0rN6KtdoDyvkXw&oe=66233750			0	3	🏹️The best hunting crossbow comes from generations of hard work developing the most cutting-edge technology to produce the fastest crossbow on the market.		Milton Caprisa		5	https://facebook.com/61557439433681	0		SHOP_NOW						1710831600		View Edit Delete
1245281	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199009	1734922105		532		3675799905966864		4.2983514283568E+14		1711090800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	248588431673618		0	Milton Caprisa			120208576158080248		msnddxm.shop	Shop now		NONE	video			http://msnddxm.shop/		1710857316	2.4858843167362E+14	Milton Caprisa	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431483769_1510810329482993_7874851508335088205_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ql3d6QE1dqYAb4zZZsr&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDeSGRo-egM9dcUDn6lH1UqnT2kfP5u0-Ru_GVYKwaytQ&oe=66231C89	person_profile	0	Milton Caprisa	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431588055_877677194112368_6039286581553767856_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=seGoiDgDHK0Ab4Xo6N8&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDoLziXjPgt5zlU9qtF-xU4I7Ctb49e0rN6KtdoDyvkXw&oe=66233750			0	3	🏹️The best hunting crossbow comes from generations of hard work developing the most cutting-edge technology to produce the fastest crossbow on the market.		Milton Caprisa		5	https://facebook.com/61557439433681	0		SHOP_NOW						1710831600		View Edit Delete
1245284	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199009	1734922106		532		954366192372958	1	1.5399546432051E+15		1711436400	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	106204742218142		0	gregbridgesart			6560936327149		instagram.com	Visit Instagram Profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/gregbridgesart		1710884494	1.0620474221814E+14	gregbridgesart	https://scontent-bos5-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/363895122_621162433473069_7198498876232514127_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=3fd06f&_nc_ohc=FSY_4hlJgtUAb4BBYGS&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfBR02qPa8leFu0Efmf4HYeeTdRuaZflAJf2mEcnAEMFZA&oe=66231185	ig_ads_identity	1	Greg Bridges	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433263480_1078521833439170_8004495767132722397_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=s0bUQcbCUcMAb5y3z7V&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBDoc8HpFG9h5UjP3EuIv5eoc7H53TPGzS7R2zrGPZXYA&oe=66231D98			0	3			gregbridgesart		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/gregbridgesart	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1710831600		View Edit Delete
1245285	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199009	1734922106		532		954366192372958	1	1.5399546432051E+15		1711436400	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	106204742218142		0	gregbridgesart			6560936327149		instagram.com	Visit Instagram Profile		NONE	carousel			http://instagram.com/gregbridgesart		1710884494	1.0620474221814E+14	gregbridgesart	https://scontent-bos5-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/363895122_621162433473069_7198498876232514127_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=3fd06f&_nc_ohc=FSY_4hlJgtUAb4BBYGS&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfBR02qPa8leFu0Efmf4HYeeTdRuaZflAJf2mEcnAEMFZA&oe=66231185	ig_ads_identity	1	Greg Bridges	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433263480_1078521833439170_8004495767132722397_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=s0bUQcbCUcMAb5y3z7V&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBDoc8HpFG9h5UjP3EuIv5eoc7H53TPGzS7R2zrGPZXYA&oe=66231D98			0	3			gregbridgesart		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/gregbridgesart	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1710831600		View Edit Delete
1245289	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199010	1734922106		532		1461972057752202	1	4.3741373206408E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	265052230017125		0	Prize Palooza			120207233951180709		emergclutch.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://emergclutch.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=3mmVUnZu9O6vIo7UVx8l&ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign_name={{campaign.name}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}&adset_name={{adset.name}}&placement={{placement}}&site_source_name={{site_source_name}}&fbpxl={{fbpxl}}		1710868133	2.6505223001712E+14	Prize Palooza	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431578189_1840985169671799_5172207164522960250_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yfbMIDT_FN0Ab5mUCmO&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfB70to7mEID1WIcbjeXu4ERKDjmf6Ropjm4_NVu6xEs-g&oe=6623120F	person_profile	0	Prize Palooza	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431554973_255440904300038_1626096285878847282_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nN7zau3N7C4Ab5IThmB&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBmmX-0v2sJMSGZ1tzENM98TexZu3me3FvI_RKqaItRxg&oe=66232FE2			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳		Prize Palooza		255	https://facebook.com/61556812859534	0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1710831600		View Edit Delete
1245290	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199010	1734922106		532		1075040327102228	1	1.616087215835E+15		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	265052230017125		0	Prize Palooza			120207215933190709		sickythegame.info	Learn more		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://sickythegame.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=g01NOkVdLDUImKb4y2Rl&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&fbpxl=%7B%7Bfbpxl%7D%7D		1710834573	2.6505223001712E+14	Prize Palooza	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433098529_220421314491385_1647964697655795656_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vI7w4uw21J0Ab6_JXCY&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBats2srO70f-L3iax0bOmr-wETG8RiV4nVmBF4Vk9G8A&oe=66233914	person_profile	0	Prize Palooza	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432752974_383581904600787_9097985334103222200_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UFrNTZ9znW0Ab5M46qY&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDKPrTYVC0uZGCbgAKN7HRpK0sVm-HuRMTtex_UqtCa0Q&oe=66231579			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a Ravin R29 Crossbow for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳		Prize Palooza		255	https://facebook.com/61556812859534	0		LEARN_MORE						1710831600		View Edit Delete
1245291	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199010	1734922106		532		918938326898879	5	1.4906110848375E+15		1711868400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	202204112986379		0	Surprise Savings			120205991251700575		swishairtime.info	Learn more		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://swishairtime.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=BvP7v5dDKPCoGKFg8VfI&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&fbpxl=%7B%7Bfbpxl%7D%7D		1710795083	2.0220411298638E+14	Surprise Savings	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431480559_816250756980508_9074508348101933540_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=MaWlsiyL9MwAb7Nx6jf&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCPQqpIRaHJT2WP8Y1PZheXf1n-S-8fzZB1N2uG_OY-ZA&oe=662333F9	person_profile	0	Surprise Savings	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431502622_954193799603192_1006820179298308297_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ou0GQ0wbykkAb6aG_3E&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBv1P2u8_rZS0T_b1tZUxySj7skPBjNZa4QgQ5GrX2N5Q&oe=662328E1			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a Ravin R29 Crossbow for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳		Surprise Savings		133	https://facebook.com/61557395454560	0		LEARN_MORE						1710745200		View Edit Delete
1245330	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199022	1734922107		532		369732645974433	1	4.051756120435E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	100365976129594		0	Puzzles & Chaos			120206871740610601		itunes.apple.com	Play game		NONE	video	Rally, to war!		http://itunes.apple.com/app/id6446389130		1710468877	1.0036597612959E+14	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432578977_788425675950060_6514610819260113002_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FgQCkioHrHQAb7v1UCd&_nc_oc=AdiJIRFwsY9pi0P60XkL7REVwsRHOqLDmxM9w6zZEqx5qUkC7LkH5eG0MOSxiBZUIvg&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDZQ5Si5D4dTqw7RtTT0vlLML_f6kocb8UjNmFKdtyOag&oe=66230F10	person_profile	0	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433116694_2675379092611215_7289416225169210618_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8fofjoS7bHMAb6FoxPz&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCXEEXioEXldbxCd_OQPJhhYiH8cOmOtu9RsbuOIj-G7g&oe=66231339			0	3	The strongest alliance in the new server is one player short!		Puzzles & Chaos		11827	https://facebook.com/PuzzlesAndChaos	0		PLAY_GAME						1710572400		View Edit Delete
1245293	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199011	1734922107		532		1510265042888201		1.1941545053017E+15		1710745200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	109973985488101		0	Onlinehol			120206321853200276		onlinehol.com	Shop now		NONE	image	onlinehol.com	bull Bored of standard dice rolling This unique crossbow is a functional dice roller It s compartment can hold up to 1 set of standard sized polyhedral dices bull The loading mechanism allows you to lock the catch with 1 swift motion Use the trigger to release the dice bull It is recommended to aim....	https://www.onlinehol.com/products/crossbow-dice-roller---holder?variant=11511987		1710755547	1.099739854881E+14	Onlinehol	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432480783_386568457557643_6630097744534941123_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZZqNmoJ6Ge8Ab6ZS4GG&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfA2B8DZ2l-6VxjpvUHKTMMGsGKbLEL-cEqdKiZf8_R28Q&oe=66233FDA	person_profile	0	Onlinehol	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433707923_762394725830768_1975096833700717518_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=E9GuLBM6aXUAb4NmvmX&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCqhj0WsiD-DEEY9f4cH_cuTzg3KmCVG5qhVh8DbTKFcw&oe=662319F1			0	3	🎯Bored of standard dice rolling? This unique crossbow is a functional dice roller. It&#039;s compartment can hold up to 1 set of standard sized polyhedral dices.		Onlinehol		31	https://facebook.com/100094200711519	0		SHOP_NOW						1710745200		View Edit Delete
1245294	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199011	1734922107		532		1586684128755174		1.1941545053017E+15		1710745200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	109973985488101		0	Onlinehol			120206321853200276		onlinehol.com	Shop now		NONE	image	onlinehol.com	bull Bored of standard dice rolling This unique crossbow is a functional dice roller It s compartment can hold up to 1 set of standard sized polyhedral dices bull The loading mechanism allows you to lock the catch with 1 swift motion Use the trigger to release the dice bull It is recommended to aim....	https://www.onlinehol.com/products/crossbow-dice-roller---holder?variant=11511987		1710755547	1.099739854881E+14	Onlinehol	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432480783_386568457557643_6630097744534941123_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZZqNmoJ6Ge8Ab6ZS4GG&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfA2B8DZ2l-6VxjpvUHKTMMGsGKbLEL-cEqdKiZf8_R28Q&oe=66233FDA	person_profile	0	Onlinehol	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433707923_762394725830768_1975096833700717518_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=E9GuLBM6aXUAb4NmvmX&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCqhj0WsiD-DEEY9f4cH_cuTzg3KmCVG5qhVh8DbTKFcw&oe=662319F1			0	3	🎯Bored of standard dice rolling? This unique crossbow is a functional dice roller. It&#039;s compartment can hold up to 1 set of standard sized polyhedral dices.		Onlinehol		31	https://facebook.com/100094200711519	0		SHOP_NOW						1710745200		View Edit Delete
1245295	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199011	1734922107		532		958418599252202	1	7.3676660399793E+15		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	102839175671195		0	Cynthia Toye Realtor			120208756616040039		cynthiatoye.modern-realestateagents.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Get your FREE price update now 🏠📈	Do you know what your property is worth?	https://cynthiatoye.modern-realestateagents.com/home		1710687134	1.028391756712E+14	Cynthia Toye Realtor	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433125855_378657238421384_8729339550971718121_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7p2D3ZZwVwAAb5bPTAz&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAzq-9mqI2WjIZ-CujTjVeRHKcl-wV9pzG5mQorRrpe5g&oe=66232F96	person_profile	0	Cynthia Toye Realtor	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432739446_1823087504800617_2904808879846314457_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lkNwnwvBQNsAb78ZQWE&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAbxL4idEZHPN0umcdV016pIpoa7C24hwTHUrKkEc-U7A&oe=66233D31			0	3	🏡 Hey Homeowners, how much is YOUR HOME worth in this current market?<br /> <br /> You will be SURPRISED to hear what the recent market activity has done to the value of your property.<br /> <br /> 📱📱 Click “Learn More” now to get your updated home price fast		Cynthia Toye Realtor		52	https://facebook.com/100078522785084	0		LEARN_MORE						1710658800		View Edit Delete
1245296	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199012	1734922108		532		1563170427813051	1	7.1799199382266E+14		1710745200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	106845062087075		0	Age of Frostfall			120206980903560783		play.google.com	Install now		NONE	video	Play for FREE!		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.funplus.kingofavalon		1710596211	1.0684506208708E+14	Age of Frostfall	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431502711_907878270884982_7871176958020716854_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2JLWfn0AgF4Ab5OIUDd&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBqBZdlXD9cM9NaeiU0lC15FTVaWO_PsfglKNdE3YViCQ&oe=66232B47	person_profile	0	Age of Frostfall	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431259759_939027937708099_8422577423398177837_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yeIjL8jTNDUAb6yHcSa&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfC2WnRfM479AkyPSGcUqIkV3-ozTA8-yRNKup3ZKtsJ2Q&oe=66233346			0	3	That Game Everyone&#039;s Playing! Join Now!		Age of Frostfall		740	https://facebook.com/100083610756555	0		INSTALL_MOBILE_APP						1710572400		View Edit Delete
1245297	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199012	1734922108		532		309398471855745	9	9.0017423519105E+14		1711004400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	107089802492332		0	Dauos			120206129588620072		thedauos.com	Shop now		NONE	video	🔥 Limited Time Offer		https://thedauos.com/products/dauos-sling-hook		1710542805	1.0708980249233E+14	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432782875_1808973049621804_285468857212307292_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cUNL_3Ma9RwAb7wAKSE&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfDNehZM9-ETI-_fLx4vLw76PkMdz93YsffFvD4k8H-h_Q&oe=66233DBF	person_profile	0	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432721000_775458167437870_163073391142643730_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=IyaBfTOO_EMAb4ljnIr&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfDW1i1XDzUGD_jciY_sBzttlWuuIyAj54hTu9JkAQQ0sQ&oe=662338A8			0	3	🌿 Unleash Your Hunting Potential with the Dauos Sling Hook! 🦌<br /> <br /> Say goodbye to restrictions and hello to freedom with our revolutionary sling catch! Designed for hunters, adventurers, and outdoor enthusiasts, the Dauos Sling Hook ensures your gear stays secure and your hands remain free for the thrill of the hunt.<br /> <br /> ✅ Secure Your Gear: Keep your rifle, bow, crossbow, or camera readily accessible while hiking rugged terrain or crossing streams with ease.<br /> <br /> ✅ Unmatched Versatility: Compatible with any sling up to 5/8&quot; thick and adaptable to any pack strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is the ultimate solution for hunters of all disciplines.<br /> <br /> ✅ Quick and Easy Installation: No assembly required - simply attach to your favorite pack shoulder strap, trim to fit, and you&#039;re ready for action.<br /> <br /> ✅ Comfort and Reliability: Engineered for maximum comfort with specialized features to ensure a secure grip on your shoulder strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is your trusted companion on every adventure.<br /> <br /> Experience the difference today! Order your Dauos Sling Hook and elevate your hunting experience to new heights. 🌟<br /> <br /> Get Yours Now and Embrace the Freedom of Unrestricted Exploration! 🔥<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fthedauos.com%2Fslinghook&amp;h=AT0lhFls7we5D4UaqZoL1aDrzoclit8ldbJlEfuD8dKgTZKpkFUJyTTcplwoZQsAiQA9CVoRtItgrqntZMhw2ZGy0CrMJDmOm7O4I1pvj9G9Z76iAPSn3dfc2YAFz6UhJ3y67PrGWEqNiSQMkgtbUTSRk2rz2E-RDpEIUIWXC68" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://thedauos.com/slinghook</a>		Dauos		298	https://facebook.com/61550049947721	0		SHOP_NOW						1710486000		View Edit Delete
1245299	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199013	1734922108		532		928178242264466		9.0017423519105E+14		1711004400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	107089802492332		0	Dauos			120206129593080072		thedauos.com	Shop now		NONE	video	🔥 Limited Time Offer		https://thedauos.com/products/dauos-sling-hook		1710542814	1.0708980249233E+14	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431486210_1143282250009579_8818504583973954569_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ukj00c0mggYAb4vOyvA&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfAGC-4RFWVuiBGbM4U5NNn-LUxT0IvjLXUZSZzCfRJ_Ng&oe=66231F0C	person_profile	0	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431237611_2621000608067355_4273940541205197909_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1KSXnGHhdmIAb58bAG6&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfCQ2tXAqZG_jsmZRpzlw66LSsq4kSacZceSfzohrCNOZw&oe=66230BCF			0	3	🌿 Unleash Your Hunting Potential with the Dauos Sling Hook! 🦌<br /> <br /> Say goodbye to restrictions and hello to freedom with our revolutionary sling catch! Designed for hunters, adventurers, and outdoor enthusiasts, the Dauos Sling Hook ensures your gear stays secure and your hands remain free for the thrill of the hunt.<br /> <br /> ✅ Secure Your Gear: Keep your rifle, bow, crossbow, or camera readily accessible while hiking rugged terrain or crossing streams with ease.<br /> <br /> ✅ Unmatched Versatility: Compatible with any sling up to 5/8&quot; thick and adaptable to any pack strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is the ultimate solution for hunters of all disciplines.<br /> <br /> ✅ Quick and Easy Installation: No assembly required - simply attach to your favorite pack shoulder strap, trim to fit, and you&#039;re ready for action.<br /> <br /> ✅ Comfort and Reliability: Engineered for maximum comfort with specialized features to ensure a secure grip on your shoulder strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is your trusted companion on every adventure.<br /> <br /> Experience the difference today! Order your Dauos Sling Hook and elevate your hunting experience to new heights. 🌟<br /> <br /> Get Yours Now and Embrace the Freedom of Unrestricted Exploration! 🔥<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fthedauos.com%2Fslinghook&amp;h=AT2rh1Uiyk-9S5lVG91PYYgoT8K3kzuJQn5yWYA4LTHcAz1OQeapNvuEJW7BH1grMznh_V8sw_7WIQO6_DuKPMPFWGAd_YBk4AAs5_6zveUXCJf42RUB3EV_WJ_Q9ZRIyaw4ZkLPJhUfjJbdu5YpiHrGOF4JAyl9sy76t7JAbdU" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://thedauos.com/slinghook</a>		Dauos		298	https://facebook.com/61550049947721	0		SHOP_NOW						1710486000		View Edit Delete
1245300	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199013	1734922109		532		942877230269032		9.0017423519105E+14		1710831600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	107089802492332		0	Dauos			120206129590890072		thedauos.com	Shop now		NONE	video	🔥 Limited Time Offer		https://thedauos.com/products/dauos-sling-hook		1710542809	1.0708980249233E+14	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431503600_711066267905796_4783668311905601880_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=M3mjrk6vAIEAb6xhYsI&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfAMR5NT8a9GyoZk4Aih48ls1l7vSZuPK4KbaDQaJEZOGg&oe=66231F46	person_profile	0	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431207767_933465404980256_591282852493407944_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=blMsNPJjYlsAb5fBsqc&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfAfN2B3RKMru55M1Ai0G3FT2GlMmXgqFbKVfWwoLp7PUw&oe=66231F41			0	3	🌿 Unleash Your Hunting Potential with the Dauos Sling Hook! 🦌<br /> <br /> Say goodbye to restrictions and hello to freedom with our revolutionary sling catch! Designed for hunters, adventurers, and outdoor enthusiasts, the Dauos Sling Hook ensures your gear stays secure and your hands remain free for the thrill of the hunt.<br /> <br /> ✅ Secure Your Gear: Keep your rifle, bow, crossbow, or camera readily accessible while hiking rugged terrain or crossing streams with ease.<br /> <br /> ✅ Unmatched Versatility: Compatible with any sling up to 5/8&quot; thick and adaptable to any pack strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is the ultimate solution for hunters of all disciplines.<br /> <br /> ✅ Quick and Easy Installation: No assembly required - simply attach to your favorite pack shoulder strap, trim to fit, and you&#039;re ready for action.<br /> <br /> ✅ Comfort and Reliability: Engineered for maximum comfort with specialized features to ensure a secure grip on your shoulder strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is your trusted companion on every adventure.<br /> <br /> Experience the difference today! Order your Dauos Sling Hook and elevate your hunting experience to new heights. 🌟<br /> <br /> Get Yours Now and Embrace the Freedom of Unrestricted Exploration! 🔥<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fthedauos.com%2Fslinghook&amp;h=AT2yZ6hMcga2xlr9Om6F4L4qwzwCE_fxLHUcrC2jw-6heD1h9Pm9yIiv2oK_3G4cozKOHDhYBq4au3-FxsXZYmS_kbTuFyUach_SwEcyXi51PeVoI8IdHCWqAavztlT_vp9wDvlu6mP5dgUtMYCmpAf9Cdr6N5brpE8Jea7uD2U" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://thedauos.com/slinghook</a>		Dauos		298	https://facebook.com/61550049947721	0		SHOP_NOW						1710486000		View Edit Delete
1245301	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199014	1734922109		532		953956992387548		9.0017423519105E+14		1711004400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	107089802492332		0	Dauos			120206129593180072		thedauos.com	Shop now		NONE	video	🔥 Limited Time Offer		https://thedauos.com/products/dauos-sling-hook		1710542813	1.0708980249233E+14	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432398743_443180964903688_4788572455294977068_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tYMTU_6jsoQAb4vGT5P&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfAQYFNaYAhcpvQUxn_rPINZXbkNit0xcWpJ_mdZevm0Gg&oe=66231CAC	person_profile	0	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432407494_287435074382418_6813649029135874068_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VzysWw9tdAAAb6BUcEj&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfByTHGigmaRYgktrRqvEBgnXjfbzgehaV8elT0TyaT4Rg&oe=66234204			0	3	🌿 Unleash Your Hunting Potential with the Dauos Sling Hook! 🦌<br /> <br /> Say goodbye to restrictions and hello to freedom with our revolutionary sling catch! Designed for hunters, adventurers, and outdoor enthusiasts, the Dauos Sling Hook ensures your gear stays secure and your hands remain free for the thrill of the hunt.<br /> <br /> ✅ Secure Your Gear: Keep your rifle, bow, crossbow, or camera readily accessible while hiking rugged terrain or crossing streams with ease.<br /> <br /> ✅ Unmatched Versatility: Compatible with any sling up to 5/8&quot; thick and adaptable to any pack strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is the ultimate solution for hunters of all disciplines.<br /> <br /> ✅ Quick and Easy Installation: No assembly required - simply attach to your favorite pack shoulder strap, trim to fit, and you&#039;re ready for action.<br /> <br /> ✅ Comfort and Reliability: Engineered for maximum comfort with specialized features to ensure a secure grip on your shoulder strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is your trusted companion on every adventure.<br /> <br /> Experience the difference today! Order your Dauos Sling Hook and elevate your hunting experience to new heights. 🌟<br /> <br /> Get Yours Now and Embrace the Freedom of Unrestricted Exploration! 🔥<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fthedauos.com%2Fslinghook&amp;h=AT07UB2VFvuOPEHGLbmCITgh_vRLxGFo7cQGzkAPPUEi2JWKuBzV-N6UHXyBPAuVagqPxdQgmN465_IwOON3GbZ2q6zrKXvkmjckzHzzSMmBWsBIvomq6AVzxXy-2Pq0fvwQbO7pAMDVFB9lKG4MHTEeOzUZlqkiV1tLdpnQVYQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://thedauos.com/slinghook</a>		Dauos		298	https://facebook.com/61550049947721	0		SHOP_NOW						1710486000		View Edit Delete
1245303	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199014	1734922109		532		1072871567344938		9.0017423519105E+14		1711004400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	107089802492332		0	Dauos			120206129598200072		thedauos.com	Shop now		NONE	video	🔥 Limited Time Offer		https://thedauos.com/products/dauos-sling-hook		1710542824	1.0708980249233E+14	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433139357_1112061176612213_6427435744762554694_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7LRMQlv23ggAb4j1-Dy&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBE84Yl9U2bRJ-_vpebyE4ucgjksUVi_S01AkfHdd6e1Q&oe=66232A01	person_profile	0	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432570174_787445243261574_3879437541907470107_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zBruCip0vjgAb6TH-ID&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfC2ndxJKMFi6KeBMaAZ2PrHxvZrH2fR6P9j5hFkh-_rNA&oe=662329FB			0	3	🌿 Unleash Your Hunting Potential with the Dauos Sling Hook! 🦌<br /> <br /> Say goodbye to restrictions and hello to freedom with our revolutionary sling catch! Designed for hunters, adventurers, and outdoor enthusiasts, the Dauos Sling Hook ensures your gear stays secure and your hands remain free for the thrill of the hunt.<br /> <br /> ✅ Secure Your Gear: Keep your rifle, bow, crossbow, or camera readily accessible while hiking rugged terrain or crossing streams with ease.<br /> <br /> ✅ Unmatched Versatility: Compatible with any sling up to 5/8&quot; thick and adaptable to any pack strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is the ultimate solution for hunters of all disciplines.<br /> <br /> ✅ Quick and Easy Installation: No assembly required - simply attach to your favorite pack shoulder strap, trim to fit, and you&#039;re ready for action.<br /> <br /> ✅ Comfort and Reliability: Engineered for maximum comfort with specialized features to ensure a secure grip on your shoulder strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is your trusted companion on every adventure.<br /> <br /> Experience the difference today! Order your Dauos Sling Hook and elevate your hunting experience to new heights. 🌟<br /> <br /> Get Yours Now and Embrace the Freedom of Unrestricted Exploration! 🔥<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fthedauos.com%2Fslinghook&amp;h=AT1EgWk8Nx4GwsM14EV2wVhEZVNdRJg0sWinQQRIQQzuXL77RjKprQhD7ibvIGqCoM3DX2alds6Gl7uVHbRVADMrLCT_uMJowa6HV1O8QkVaSdbBjdXske7KhB9-TjnjpSXJm1DDNmTDrjLdAyeY-FQVgmViUN_EGX5HhOnxKOw" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://thedauos.com/slinghook</a>		Dauos		298	https://facebook.com/61550049947721	0		SHOP_NOW						1710486000		View Edit Delete
1245304	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199014	1734922109		532		1103859307490946		9.0017423519105E+14		1710831600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	107089802492332		0	Dauos			120206129584950072		thedauos.com	Shop now		NONE	video	🔥 Limited Time Offer		https://thedauos.com/products/dauos-sling-hook		1710542792	1.0708980249233E+14	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431432838_3530843087227291_8429246433939172260_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-zL0G3LDjTAAb7vpdMh&_nc_oc=AdjT-4a5Lpw5eiMTCiu_L4layXTQ_96Qp6U9QxzfEsXMfpiSg0x9helO0SIpfVsUYD_w2VckNLZeNrh-AATRXQeP&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfCwc_A06v_EGBl-zrBE9jz8pYhTtzjLjzRO0DN8Pu8SgA&oe=66231D98	person_profile	0	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431472034_1111102756827153_9180499509179689443_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1GkpzFR74-4Ab63ovdB&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfD4DoTVuS667zYyim_M-l9x81guaQCzm7UiCj0MZKxyDg&oe=66232EFF			0	3	🌿 Unleash Your Hunting Potential with the Dauos Sling Hook! 🦌<br /> <br /> Say goodbye to restrictions and hello to freedom with our revolutionary sling catch! Designed for hunters, adventurers, and outdoor enthusiasts, the Dauos Sling Hook ensures your gear stays secure and your hands remain free for the thrill of the hunt.<br /> <br /> ✅ Secure Your Gear: Keep your rifle, bow, crossbow, or camera readily accessible while hiking rugged terrain or crossing streams with ease.<br /> <br /> ✅ Unmatched Versatility: Compatible with any sling up to 5/8&quot; thick and adaptable to any pack strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is the ultimate solution for hunters of all disciplines.<br /> <br /> ✅ Quick and Easy Installation: No assembly required - simply attach to your favorite pack shoulder strap, trim to fit, and you&#039;re ready for action.<br /> <br /> ✅ Comfort and Reliability: Engineered for maximum comfort with specialized features to ensure a secure grip on your shoulder strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is your trusted companion on every adventure.<br /> <br /> Experience the difference today! Order your Dauos Sling Hook and elevate your hunting experience to new heights. 🌟<br /> <br /> Get Yours Now and Embrace the Freedom of Unrestricted Exploration! 🔥<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fthedauos.com%2Fslinghook&amp;h=AT2PA5J6dPQZVuZ8ZyQgnn9O2IPGw0V6nAEFBa-dUnSeMATg7hlcommhzRvKAK3c9BbNW5lU2Uf8oCvp9aRdwmxvs5rimBfVpVJEyFEFZadyVGg_M0JE3N9_ofxUwMJEzKwZGJ7ZuC5KIMskkNmSgbHKMoDk6HL5GvtB7HVdvkE" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://thedauos.com/slinghook</a>		Dauos		298	https://facebook.com/61550049947721	0		SHOP_NOW						1710486000		View Edit Delete
1245305	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199015	1734922109		532		3834675340190303		9.0017423519105E+14		1711004400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	107089802492332		0	Dauos			120206129603620072		thedauos.com	Shop now		NONE	video	🔥 Limited Time Offer		https://thedauos.com/products/dauos-sling-hook		1710542831	1.0708980249233E+14	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432702462_425101310188887_2598698780206365414_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Rjo_imdS6OIAb59exMb&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfA7nhJehOAO2nE01tcZSQE25r08WjnBfsUKvSLfVIL4nA&oe=66232FFC	person_profile	0	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432779714_787262129988708_8637584001846006548_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=UjZ0lJFKGzIAb4JnpKl&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBSLgx2KBFJ7_BbhY5BeH9DURSUoqSAnvg9ZlBs789hHw&oe=66231954			0	3	🌿 Unleash Your Hunting Potential with the Dauos Sling Hook! 🦌<br /> <br /> Say goodbye to restrictions and hello to freedom with our revolutionary sling catch! Designed for hunters, adventurers, and outdoor enthusiasts, the Dauos Sling Hook ensures your gear stays secure and your hands remain free for the thrill of the hunt.<br /> <br /> ✅ Secure Your Gear: Keep your rifle, bow, crossbow, or camera readily accessible while hiking rugged terrain or crossing streams with ease.<br /> <br /> ✅ Unmatched Versatility: Compatible with any sling up to 5/8&quot; thick and adaptable to any pack strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is the ultimate solution for hunters of all disciplines.<br /> <br /> ✅ Quick and Easy Installation: No assembly required - simply attach to your favorite pack shoulder strap, trim to fit, and you&#039;re ready for action.<br /> <br /> ✅ Comfort and Reliability: Engineered for maximum comfort with specialized features to ensure a secure grip on your shoulder strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is your trusted companion on every adventure.<br /> <br /> Experience the difference today! Order your Dauos Sling Hook and elevate your hunting experience to new heights. 🌟<br /> <br /> Get Yours Now and Embrace the Freedom of Unrestricted Exploration! 🔥<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fthedauos.com%2Fslinghook&amp;h=AT2Zuwcs2g0Fx5u-jNdAA3_nIRHtSzzI-jXwFTBm7xWDksPFZlw4RrT_tm7UA02sFrRLWoocRkAT5W1l_I1o8LEIOZUPKUuGIfYKQHpfU9q2EKVzXx6T1g-jahC3y_cKQb5bDql4aBblsQDBUzGir_noKW_Xxe2Brdh8mgbu-9A" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://thedauos.com/slinghook</a>		Dauos		298	https://facebook.com/61550049947721	0		SHOP_NOW						1710486000		View Edit Delete
1245306	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199015	1734922109		532		324531547270159	10	2.8781289752093E+14		1711090800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	107089802492332		0	Dauos			120206129591020072		thedauos.com	Shop now		NONE	video	🔥 Limited Time Offer		https://thedauos.com/products/dauos-sling-hook		1710542808	1.0708980249233E+14	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431283384_346675675000244_6569175537725213859_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_aid=0&_nc_ohc=3O5kmcOFeeIAb63v8yf&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfB0eW6u6Uf4c2v2sHAszt7FhBCc45xdyvZ31-rtNXSogg&oe=66232695	person_profile	0	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432424817_7093598527355437_690324687597847759_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=h3OyhOd2-ZsAb6JczCE&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfDAM-dNtgZAFnzn10jdUafitD5HXTnsAhynQo-Mqz042A&oe=66231947			0	3	🌿 Unleash Your Hunting Potential with the Dauos Sling Hook! 🦌<br /> <br /> Say goodbye to restrictions and hello to freedom with our revolutionary sling catch! Designed for hunters, adventurers, and outdoor enthusiasts, the Dauos Sling Hook ensures your gear stays secure and your hands remain free for the thrill of the hunt.<br /> <br /> ✅ Secure Your Gear: Keep your rifle, bow, crossbow, or camera readily accessible while hiking rugged terrain or crossing streams with ease.<br /> <br /> ✅ Unmatched Versatility: Compatible with any sling up to 5/8&quot; thick and adaptable to any pack strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is the ultimate solution for hunters of all disciplines.<br /> <br /> ✅ Quick and Easy Installation: No assembly required - simply attach to your favorite pack shoulder strap, trim to fit, and you&#039;re ready for action.<br /> <br /> ✅ Comfort and Reliability: Engineered for maximum comfort with specialized features to ensure a secure grip on your shoulder strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is your trusted companion on every adventure.<br /> <br /> Experience the difference today! Order your Dauos Sling Hook and elevate your hunting experience to new heights. 🌟<br /> <br /> Get Yours Now and Embrace the Freedom of Unrestricted Exploration! 🔥<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fthedauos.com%2Fslinghook&amp;h=AT3LO_gLMqFUquq6qEA7jnIsoeCU-RoQWSJzMdiWx4k6fyC5jCEn_z2eug1VesIieZPrHR0demi3gXyhaL3z4C5bj4LnqNxktg1ATocRDuLJxW4lv3RVPBQd_b8qrzrmTp0YQCeN4ogclZDlZsUQMhPQDfUbx6K5hkYCb7Gu5qg" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://thedauos.com/slinghook</a>		Dauos		298	https://facebook.com/61550049947721	0		SHOP_NOW						1710486000		View Edit Delete
1245307	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199015	1734922109		532		368124392726895		2.8781289752093E+14		1710918000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	107089802492332		0	Dauos			120206129588580072		thedauos.com	Shop now		NONE	video	🔥 Limited Time Offer		https://thedauos.com/products/dauos-sling-hook		1710542798	1.0708980249233E+14	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431180503_271377769245704_5273886051282060781_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7wPppGsQXzsAb4SW_pU&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfAENQ34d9696ARUt51Dx0SWCS_289b30oJc4SJ6qUX6BA&oe=66232D94	person_profile	0	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431435898_3471018953118890_2739422780997407060_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1Dp1ZVOLZRUAb7q2yta&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfD_XuJbKwyfV3qdQSq5bXEdvsQYk3BjkyyUjOT82sBlMg&oe=66231476			0	3	🌿 Unleash Your Hunting Potential with the Dauos Sling Hook! 🦌<br /> <br /> Say goodbye to restrictions and hello to freedom with our revolutionary sling catch! Designed for hunters, adventurers, and outdoor enthusiasts, the Dauos Sling Hook ensures your gear stays secure and your hands remain free for the thrill of the hunt.<br /> <br /> ✅ Secure Your Gear: Keep your rifle, bow, crossbow, or camera readily accessible while hiking rugged terrain or crossing streams with ease.<br /> <br /> ✅ Unmatched Versatility: Compatible with any sling up to 5/8&quot; thick and adaptable to any pack strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is the ultimate solution for hunters of all disciplines.<br /> <br /> ✅ Quick and Easy Installation: No assembly required - simply attach to your favorite pack shoulder strap, trim to fit, and you&#039;re ready for action.<br /> <br /> ✅ Comfort and Reliability: Engineered for maximum comfort with specialized features to ensure a secure grip on your shoulder strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is your trusted companion on every adventure.<br /> <br /> Experience the difference today! Order your Dauos Sling Hook and elevate your hunting experience to new heights. 🌟<br /> <br /> Get Yours Now and Embrace the Freedom of Unrestricted Exploration! 🔥<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fthedauos.com%2Fslinghook&amp;h=AT1JOOsTz2yv9LaREl7UUqJMKt80L3sHvgYz1GqHEJ6clOxSaXJssU05A5VNrC_76wWRumoqEmS7atnMbh7AjqHCoOrGnu3Rbglqm4WmylywJB2ERb9KdARMSrmWuLiLZpoHhlZLqQtWPWwFHcy1Ihf2zWfRzBT2end_2WjFlyE" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://thedauos.com/slinghook</a>		Dauos		298	https://facebook.com/61550049947721	0		SHOP_NOW						1710486000		View Edit Delete
1245308	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199015	1734922109		532		377003948554871		2.8781289752093E+14		1710918000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	107089802492332		0	Dauos			120206129584890072		thedauos.com	Shop now		NONE	video	🔥 Limited Time Offer		https://thedauos.com/products/dauos-sling-hook		1710542800	1.0708980249233E+14	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433397011_1380910225892344_4568544260375518731_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=MCkVxR79ACMAb7_eTd-&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfCGY2lyLIRLpDxEVtNHpdgC1UsllCW9WjT5flV2oroIng&oe=6623362B	person_profile	0	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433365889_1475507159710054_6647650235198966379_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fiD-4aDHd3oAb7h7enJ&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfC_32CtVB0eVEhZzsKN9kcLfHgqg0jyZ3_iHvZAVooTZw&oe=66232077			0	3	🌿 Unleash Your Hunting Potential with the Dauos Sling Hook! 🦌<br /> <br /> Say goodbye to restrictions and hello to freedom with our revolutionary sling catch! Designed for hunters, adventurers, and outdoor enthusiasts, the Dauos Sling Hook ensures your gear stays secure and your hands remain free for the thrill of the hunt.<br /> <br /> ✅ Secure Your Gear: Keep your rifle, bow, crossbow, or camera readily accessible while hiking rugged terrain or crossing streams with ease.<br /> <br /> ✅ Unmatched Versatility: Compatible with any sling up to 5/8&quot; thick and adaptable to any pack strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is the ultimate solution for hunters of all disciplines.<br /> <br /> ✅ Quick and Easy Installation: No assembly required - simply attach to your favorite pack shoulder strap, trim to fit, and you&#039;re ready for action.<br /> <br /> ✅ Comfort and Reliability: Engineered for maximum comfort with specialized features to ensure a secure grip on your shoulder strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is your trusted companion on every adventure.<br /> <br /> Experience the difference today! Order your Dauos Sling Hook and elevate your hunting experience to new heights. 🌟<br /> <br /> Get Yours Now and Embrace the Freedom of Unrestricted Exploration! 🔥<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fthedauos.com%2Fslinghook&amp;h=AT2inxU9HZKmXYF1qjORFsBqNt4Hrhmuo5Dh-sMVe-nUnZaavR1W3AMt8Jb8qFKfFmMQ6C-8PIROImK9a8ZKjvR_z0m9CDp2-TxgmDlh_zn_0akx5Oh5djPSyS64HUpbRrDzi-VixfkhRSHmUZusbo7AUqJegty1-hyKwDtZxPs" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://thedauos.com/slinghook</a>		Dauos		298	https://facebook.com/61550049947721	0		SHOP_NOW						1710486000		View Edit Delete
1245309	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199016	1734922109		532		645079184410984		2.8781289752093E+14		1710918000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	107089802492332		0	Dauos			120206129598160072		thedauos.com	Shop now		NONE	video	🔥 Limited Time Offer		https://thedauos.com/products/dauos-sling-hook		1710542818	1.0708980249233E+14	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431483769_994026922305808_3359678864362015370_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VrMig8TAL8sAb43Hmuw&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfCYxX8cK1oS_4ZubF3J8ur5F8aSgcp5b91ZAZs_Z6PD8g&oe=6623373C	person_profile	0	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431433053_807950507872801_8090519929636540408_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7_EfV4PBY3IAb6Odqdh&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfCrH-CDqGCqPITqvJGhdmdw0ldO9XJqFAJW2YLrNC5AWw&oe=6623290D			0	3	🌿 Unleash Your Hunting Potential with the Dauos Sling Hook! 🦌<br /> <br /> Say goodbye to restrictions and hello to freedom with our revolutionary sling catch! Designed for hunters, adventurers, and outdoor enthusiasts, the Dauos Sling Hook ensures your gear stays secure and your hands remain free for the thrill of the hunt.<br /> <br /> ✅ Secure Your Gear: Keep your rifle, bow, crossbow, or camera readily accessible while hiking rugged terrain or crossing streams with ease.<br /> <br /> ✅ Unmatched Versatility: Compatible with any sling up to 5/8&quot; thick and adaptable to any pack strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is the ultimate solution for hunters of all disciplines.<br /> <br /> ✅ Quick and Easy Installation: No assembly required - simply attach to your favorite pack shoulder strap, trim to fit, and you&#039;re ready for action.<br /> <br /> ✅ Comfort and Reliability: Engineered for maximum comfort with specialized features to ensure a secure grip on your shoulder strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is your trusted companion on every adventure.<br /> <br /> Experience the difference today! Order your Dauos Sling Hook and elevate your hunting experience to new heights. 🌟<br /> <br /> Get Yours Now and Embrace the Freedom of Unrestricted Exploration! 🔥<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fthedauos.com%2Fslinghook&amp;h=AT3WzD9HlXYD8ZLY3TxaiNkbPHMSDNvmdvyxhRN0simXtGLSAMJko3heyjFdT35kwKflDmfIKx71tvo3VXinlm44rQUeulEp6teAbRILwXjdvQpLmDZwdbkU_F1PqbwVLNP01leWf-pYbtJ6wf9KSNNsK517nmjhltAi_5j9LxI" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://thedauos.com/slinghook</a>		Dauos		298	https://facebook.com/61550049947721	0		SHOP_NOW						1710486000		View Edit Delete
1245310	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199016	1734922109		532		764349085655670		2.8781289752093E+14		1711004400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	107089802492332		0	Dauos			120206129593100072		thedauos.com	Shop now		NONE	video	🔥 Limited Time Offer		https://thedauos.com/products/dauos-sling-hook		1710542813	1.0708980249233E+14	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431097112_3489308498047624_2887825571835188470_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=jC5ZuzzmAr4Ab6N_S6l&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBW4X1Hq00ys9Q7RhJhCtNSlRUzBCmtZhM9w9IUR6orEg&oe=66234316	person_profile	0	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431908819_1092978388419841_5234135548026698328_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=y_q49p_wDokAb5RCtjG&_nc_oc=Adi0sL_8YT2VNFQVCnz6XE9Rirlpx787kojVuFIUE-haFQLSCnycC5ZwCLxKbDA_Kcwexw-0zSJcLsTCcqm2kuyx&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfAiawk0trY1hQOqbUgkJpKFK2SxYIMNFhjmTIdhsreg1A&oe=662328D6			0	3	🌿 Unleash Your Hunting Potential with the Dauos Sling Hook! 🦌<br /> <br /> Say goodbye to restrictions and hello to freedom with our revolutionary sling catch! Designed for hunters, adventurers, and outdoor enthusiasts, the Dauos Sling Hook ensures your gear stays secure and your hands remain free for the thrill of the hunt.<br /> <br /> ✅ Secure Your Gear: Keep your rifle, bow, crossbow, or camera readily accessible while hiking rugged terrain or crossing streams with ease.<br /> <br /> ✅ Unmatched Versatility: Compatible with any sling up to 5/8&quot; thick and adaptable to any pack strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is the ultimate solution for hunters of all disciplines.<br /> <br /> ✅ Quick and Easy Installation: No assembly required - simply attach to your favorite pack shoulder strap, trim to fit, and you&#039;re ready for action.<br /> <br /> ✅ Comfort and Reliability: Engineered for maximum comfort with specialized features to ensure a secure grip on your shoulder strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is your trusted companion on every adventure.<br /> <br /> Experience the difference today! Order your Dauos Sling Hook and elevate your hunting experience to new heights. 🌟<br /> <br /> Get Yours Now and Embrace the Freedom of Unrestricted Exploration! 🔥<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fthedauos.com%2Fslinghook&amp;h=AT1r5UYs_HSD7_izyqOStsW1WOGxuux7MzMAbKwyWIu4UqrOSJhpuvuPStqSn2zuvkixwwMpVhtqioNA5EFe6RgvJWLBWGIVe2YVx89foqHWNVtzArtn9vQYIC-a4zOm5kzZ6z8IWiBrxynrxeePQO28Nbkq_Emk3nKTwaBCuNg" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://thedauos.com/slinghook</a>		Dauos		298	https://facebook.com/61550049947721	0		SHOP_NOW						1710486000		View Edit Delete
1245311	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199016	1734922109		532		1133184311017101		2.8781289752093E+14		1711090800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	107089802492332		0	Dauos			120206129603650072		thedauos.com	Shop now		NONE	video	🔥 Limited Time Offer		https://thedauos.com/products/dauos-sling-hook		1710542831	1.0708980249233E+14	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431283774_1521348495098145_886944501097367468_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zhuxugdRJFYAb4zPkH8&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfA0sSfdC7Vv0Z70wcFyZFLdCrOXO27_IunmWnwtv7yW7g&oe=66233AE7	person_profile	0	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431510879_292397493706135_49876471057132494_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8voqPz35YCYAb7DrAIu&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBwR4nqc64OiKA-yk6gS1CkXKBpZQ2il7OfhwZiBruJPw&oe=66232E00			0	3	🌿 Unleash Your Hunting Potential with the Dauos Sling Hook! 🦌<br /> <br /> Say goodbye to restrictions and hello to freedom with our revolutionary sling catch! Designed for hunters, adventurers, and outdoor enthusiasts, the Dauos Sling Hook ensures your gear stays secure and your hands remain free for the thrill of the hunt.<br /> <br /> ✅ Secure Your Gear: Keep your rifle, bow, crossbow, or camera readily accessible while hiking rugged terrain or crossing streams with ease.<br /> <br /> ✅ Unmatched Versatility: Compatible with any sling up to 5/8&quot; thick and adaptable to any pack strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is the ultimate solution for hunters of all disciplines.<br /> <br /> ✅ Quick and Easy Installation: No assembly required - simply attach to your favorite pack shoulder strap, trim to fit, and you&#039;re ready for action.<br /> <br /> ✅ Comfort and Reliability: Engineered for maximum comfort with specialized features to ensure a secure grip on your shoulder strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is your trusted companion on every adventure.<br /> <br /> Experience the difference today! Order your Dauos Sling Hook and elevate your hunting experience to new heights. 🌟<br /> <br /> Get Yours Now and Embrace the Freedom of Unrestricted Exploration! 🔥<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fthedauos.com%2Fslinghook&amp;h=AT08nEepBw2ohoFbpPLd-12uW6NpTRPC2TguOceBSwDb1-SQ-TeoTu-iOrhK5njNPypQTGuskPDXyHQuHtIaLO0VL2Ct9L5Mql1wVO-n9sQZzv59oQRvVrLmkqn9pd31dOL1W2FVx4wc8vO2fOvcKgpKsZqD4K_oyFM6RUfNsxg" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://thedauos.com/slinghook</a>		Dauos		298	https://facebook.com/61550049947721	0		SHOP_NOW						1710486000		View Edit Delete
1245312	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199016	1734922109		532		1314707623265279		2.8781289752093E+14		1711090800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	107089802492332		0	Dauos			120206129598260072		thedauos.com	Shop now		NONE	video	🔥 Limited Time Offer		https://thedauos.com/products/dauos-sling-hook		1710542824	1.0708980249233E+14	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433103891_1600385807401594_3754547429292290629_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=rO5NgBuY4JoAb70ROIA&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBNrgFLiMcYS9cK88aDg1cR2KBQvQy8qSBSfGcUEmZ3hw&oe=6623175B	person_profile	0	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432624223_940670667215116_3933014791145846947_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=PjGebwjYKGgAb6wDjQI&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfB176r3zt9eIlZquC4Wtga0VlF-2Euh8ec_-Lb166dUjw&oe=6623336E			0	3	🌿 Unleash Your Hunting Potential with the Dauos Sling Hook! 🦌<br /> <br /> Say goodbye to restrictions and hello to freedom with our revolutionary sling catch! Designed for hunters, adventurers, and outdoor enthusiasts, the Dauos Sling Hook ensures your gear stays secure and your hands remain free for the thrill of the hunt.<br /> <br /> ✅ Secure Your Gear: Keep your rifle, bow, crossbow, or camera readily accessible while hiking rugged terrain or crossing streams with ease.<br /> <br /> ✅ Unmatched Versatility: Compatible with any sling up to 5/8&quot; thick and adaptable to any pack strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is the ultimate solution for hunters of all disciplines.<br /> <br /> ✅ Quick and Easy Installation: No assembly required - simply attach to your favorite pack shoulder strap, trim to fit, and you&#039;re ready for action.<br /> <br /> ✅ Comfort and Reliability: Engineered for maximum comfort with specialized features to ensure a secure grip on your shoulder strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is your trusted companion on every adventure.<br /> <br /> Experience the difference today! Order your Dauos Sling Hook and elevate your hunting experience to new heights. 🌟<br /> <br /> Get Yours Now and Embrace the Freedom of Unrestricted Exploration! 🔥<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fthedauos.com%2Fslinghook&amp;h=AT3RqDsaZOKfCAyk-Y62rPZu1a5sJKPWmSoVgnXPvUScOxQ03PaYFTcLKZhcaENrE2_1U2PjW8vBBk12qzxblOP2Bvv-VmZgbVycYCA_685Im-W5DSw6sJpW5uV-gQ18uk-4d91N-i-9CvUe6wXiXmMMKXx_hrME3yVc6lccfKY" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://thedauos.com/slinghook</a>		Dauos		298	https://facebook.com/61550049947721	0		SHOP_NOW						1710486000		View Edit Delete
1245313	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199016	1734922109		532		1437720900155013		2.8781289752093E+14		1710918000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	107089802492332		0	Dauos			120206129584960072		thedauos.com	Shop now		NONE	video	🔥 Limited Time Offer		https://thedauos.com/products/dauos-sling-hook		1710542798	1.0708980249233E+14	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432744513_3343176742485953_4601708793226573996_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vVcGRoJPP_wAb6VPmtf&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfAIHXElVyAATpCq35LERlhpGyCfdXm1Kto4fs99BmxAtA&oe=6623165C	person_profile	0	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433101171_900636081791926_4941709115365300452_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZGla7i1QgT0Ab7MZQMc&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfB_F-lXiixja-4PtVi6wk3khGgxqiwEnz55YHeHHyRDjQ&oe=662341B9			0	3	🌿 Unleash Your Hunting Potential with the Dauos Sling Hook! 🦌<br /> <br /> Say goodbye to restrictions and hello to freedom with our revolutionary sling catch! Designed for hunters, adventurers, and outdoor enthusiasts, the Dauos Sling Hook ensures your gear stays secure and your hands remain free for the thrill of the hunt.<br /> <br /> ✅ Secure Your Gear: Keep your rifle, bow, crossbow, or camera readily accessible while hiking rugged terrain or crossing streams with ease.<br /> <br /> ✅ Unmatched Versatility: Compatible with any sling up to 5/8&quot; thick and adaptable to any pack strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is the ultimate solution for hunters of all disciplines.<br /> <br /> ✅ Quick and Easy Installation: No assembly required - simply attach to your favorite pack shoulder strap, trim to fit, and you&#039;re ready for action.<br /> <br /> ✅ Comfort and Reliability: Engineered for maximum comfort with specialized features to ensure a secure grip on your shoulder strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is your trusted companion on every adventure.<br /> <br /> Experience the difference today! Order your Dauos Sling Hook and elevate your hunting experience to new heights. 🌟<br /> <br /> Get Yours Now and Embrace the Freedom of Unrestricted Exploration! 🔥<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fthedauos.com%2Fslinghook&amp;h=AT3A3Ld3BBl17GelBSTdaSER-6H3VpMvcltnnfvOL60EVCsxYdD7JgRzJ6bGnQpJPTdBvtvJg9m1DzEFFoFPiFM7srvCFuls8KKxlOuXvLDg89ALTocPjEevSfX-JxetUC-WcA1JIswM-U7VrRT7W37bc54C_NTfFVGoTuoQgR8" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://thedauos.com/slinghook</a>		Dauos		298	https://facebook.com/61550049947721	0		SHOP_NOW						1710486000		View Edit Delete
1245314	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199016	1734922109		532		2429100250615673		2.8781289752093E+14		1711090800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	107089802492332		0	Dauos			120206129419870072		thedauos.com	Shop now		NONE	video	🔥 Limited Time Offer		https://thedauos.com/products/dauos-sling-hook		1710542511	1.0708980249233E+14	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/430320178_1495346517710718_70324083697686810_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fBc5cW0-tKsAb7GgYZf&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBF2XzKx_kSpTZ7jUWiNvVSjdH39rzkXY3OcLc9rc1sbw&oe=662337ED	person_profile	0	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432090507_314323717958615_3480147196720856946_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=jpIGhUAJHXwAb672tHY&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfAUTYuISycQC6iCV7vcIDfoTaI2snQ2q_pDMkzh7XUlHg&oe=662338B4			0	3	🌿 Unleash Your Hunting Potential with the Dauos Sling Hook! 🦌<br /> <br /> Say goodbye to restrictions and hello to freedom with our revolutionary sling catch! Designed for hunters, adventurers, and outdoor enthusiasts, the Dauos Sling Hook ensures your gear stays secure and your hands remain free for the thrill of the hunt.<br /> <br /> ✅ Secure Your Gear: Keep your rifle, bow, crossbow, or camera readily accessible while hiking rugged terrain or crossing streams with ease.<br /> <br /> ✅ Unmatched Versatility: Compatible with any sling up to 5/8&quot; thick and adaptable to any pack strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is the ultimate solution for hunters of all disciplines.<br /> <br /> ✅ Quick and Easy Installation: No assembly required - simply attach to your favorite pack shoulder strap, trim to fit, and you&#039;re ready for action.<br /> <br /> ✅ Comfort and Reliability: Engineered for maximum comfort with specialized features to ensure a secure grip on your shoulder strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is your trusted companion on every adventure.<br /> <br /> Experience the difference today! Order your Dauos Sling Hook and elevate your hunting experience to new heights. 🌟<br /> <br /> Get Yours Now and Embrace the Freedom of Unrestricted Exploration! 🔥<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fthedauos.com%2Fslinghook&amp;h=AT2CZWuNyy3Sz-uqnELrxvk-tJ8SX-N3RCa5KeQNT_YL3xS9vz3CjedvBVzQj-PzvFbyPPqxqB8sPJnwcrvX1xqVUGCjogg517angMM01y1lxKxbsQ1xU1IW-XLOWrxha0vQP1xinjtIPk-fTSt0GpoqUTZzxynYF0dx1YiaSlk" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://thedauos.com/slinghook</a>		Dauos		298	https://facebook.com/61550049947721	0		SHOP_NOW						1710486000		View Edit Delete
1245315	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199016	1734922109		532		2571717866341595		2.8781289752093E+14		1711090800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	107089802492332		0	Dauos			120206129595880072		thedauos.com	Shop now		NONE	video	🔥 Limited Time Offer		https://thedauos.com/products/dauos-sling-hook		1710542815	1.0708980249233E+14	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432630777_237570609436573_207092304303665070_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Pd0L5JgzaCgAb4p-3ux&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfAsMOoryXCDZhqkA3TqGNEVNlnHu2V2bBVpySaktlir_Q&oe=66231F91	person_profile	0	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433123876_1453147492222222_18301219442974219_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=jZe7jOBE_AcAb4Jlx6f&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfCEEFchI_7IVOOtG4lRcnYKyKZE1frSCmBGXoCQ7rTaCg&oe=66230D90			0	3	🌿 Unleash Your Hunting Potential with the Dauos Sling Hook! 🦌<br /> <br /> Say goodbye to restrictions and hello to freedom with our revolutionary sling catch! Designed for hunters, adventurers, and outdoor enthusiasts, the Dauos Sling Hook ensures your gear stays secure and your hands remain free for the thrill of the hunt.<br /> <br /> ✅ Secure Your Gear: Keep your rifle, bow, crossbow, or camera readily accessible while hiking rugged terrain or crossing streams with ease.<br /> <br /> ✅ Unmatched Versatility: Compatible with any sling up to 5/8&quot; thick and adaptable to any pack strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is the ultimate solution for hunters of all disciplines.<br /> <br /> ✅ Quick and Easy Installation: No assembly required - simply attach to your favorite pack shoulder strap, trim to fit, and you&#039;re ready for action.<br /> <br /> ✅ Comfort and Reliability: Engineered for maximum comfort with specialized features to ensure a secure grip on your shoulder strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is your trusted companion on every adventure.<br /> <br /> Experience the difference today! Order your Dauos Sling Hook and elevate your hunting experience to new heights. 🌟<br /> <br /> Get Yours Now and Embrace the Freedom of Unrestricted Exploration! 🔥<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fthedauos.com%2Fslinghook&amp;h=AT2Vq_mfXQ_W7WYq8rvryn4pyPZdr2l_qzb3DeUm56AdYhXHBLO_5NnbBdZM8_Er8JgjZgceeaYT0cb2xi3DUBox8ZnTfCKXsbugmvr1hoaWRZC_6lvX5iQhuilVvngQ-hw3uvOKaS_Q3WQL484EIH1G0_WjicS6gVqoZF0mhr8" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://thedauos.com/slinghook</a>		Dauos		298	https://facebook.com/61550049947721	0		SHOP_NOW						1710486000		View Edit Delete
1245316	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199016	1734922109		532		386175144291762	10	3.6457520324106E+15		1711090800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	107089802492332		0	Dauos			120206129606090072		thedauos.com	Shop now		NONE	video	🔥 Limited Time Offer		https://thedauos.com/products/dauos-sling-hook		1710542831	1.0708980249233E+14	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432444176_1461245937803618_2351619017030877039_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QqZF2nc2YW8Ab4KNHFw&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfDVZ6q-Ma1VL_1YbUHkqqMftJV4ypm4K_lyfWMPgb80NA&oe=662314A1	person_profile	0	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431912497_1422363348403095_1160456603151060584_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Lm-oCBb60DYAb69tgBV&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfCHCM8yIHzMq0d_R8jI_XRXje7JO4KCuliEw6ldV-dj3A&oe=66232130			0	3	🌿 Unleash Your Hunting Potential with the Dauos Sling Hook! 🦌<br /> <br /> Say goodbye to restrictions and hello to freedom with our revolutionary sling catch! Designed for hunters, adventurers, and outdoor enthusiasts, the Dauos Sling Hook ensures your gear stays secure and your hands remain free for the thrill of the hunt.<br /> <br /> ✅ Secure Your Gear: Keep your rifle, bow, crossbow, or camera readily accessible while hiking rugged terrain or crossing streams with ease.<br /> <br /> ✅ Unmatched Versatility: Compatible with any sling up to 5/8&quot; thick and adaptable to any pack strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is the ultimate solution for hunters of all disciplines.<br /> <br /> ✅ Quick and Easy Installation: No assembly required - simply attach to your favorite pack shoulder strap, trim to fit, and you&#039;re ready for action.<br /> <br /> ✅ Comfort and Reliability: Engineered for maximum comfort with specialized features to ensure a secure grip on your shoulder strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is your trusted companion on every adventure.<br /> <br /> Experience the difference today! Order your Dauos Sling Hook and elevate your hunting experience to new heights. 🌟<br /> <br /> Get Yours Now and Embrace the Freedom of Unrestricted Exploration! 🔥<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fthedauos.com%2Fslinghook&amp;h=AT38ooHNbSWCRulwaFIsW-rF2uW5Ys5BRrccbo5LY0fs_7dVRGko_xvgvHktiXaKOEvU_IpBBQjXwZpWZ9gMVj2RCqEuzzBiGjUEcIXlbKIIgua11QTndeJRmOyzCjM7ewPkhx9ekAXE81NnJe-MoHx39DXnHWsliRqm3aWEE6o" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://thedauos.com/slinghook</a>		Dauos		298	https://facebook.com/61550049947721	0		SHOP_NOW						1710486000		View Edit Delete
1245317	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199016	1734922109		532		421008276955238		3.6457520324106E+15		1711090800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	107089802492332		0	Dauos			120206129593150072		thedauos.com	Shop now		NONE	video	🔥 Limited Time Offer		https://thedauos.com/products/dauos-sling-hook		1710542818	1.0708980249233E+14	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431222967_856180349647967_6950546054463824558_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=odBf54hFF08Ab7xUavK&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfDwKd1B1TGCV9w5fCWIO3kHNGOB4Hc3leu4PHicBHZFNQ&oe=66231A23	person_profile	0	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431195461_412213498023750_3809643012679232514_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xhegYqWl9KMAb5CAdof&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBQTyuW0aNBhJ_m14yRIJd45FvlKT0-D1wQ9rqAcJ_4vg&oe=662319CB			0	3	🌿 Unleash Your Hunting Potential with the Dauos Sling Hook! 🦌<br /> <br /> Say goodbye to restrictions and hello to freedom with our revolutionary sling catch! Designed for hunters, adventurers, and outdoor enthusiasts, the Dauos Sling Hook ensures your gear stays secure and your hands remain free for the thrill of the hunt.<br /> <br /> ✅ Secure Your Gear: Keep your rifle, bow, crossbow, or camera readily accessible while hiking rugged terrain or crossing streams with ease.<br /> <br /> ✅ Unmatched Versatility: Compatible with any sling up to 5/8&quot; thick and adaptable to any pack strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is the ultimate solution for hunters of all disciplines.<br /> <br /> ✅ Quick and Easy Installation: No assembly required - simply attach to your favorite pack shoulder strap, trim to fit, and you&#039;re ready for action.<br /> <br /> ✅ Comfort and Reliability: Engineered for maximum comfort with specialized features to ensure a secure grip on your shoulder strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is your trusted companion on every adventure.<br /> <br /> Experience the difference today! Order your Dauos Sling Hook and elevate your hunting experience to new heights. 🌟<br /> <br /> Get Yours Now and Embrace the Freedom of Unrestricted Exploration! 🔥<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fthedauos.com%2Fslinghook&amp;h=AT3TORempa2DjE1dH0egwKHD5yZAgZBUc7sumJ_MTVXVl5tbQ6xVrlH-lI0NzuC-I30OJqx6jWzXMJ3BTJIJ3RV--NWVUDWZUnGAb20Ju_szP-t8lqwUNh-_uDSnqy5uv-31H3-e3_rIPqSludHN6uZ0cbujPx7htK_bYcyg818" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://thedauos.com/slinghook</a>		Dauos		298	https://facebook.com/61550049947721	0		SHOP_NOW						1710486000		View Edit Delete
1245319	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199017	1734922110		532		710987307863813		3.6457520324106E+15		1710918000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	107089802492332		0	Dauos			120206129588740072		thedauos.com	Shop now		NONE	video	🔥 Limited Time Offer		https://thedauos.com/products/dauos-sling-hook		1710542805	1.0708980249233E+14	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432371939_787533036053074_8518477965223920752_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cFYTG-q60_0Ab6E4hI5&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfDbUpPs23ZSwdSK2eDWHiypt2ptuA4CxkC2jtvpMWn4SQ&oe=66234187	person_profile	0	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432420150_731054349213554_5108879125051733833_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WNpFkAjTKDkAb5uvKru&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfCJu9YQ2FCtS0zygJB-BIvN16-wKhw4MzhcIN7nG6KM-w&oe=6623148C			0	3	🌿 Unleash Your Hunting Potential with the Dauos Sling Hook! 🦌<br /> <br /> Say goodbye to restrictions and hello to freedom with our revolutionary sling catch! Designed for hunters, adventurers, and outdoor enthusiasts, the Dauos Sling Hook ensures your gear stays secure and your hands remain free for the thrill of the hunt.<br /> <br /> ✅ Secure Your Gear: Keep your rifle, bow, crossbow, or camera readily accessible while hiking rugged terrain or crossing streams with ease.<br /> <br /> ✅ Unmatched Versatility: Compatible with any sling up to 5/8&quot; thick and adaptable to any pack strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is the ultimate solution for hunters of all disciplines.<br /> <br /> ✅ Quick and Easy Installation: No assembly required - simply attach to your favorite pack shoulder strap, trim to fit, and you&#039;re ready for action.<br /> <br /> ✅ Comfort and Reliability: Engineered for maximum comfort with specialized features to ensure a secure grip on your shoulder strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is your trusted companion on every adventure.<br /> <br /> Experience the difference today! Order your Dauos Sling Hook and elevate your hunting experience to new heights. 🌟<br /> <br /> Get Yours Now and Embrace the Freedom of Unrestricted Exploration! 🔥<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fthedauos.com%2Fslinghook&amp;h=AT0dhtgWjrKS-I6pw0L14kKnl9Ao2mk-U7PO5TmEIc3FRIvWdVCZ824EIu81uk4DZSWbpYAYUHPu8sbr_6OYcdtGAU5rdCMZ5adE_00kkaSSRRPHv-7fwpiIuTs9_d0E3gsV_mFYFy8amPcUaBP7dUVaJmGZsPNrSAoZhwUWYuw" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://thedauos.com/slinghook</a>		Dauos		298	https://facebook.com/61550049947721	0		SHOP_NOW						1710486000		View Edit Delete
1245320	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199017	1734922110		532		763371545722587		3.6457520324106E+15		1711090800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	107089802492332		0	Dauos			120206129595940072		thedauos.com	Shop now		NONE	video	🔥 Limited Time Offer		https://thedauos.com/products/dauos-sling-hook		1710542813	1.0708980249233E+14	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432058002_1146181586736656_1643957283186047426_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZfPMMlZNibAAb58Iowq&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfA11T_vi_47zmcLDpj_rOuIxRT8v34RoiE10OuXYrug3w&oe=662342B2	person_profile	0	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432128558_1422966421942687_2525188161982282882_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KLsoff2IYfIAb5x25tY&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfDr0VXnSMpC7L2QyeVrS0enYXBXq8tVN54RZJ-DUq73eQ&oe=66231BA1			0	3	🌿 Unleash Your Hunting Potential with the Dauos Sling Hook! 🦌<br /> <br /> Say goodbye to restrictions and hello to freedom with our revolutionary sling catch! Designed for hunters, adventurers, and outdoor enthusiasts, the Dauos Sling Hook ensures your gear stays secure and your hands remain free for the thrill of the hunt.<br /> <br /> ✅ Secure Your Gear: Keep your rifle, bow, crossbow, or camera readily accessible while hiking rugged terrain or crossing streams with ease.<br /> <br /> ✅ Unmatched Versatility: Compatible with any sling up to 5/8&quot; thick and adaptable to any pack strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is the ultimate solution for hunters of all disciplines.<br /> <br /> ✅ Quick and Easy Installation: No assembly required - simply attach to your favorite pack shoulder strap, trim to fit, and you&#039;re ready for action.<br /> <br /> ✅ Comfort and Reliability: Engineered for maximum comfort with specialized features to ensure a secure grip on your shoulder strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is your trusted companion on every adventure.<br /> <br /> Experience the difference today! Order your Dauos Sling Hook and elevate your hunting experience to new heights. 🌟<br /> <br /> Get Yours Now and Embrace the Freedom of Unrestricted Exploration! 🔥<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fthedauos.com%2Fslinghook&amp;h=AT1Etx7afVofh-H1KeAXVbfFiSVNUoBlJ6Y-PHGf84k1UUibys0X-anHRKDYvokyJaCjmuu5Tt6-qjKvYdw4LiFv8ltwPso3aqnx78Jd3wHVBOmNqhgF7HBI_wdq98Rx5lLEII9ywXfvTlkVc3Ym2TW4akoBkkzT_atTn6ayG9Y" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://thedauos.com/slinghook</a>		Dauos		298	https://facebook.com/61550049947721	0		SHOP_NOW						1710486000		View Edit Delete
1245321	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199017	1734922110		532		1801794927007611		3.6457520324106E+15		1710918000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	107089802492332		0	Dauos			120206129584860072		thedauos.com	Shop now		NONE	video	🔥 Limited Time Offer		https://thedauos.com/products/dauos-sling-hook		1710542798	1.0708980249233E+14	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432444324_756309149552715_6081799796211420548_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=DIV7Fq-sFQgAb7-YJMv&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBM3-q20K805yFK2XQOLwnocywX8Kr6Wi5qeTd68iTm9g&oe=66232F69	person_profile	0	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/430470684_368547139499293_5132676558960640184_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=jKApym3tiEwAb75QG2P&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfAISIeXRLWhtem--hI-cqhqQlKYvknZimosM3q_PYU6Xg&oe=66231B01			0	3	🌿 Unleash Your Hunting Potential with the Dauos Sling Hook! 🦌<br /> <br /> Say goodbye to restrictions and hello to freedom with our revolutionary sling catch! Designed for hunters, adventurers, and outdoor enthusiasts, the Dauos Sling Hook ensures your gear stays secure and your hands remain free for the thrill of the hunt.<br /> <br /> ✅ Secure Your Gear: Keep your rifle, bow, crossbow, or camera readily accessible while hiking rugged terrain or crossing streams with ease.<br /> <br /> ✅ Unmatched Versatility: Compatible with any sling up to 5/8&quot; thick and adaptable to any pack strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is the ultimate solution for hunters of all disciplines.<br /> <br /> ✅ Quick and Easy Installation: No assembly required - simply attach to your favorite pack shoulder strap, trim to fit, and you&#039;re ready for action.<br /> <br /> ✅ Comfort and Reliability: Engineered for maximum comfort with specialized features to ensure a secure grip on your shoulder strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is your trusted companion on every adventure.<br /> <br /> Experience the difference today! Order your Dauos Sling Hook and elevate your hunting experience to new heights. 🌟<br /> <br /> Get Yours Now and Embrace the Freedom of Unrestricted Exploration! 🔥<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fthedauos.com%2Fslinghook&amp;h=AT1IPa3zN8qjHPDnOjqtlqyJhyIj7tI1wgVzbvfJ50sqhGR0CfJBOWA4TOz7vMrd5WYMYP1LXmu3UMv4o2IaE1yBwOQhUP2iRy-zd_xm_SiMOEcc_Rv4PGqSwmWHgW-kfJZV_eNiBb-1F9njEf3rLrTqho_qixRYTFz3_oDHk6E" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://thedauos.com/slinghook</a>		Dauos		298	https://facebook.com/61550049947721	0		SHOP_NOW						1710486000		View Edit Delete
1245322	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199017	1734922110		532		2327561667453346		3.6457520324106E+15		1711090800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	107089802492332		0	Dauos			120206129600430072		thedauos.com	Shop now		NONE	video	🔥 Limited Time Offer		https://thedauos.com/products/dauos-sling-hook		1710542826	1.0708980249233E+14	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433140582_381092358211220_6876566416109866305_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WG6_kDvOeOQAb7i429M&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBaVhQjJ2GJ82sttESEHt_OK8oXV5rh8yI_Yk99hQx7XA&oe=662326D3	person_profile	0	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432640585_392982640339456_8940335706455138235_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=OFjBHNt8kGoAb4qij_y&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBKEGFiZTrH56nnDYgpcjJQkajJxW4dsrQSDl36QjrppQ&oe=662337A5			0	3	🌿 Unleash Your Hunting Potential with the Dauos Sling Hook! 🦌<br /> <br /> Say goodbye to restrictions and hello to freedom with our revolutionary sling catch! Designed for hunters, adventurers, and outdoor enthusiasts, the Dauos Sling Hook ensures your gear stays secure and your hands remain free for the thrill of the hunt.<br /> <br /> ✅ Secure Your Gear: Keep your rifle, bow, crossbow, or camera readily accessible while hiking rugged terrain or crossing streams with ease.<br /> <br /> ✅ Unmatched Versatility: Compatible with any sling up to 5/8&quot; thick and adaptable to any pack strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is the ultimate solution for hunters of all disciplines.<br /> <br /> ✅ Quick and Easy Installation: No assembly required - simply attach to your favorite pack shoulder strap, trim to fit, and you&#039;re ready for action.<br /> <br /> ✅ Comfort and Reliability: Engineered for maximum comfort with specialized features to ensure a secure grip on your shoulder strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is your trusted companion on every adventure.<br /> <br /> Experience the difference today! Order your Dauos Sling Hook and elevate your hunting experience to new heights. 🌟<br /> <br /> Get Yours Now and Embrace the Freedom of Unrestricted Exploration! 🔥<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fthedauos.com%2Fslinghook&amp;h=AT3wjSdsBhAz7dQBhk1IFQ7vTdOU4x8n55AlGdTdtaHtHe1uRrptc2itc5wu8jAjw9YCWLjHa4Tbqdd1qhZ4wR80JPomztoKJrsAWnmL-UQS82RX8gcENu9p4hHlXPxFKh4q3LHt0YgcgMeXEXXdTsqZVrPHqULR9BYxayobz24" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://thedauos.com/slinghook</a>		Dauos		298	https://facebook.com/61550049947721	0		SHOP_NOW						1710486000		View Edit Delete
1245323	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199018	1734922110		532		3696117807382548		3.6457520324106E+15		1711090800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	107089802492332		0	Dauos			120206129418470072		thedauos.com	Shop now		NONE	video	🔥 Limited Time Offer		https://thedauos.com/products/dauos-sling-hook		1710542533	1.0708980249233E+14	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432661175_300796076114630_229832205337461666_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XtWMVB_IHJIAb6ceH3g&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfCl7itvRN4TpIiYGgJaa_QjIU-94wugRdItnTQYBcqG3A&oe=66230FB2	person_profile	0	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433095420_284617077997284_8351295717819781865_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=h7oyHpcOUDMAb6P27y3&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfAOannRaogh2ofKA8vaTIvtZIfkYanKXJdkmKVZpl7NkQ&oe=6623348C			0	3	🌿 Unleash Your Hunting Potential with the Dauos Sling Hook! 🦌<br /> <br /> Say goodbye to restrictions and hello to freedom with our revolutionary sling catch! Designed for hunters, adventurers, and outdoor enthusiasts, the Dauos Sling Hook ensures your gear stays secure and your hands remain free for the thrill of the hunt.<br /> <br /> ✅ Secure Your Gear: Keep your rifle, bow, crossbow, or camera readily accessible while hiking rugged terrain or crossing streams with ease.<br /> <br /> ✅ Unmatched Versatility: Compatible with any sling up to 5/8&quot; thick and adaptable to any pack strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is the ultimate solution for hunters of all disciplines.<br /> <br /> ✅ Quick and Easy Installation: No assembly required - simply attach to your favorite pack shoulder strap, trim to fit, and you&#039;re ready for action.<br /> <br /> ✅ Comfort and Reliability: Engineered for maximum comfort with specialized features to ensure a secure grip on your shoulder strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is your trusted companion on every adventure.<br /> <br /> Experience the difference today! Order your Dauos Sling Hook and elevate your hunting experience to new heights. 🌟<br /> <br /> Get Yours Now and Embrace the Freedom of Unrestricted Exploration! 🔥<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fthedauos.com%2Fslinghook&amp;h=AT0BzTjSE2LZBMHbbzrTA0tQddxcl6kV5my-wvBwkEiMsVKBSHF_WrkCSCxLadUrATVb_-1YdVz5BRn0ZJH_tCuzEOIuESZS2CUVJ4pU30VSdRX0IfkqPyWiDcffACENbAh58kK4x31Bp-U2p4GF_gWpAphWDG9POVme-3pwlkQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://thedauos.com/slinghook</a>		Dauos		298	https://facebook.com/61550049947721	0		SHOP_NOW						1710486000		View Edit Delete
1245324	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199019	1734922110		532		420431877334294	2	1.0742673504884E+15		1710745200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	217316998627741		0	Frost & Flame：King of Avalon			120207196020550751		itunes.apple.com	Play game		NONE	video	Play for FREE!		http://itunes.apple.com/app/id1084930849		1710507117	2.1731699862774E+14	Frost & Flame：King of Avalon	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433129755_7585680791488663_4041320278312419263_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=pqwlMJuI0h8Ab4cz0B_&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfAVrC9nKVGwf6skdsBFZJOsaOFlYAv2w1dvzjOmQozr9A&oe=662312E2	person_profile	0	King of Avalon	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432540595_962825225551905_4980250375982958112_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=N9i0A-H5hlwAb7Pwtya&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfCa0ZXH8lmhZmbDmU68Wtu1wMJ7TspcHikMwfJflZuwzA&oe=66232231			0	3	That Game Everyone&#039;s Playing! Join Now!		Frost & Flame：King of Avalon		1212952	https://facebook.com/koadw	0		PLAY_GAME						1710486000		View Edit Delete
1245325	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199020	1734922110		532		3724492474539869	1	7.9421932588545E+14		1711004400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	107089802492332		0	Dauos			120206129418360072		thedauos.com	Shop now		NONE	video	🔥 Limited Time Offer		https://thedauos.com/products/dauos-sling-hook		1710542625	1.0708980249233E+14	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432066330_725909343028498_7639940185673184075_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=sIImVarVCWYAb7OQgJ_&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfCdSVBIURGp14-5EUmMXHfem_d_ZeAd2VRQ5rbGCoFiRg&oe=6623266C	person_profile	0	Dauos	https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432058654_2045303015850541_5672783804985453520_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Xh8INeEgSGQAb4sI8_S&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&oh=00_AfABX1RKowMpjfeyWtFZQ3E1inBhQcILgInK4wG7DMToig&oe=662322E1			0	3	🌿 Unleash Your Hunting Potential with the Dauos Sling Hook! 🦌<br /> <br /> Say goodbye to restrictions and hello to freedom with our revolutionary sling catch! Designed for hunters, adventurers, and outdoor enthusiasts, the Dauos Sling Hook ensures your gear stays secure and your hands remain free for the thrill of the hunt.<br /> <br /> ✅ Secure Your Gear: Keep your rifle, bow, crossbow, or camera readily accessible while hiking rugged terrain or crossing streams with ease.<br /> <br /> ✅ Unmatched Versatility: Compatible with any sling up to 5/8&quot; thick and adaptable to any pack strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is the ultimate solution for hunters of all disciplines.<br /> <br /> ✅ Quick and Easy Installation: No assembly required - simply attach to your favorite pack shoulder strap, trim to fit, and you&#039;re ready for action.<br /> <br /> ✅ Comfort and Reliability: Engineered for maximum comfort with specialized features to ensure a secure grip on your shoulder strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is your trusted companion on every adventure.<br /> <br /> Experience the difference today! Order your Dauos Sling Hook and elevate your hunting experience to new heights. 🌟<br /> <br /> Get Yours Now and Embrace the Freedom of Unrestricted Exploration! 🔥<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fthedauos.com%2Fslinghook&amp;h=AT2MhTXRpz3I06Xt0-s5mRL2A0hAbTiAN-RsQIe6TM-Bk3Sik69X2y7Hfhhlg8ArnP9bL4G1GrSPN4p7F-mWpUM6mlsVywuW7wnyIZw2YIctqGDhdD76jLyuXE1fMwqxUURJE3HemMZLmZcI8jk60z4olC8W0X_KOeo3PJHX11U" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://thedauos.com/slinghook</a>		Dauos		298	https://facebook.com/61550049947721	0		SHOP_NOW						1710486000		View Edit Delete
1245326	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199021	1734922111		532		6716169488484187	10	3.6457520324106E+15		1710918000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	107089802492332		0	Dauos			120206129599890072		thedauos.com	Shop now		NONE	video	🔥 Limited Time Offer		https://thedauos.com/products/dauos-sling-hook		1710542819	1.0708980249233E+14	Dauos	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431521315_1436964896934054_7575039674199463431_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xYJjsah8o1EAb6cg5qw&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBH8jUtKysTb8UIOTVFNjqlM2mgL4R3-VETCp9l7km6Sw&oe=66232AFA	person_profile	0	Dauos	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431211939_440698241631742_744714155624244372_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=k-amXliQuyMAb5kYPRl&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfB9-VCAZVmT7j9dI-9VZj6xK4t1J6wwJfkLbIQqOg_8dA&oe=66232891			0	3	🌿 Unleash Your Hunting Potential with the Dauos Sling Hook! 🦌<br /> <br /> Say goodbye to restrictions and hello to freedom with our revolutionary sling catch! Designed for hunters, adventurers, and outdoor enthusiasts, the Dauos Sling Hook ensures your gear stays secure and your hands remain free for the thrill of the hunt.<br /> <br /> ✅ Secure Your Gear: Keep your rifle, bow, crossbow, or camera readily accessible while hiking rugged terrain or crossing streams with ease.<br /> <br /> ✅ Unmatched Versatility: Compatible with any sling up to 5/8&quot; thick and adaptable to any pack strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is the ultimate solution for hunters of all disciplines.<br /> <br /> ✅ Quick and Easy Installation: No assembly required - simply attach to your favorite pack shoulder strap, trim to fit, and you&#039;re ready for action.<br /> <br /> ✅ Comfort and Reliability: Engineered for maximum comfort with specialized features to ensure a secure grip on your shoulder strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is your trusted companion on every adventure.<br /> <br /> Experience the difference today! Order your Dauos Sling Hook and elevate your hunting experience to new heights. 🌟<br /> <br /> Get Yours Now and Embrace the Freedom of Unrestricted Exploration! 🔥<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fthedauos.com%2Fslinghook&amp;h=AT16_X2HL1PB4h-Pk5Ext0j9K9ZWnGFoYyuSAeDvJECuu_jm9qLhCDYIBSeQ7kmEDaF2pgwakfeFsevICHuYJrYX4KLffIRtQPGbLu6o08gUvFLj5_iUyc16mwF06Mx86j_LJEUeZt4hS-o_7QHHCQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://thedauos.com/slinghook</a>		Dauos		298	https://facebook.com/61550049947721	0		SHOP_NOW						1710486000		View Edit Delete
1245327	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199021	1734922111		532		7564455010338414		3.6457520324106E+15		1711090800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	107089802492332		0	Dauos			120206129588550072		thedauos.com	Shop now		NONE	video	🔥 Limited Time Offer		https://thedauos.com/products/dauos-sling-hook		1710542806	1.0708980249233E+14	Dauos	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432389592_1367460773964203_2110123684750846060_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2faQgAYId3EAb4YYA9q&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCKxMOv_EzDrj35HcIwKn7p-Bmi0ByloJDFlIJDPhUDgA&oe=66231020	person_profile	0	Dauos	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432377349_835771935024141_2268746279950365082_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8MlZ9Fm_VCIAb6EbbAf&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBHKbRsxgSl4yz9-jxoXOxLknxOT13TZ3INxeZIOi_0SA&oe=662319DA			0	3	🌿 Unleash Your Hunting Potential with the Dauos Sling Hook! 🦌<br /> <br /> Say goodbye to restrictions and hello to freedom with our revolutionary sling catch! Designed for hunters, adventurers, and outdoor enthusiasts, the Dauos Sling Hook ensures your gear stays secure and your hands remain free for the thrill of the hunt.<br /> <br /> ✅ Secure Your Gear: Keep your rifle, bow, crossbow, or camera readily accessible while hiking rugged terrain or crossing streams with ease.<br /> <br /> ✅ Unmatched Versatility: Compatible with any sling up to 5/8&quot; thick and adaptable to any pack strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is the ultimate solution for hunters of all disciplines.<br /> <br /> ✅ Quick and Easy Installation: No assembly required - simply attach to your favorite pack shoulder strap, trim to fit, and you&#039;re ready for action.<br /> <br /> ✅ Comfort and Reliability: Engineered for maximum comfort with specialized features to ensure a secure grip on your shoulder strap, the Dauos Sling Hook is your trusted companion on every adventure.<br /> <br /> Experience the difference today! Order your Dauos Sling Hook and elevate your hunting experience to new heights. 🌟<br /> <br /> Get Yours Now and Embrace the Freedom of Unrestricted Exploration! 🔥<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fthedauos.com%2Fslinghook&amp;h=AT3zUz_CdtkurXMCEXY2um9-TykwqB3yplW9xxaZQ903f4LzYIIp81Visv6QEJV95j-Dkg7SxmhMKw67YGGh9BLoco9hIp3JetjsMkFnEPo_bOaM_FpTaLVWZ-ZTejhogXvNHpx81e4i3Ss87Pasug" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://thedauos.com/slinghook</a>		Dauos		298	https://facebook.com/61550049947721	0		SHOP_NOW						1710486000		View Edit Delete
1245332	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199022	1734922111		532		734174078698425	4	7.2883172602714E+14		1711090800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	181760488365196		0	Devices for work			120206954903530256		ridermiseri.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://ridermiseri.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=tBvBWazjmFpYTEwnf7DD&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&fbclid=%7B%7Bfbclid%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&ids=KIyg7d		1710433120	1.817604883652E+14	Devices for work	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432749323_3603536746630424_5387550006119167335_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AuMbQwGCFrsAb7H-xYx&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAAyAb-GpvRq3PLj98DytIb28znp0nUm-VrWlGYgYTZ3A&oe=66230DFB	person_profile	0	Devices for work	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433057000_788509666480211_605598316307431490_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fBgxHNSsNQEAb6w0RlV&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBc4eRKv0vx2rJ8ZrMGd8wHTXczz5oY63ItK0z0wb9Aqw&oe=66232A20			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the 2,759 lucky people who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $9.99 in our spring giveaway 🥳		Devices for work		809	https://facebook.com/61556081113592	0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1710399600		View Edit Delete
1245333	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199022	1734922111		532		1179991743409978		7.2883172602714E+14		1711090800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	181760488365196		0	Devices for work			120207120209950715		ridermiseri.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://ridermiseri.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=tBvBWazjmFpYTEwnf7DD&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&fbclid=%7B%7Bfbclid%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&ids=KIyg7d		1709289005	1.817604883652E+14	Devices for work	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/428687357_769783661720131_7301324727341968366_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8-_BbHZU5oYAb6wDzG3&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD3Z7k_eatR06wtTTpRqKoOQ-E-mLnr7ghmVM_lyIZcDQ&oe=662314C7	person_profile	0	Devices for work	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/429470056_1106213233739513_2596385279901333661_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bzE_OU7SXuAAb5c0JHe&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCaDLFhNqM20aN8wnxcXlrFGMXOpITjTDnZnVcwF1FF6w&oe=66231ECB			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the 2,759 lucky people who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $9.99 in our spring giveaway 🥳		Devices for work		809	https://facebook.com/61556081113592	0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1709280000		View Edit Delete
1245334	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199022	1734922111		532		1496268887598011		7.2883172602714E+14		1711090800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	181760488365196		0	Devices for work			120205836772290634		ridermiseri.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://ridermiseri.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=tBvBWazjmFpYTEwnf7DD&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&fbclid=%7B%7Bfbclid%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&ids=KIyg7d		1709288673	1.817604883652E+14	Devices for work	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/429579093_1360109098011759_4109474163216333547_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=RGEKDyQpEF4Ab6FSlqQ&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDTwQIwif20oMsERf-0N-WPToNFX_rvfy5OSBcB0vJWlQ&oe=66232807	person_profile	0	Devices for work	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/430952391_957794115760510_8441011754437371685_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Jt3Np6VFvHwAb4G6SaX&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD4LZP_x8nCOIoKFbqJP2c25aDcdkzKogXu85gPTqlu9Q&oe=66231758			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the 2,759 lucky people who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $9.99 in our spring giveaway 🥳		Devices for work		809	https://facebook.com/61556081113592	0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1709280000		View Edit Delete
1245335	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199023	1734922111		532		724446923200860	5	3.9029571028666E+14		1711436400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	2296094330467325		0	R2Games			120206427303380727		do.r2games.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Free RPG game. Play NOW	Dark Odyssey, an epic online rpg game that contains AUTOMATIC UPGRADING, endless CHALLENGES, massive BOSS FIGHTS, orc INVASIONS, and CHARACTER CUSTOMIZATION. Get ready to embark on a dark and thrilling journey, increase your power, team up with other players and save the world!	https://www.r2games.com/link.php?id=1011466		1710426064	2.2960943304673E+15	R2Games	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432588189_1571481373675242_1205278681109741644_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5W1yKw50P6MAb53Hjvv&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD-2fx3QwlVjSUiA2NfHg7Tws3fRpvywKTxieM7yn7ZLg&oe=66232F08	person_profile	0					0	3	Welcome to the world of Dark Odyssey! ⚔⚔<br /> The world is full of danger, don&#039;t go alone<br /> 💥💥		R2Games		8533	https://facebook.com/R2GamesNew	0		LEARN_MORE						1710399600		View Edit Delete
1245336	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199023	1734922112		532		623875623227469		3.9029571028666E+14		1711522800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	2296094330467325		0	R2Games			120206427136430727		do.r2games.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Free RPG game. Play NOW	Dark Odyssey, an epic online rpg game that contains AUTOMATIC UPGRADING, endless CHALLENGES, massive BOSS FIGHTS, orc INVASIONS, and CHARACTER CUSTOMIZATION. Get ready to embark on a dark and thrilling journey, increase your power, team up with other players and save the world!	https://www.r2games.com/link.php?id=1011467		1710425847	2.2960943304673E+15	R2Games	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433076508_1141613546865452_4345152077728592799_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vY1t5wgPR10Ab5JDfmm&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDqsD83kOtV48oqt97LXeqMZcwCp-yYMiOW30EBH02lOg&oe=66231FB7	person_profile	0					0	3	Welcome to the world of Dark Odyssey! ⚔⚔<br /> The world is full of danger, don&#039;t go alone<br /> 💥💥		R2Games		8533	https://facebook.com/R2GamesNew	0		LEARN_MORE						1710399600		View Edit Delete
1245338	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199023	1734922112		532		414885104382572	4	1.0638365847142E+15		1711004400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205648360290695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1710416895	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432357478_1211314323177880_4325783941413280995_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TjF6S0bX73QAb5zyxKh&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA2WuW3WpWb8mQ6zXDtq1VDUf1hGo33MmBkHUJIuXM8FQ&oe=66234308	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432450562_343076725398444_2192709193264445098_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=A0ADsCnxjh0Ab4N1cuq&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDWKqR76fnBfaFaBlnDcelYGlZvg20rW_pj0ER5vB-y_w&oe=66230C9B			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1710399600		View Edit Delete
1245339	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199023	1734922112		532		414885104382572	4	1.0638365847142E+15		1711004400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205648360290695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1710416895	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432357478_1211314323177880_4325783941413280995_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TjF6S0bX73QAb5zyxKh&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA2WuW3WpWb8mQ6zXDtq1VDUf1hGo33MmBkHUJIuXM8FQ&oe=66234308	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432450562_343076725398444_2192709193264445098_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=A0ADsCnxjh0Ab4N1cuq&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDWKqR76fnBfaFaBlnDcelYGlZvg20rW_pj0ER5vB-y_w&oe=66230C9B			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1710399600		View Edit Delete
1245340	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199024	1734922112		532		414885104382572	4	1.0638365847142E+15		1711004400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205648360290695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1710416895	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432357478_1211314323177880_4325783941413280995_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TjF6S0bX73QAb5zyxKh&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA2WuW3WpWb8mQ6zXDtq1VDUf1hGo33MmBkHUJIuXM8FQ&oe=66234308	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432450562_343076725398444_2192709193264445098_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=A0ADsCnxjh0Ab4N1cuq&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDWKqR76fnBfaFaBlnDcelYGlZvg20rW_pj0ER5vB-y_w&oe=66230C9B			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1710399600		View Edit Delete
1245341	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199024	1734922112		532		414885104382572	4	1.0638365847142E+15		1711004400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205648360290695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1710416895	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432357478_1211314323177880_4325783941413280995_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TjF6S0bX73QAb5zyxKh&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA2WuW3WpWb8mQ6zXDtq1VDUf1hGo33MmBkHUJIuXM8FQ&oe=66234308	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432450562_343076725398444_2192709193264445098_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=A0ADsCnxjh0Ab4N1cuq&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDWKqR76fnBfaFaBlnDcelYGlZvg20rW_pj0ER5vB-y_w&oe=66230C9B			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1710399600		View Edit Delete
1245342	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199024	1734922112		532		414885104382572	4	1.0638365847142E+15		1711004400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205648360290695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1710416895	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432357478_1211314323177880_4325783941413280995_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TjF6S0bX73QAb5zyxKh&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA2WuW3WpWb8mQ6zXDtq1VDUf1hGo33MmBkHUJIuXM8FQ&oe=66234308	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432450562_343076725398444_2192709193264445098_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=A0ADsCnxjh0Ab4N1cuq&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDWKqR76fnBfaFaBlnDcelYGlZvg20rW_pj0ER5vB-y_w&oe=66230C9B			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1710399600		View Edit Delete
1245343	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199024	1734922113		532		414885104382572	4	1.0638365847142E+15		1711004400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205648360290695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1710416895	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432357478_1211314323177880_4325783941413280995_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TjF6S0bX73QAb5zyxKh&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA2WuW3WpWb8mQ6zXDtq1VDUf1hGo33MmBkHUJIuXM8FQ&oe=66234308	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432450562_343076725398444_2192709193264445098_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=A0ADsCnxjh0Ab4N1cuq&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDWKqR76fnBfaFaBlnDcelYGlZvg20rW_pj0ER5vB-y_w&oe=66230C9B			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1710399600		View Edit Delete
1245344	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199024	1734922113		532		414885104382572	4	1.0638365847142E+15		1711004400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205648360290695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1710416895	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432357478_1211314323177880_4325783941413280995_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TjF6S0bX73QAb5zyxKh&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA2WuW3WpWb8mQ6zXDtq1VDUf1hGo33MmBkHUJIuXM8FQ&oe=66234308	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432450562_343076725398444_2192709193264445098_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=A0ADsCnxjh0Ab4N1cuq&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDWKqR76fnBfaFaBlnDcelYGlZvg20rW_pj0ER5vB-y_w&oe=66230C9B			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1710399600		View Edit Delete
1245345	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199024	1734922113		532		414885104382572	4	1.0638365847142E+15		1711004400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205648360290695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1710416895	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432357478_1211314323177880_4325783941413280995_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TjF6S0bX73QAb5zyxKh&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA2WuW3WpWb8mQ6zXDtq1VDUf1hGo33MmBkHUJIuXM8FQ&oe=66234308	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432450562_343076725398444_2192709193264445098_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=A0ADsCnxjh0Ab4N1cuq&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDWKqR76fnBfaFaBlnDcelYGlZvg20rW_pj0ER5vB-y_w&oe=66230C9B			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1710399600		View Edit Delete
1245349	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199024	1734922114		532		414885104382572	4	1.0638365847142E+15		1711004400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205648360290695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1710416895	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432357478_1211314323177880_4325783941413280995_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TjF6S0bX73QAb5zyxKh&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA2WuW3WpWb8mQ6zXDtq1VDUf1hGo33MmBkHUJIuXM8FQ&oe=66234308	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432450562_343076725398444_2192709193264445098_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=A0ADsCnxjh0Ab4N1cuq&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDWKqR76fnBfaFaBlnDcelYGlZvg20rW_pj0ER5vB-y_w&oe=66230C9B			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1710399600		View Edit Delete
1245350	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199024	1734922114		532		414885104382572	4	1.0638365847142E+15		1711004400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205648360290695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1710416895	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432357478_1211314323177880_4325783941413280995_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TjF6S0bX73QAb5zyxKh&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA2WuW3WpWb8mQ6zXDtq1VDUf1hGo33MmBkHUJIuXM8FQ&oe=66234308	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432450562_343076725398444_2192709193264445098_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=A0ADsCnxjh0Ab4N1cuq&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDWKqR76fnBfaFaBlnDcelYGlZvg20rW_pj0ER5vB-y_w&oe=66230C9B			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1710399600		View Edit Delete
1245351	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199024	1734922114		532		414885104382572	4	1.0638365847142E+15		1711004400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205648360290695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1710416895	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432357478_1211314323177880_4325783941413280995_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TjF6S0bX73QAb5zyxKh&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA2WuW3WpWb8mQ6zXDtq1VDUf1hGo33MmBkHUJIuXM8FQ&oe=66234308	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432450562_343076725398444_2192709193264445098_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=A0ADsCnxjh0Ab4N1cuq&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDWKqR76fnBfaFaBlnDcelYGlZvg20rW_pj0ER5vB-y_w&oe=66230C9B			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1710399600		View Edit Delete
1245352	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199024	1734922114		532		414885104382572	4	1.0638365847142E+15		1711004400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205648360290695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1710416895	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432357478_1211314323177880_4325783941413280995_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TjF6S0bX73QAb5zyxKh&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA2WuW3WpWb8mQ6zXDtq1VDUf1hGo33MmBkHUJIuXM8FQ&oe=66234308	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432450562_343076725398444_2192709193264445098_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=A0ADsCnxjh0Ab4N1cuq&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDWKqR76fnBfaFaBlnDcelYGlZvg20rW_pj0ER5vB-y_w&oe=66230C9B			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1710399600		View Edit Delete
1245383	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199031	1734922114		532		738833164959300	2	8.1286126393833E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	892588401116730		0	Practice Anywhere			120204193096150376		accubow.com	Shop Now		NONE	carousel	Code:ACCU20	Limited Time!	https://accubow.com/		1705091021	8.9258840111673E+14	Practice Anywhere	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/419133673_310227124771438_972601204068737509_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=STORPAUIGTQAb6kFVF0&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAt05zN0Ws9LdeumQqVK1B8uP57N81fRQkqYat33EfoDA&oe=66233123	person_profile	0	Practice anywhere	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/419119670_317631567934896_2992698053173032227_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ay07OQRRZvQAb5uNbB3&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBLvEbiwnWL6WVwbzyWv3vmU_ZyuH2APXWLIAbo4qBcgQ&oe=66232C06			0	3	Limited Time!		Practice Anywhere		9799	https://facebook.com/practiceanywherenow	0		SHOP_NOW						1709107200		View Edit Delete
1245353	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199025	1734922114		532		414885104382572	4	1.0638365847142E+15		1711004400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205648360290695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1710416895	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432357478_1211314323177880_4325783941413280995_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TjF6S0bX73QAb5zyxKh&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA2WuW3WpWb8mQ6zXDtq1VDUf1hGo33MmBkHUJIuXM8FQ&oe=66234308	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432450562_343076725398444_2192709193264445098_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=A0ADsCnxjh0Ab4N1cuq&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDWKqR76fnBfaFaBlnDcelYGlZvg20rW_pj0ER5vB-y_w&oe=66230C9B			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1710399600		View Edit Delete
1245354	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199025	1734922114		532		414885104382572	4	1.0638365847142E+15		1711004400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205648360290695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1710416895	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432357478_1211314323177880_4325783941413280995_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TjF6S0bX73QAb5zyxKh&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA2WuW3WpWb8mQ6zXDtq1VDUf1hGo33MmBkHUJIuXM8FQ&oe=66234308	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432450562_343076725398444_2192709193264445098_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=A0ADsCnxjh0Ab4N1cuq&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDWKqR76fnBfaFaBlnDcelYGlZvg20rW_pj0ER5vB-y_w&oe=66230C9B			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1710399600		View Edit Delete
1245356	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199025	1734922115		532		414885104382572	4	1.0638365847142E+15		1711004400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205648360290695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1710416895	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432357478_1211314323177880_4325783941413280995_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TjF6S0bX73QAb5zyxKh&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA2WuW3WpWb8mQ6zXDtq1VDUf1hGo33MmBkHUJIuXM8FQ&oe=66234308	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432450562_343076725398444_2192709193264445098_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=A0ADsCnxjh0Ab4N1cuq&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDWKqR76fnBfaFaBlnDcelYGlZvg20rW_pj0ER5vB-y_w&oe=66230C9B			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1710399600		View Edit Delete
1245357	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199025	1734922115		532		414885104382572	4	1.0638365847142E+15		1711004400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205648360290695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1710416895	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432357478_1211314323177880_4325783941413280995_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TjF6S0bX73QAb5zyxKh&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA2WuW3WpWb8mQ6zXDtq1VDUf1hGo33MmBkHUJIuXM8FQ&oe=66234308	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432450562_343076725398444_2192709193264445098_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=A0ADsCnxjh0Ab4N1cuq&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDWKqR76fnBfaFaBlnDcelYGlZvg20rW_pj0ER5vB-y_w&oe=66230C9B			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1710399600		View Edit Delete
1245384	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199031	1734922115		532		738833164959300	2	8.1286126393833E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	892588401116730		0	Practice Anywhere			120204193096150376		accubow.com	Shop Now		NONE	carousel	Code:ACCU20	Limited Time!	https://accubow.com/		1705091021	8.9258840111673E+14	Practice Anywhere	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/419133673_310227124771438_972601204068737509_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=STORPAUIGTQAb6kFVF0&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAt05zN0Ws9LdeumQqVK1B8uP57N81fRQkqYat33EfoDA&oe=66233123	person_profile	0	Practice anywhere	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/419119670_317631567934896_2992698053173032227_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ay07OQRRZvQAb5uNbB3&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBLvEbiwnWL6WVwbzyWv3vmU_ZyuH2APXWLIAbo4qBcgQ&oe=66232C06			0	3	Limited Time!		Practice Anywhere		9799	https://facebook.com/practiceanywherenow	0		SHOP_NOW						1709107200		View Edit Delete
1245358	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199025	1734922115		532		414885104382572	4	1.0638365847142E+15		1711004400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205648360290695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1710416895	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432357478_1211314323177880_4325783941413280995_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TjF6S0bX73QAb5zyxKh&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA2WuW3WpWb8mQ6zXDtq1VDUf1hGo33MmBkHUJIuXM8FQ&oe=66234308	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432450562_343076725398444_2192709193264445098_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=A0ADsCnxjh0Ab4N1cuq&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDWKqR76fnBfaFaBlnDcelYGlZvg20rW_pj0ER5vB-y_w&oe=66230C9B			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1710399600		View Edit Delete
1245359	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199025	1734922115		532		414885104382572	4	1.0638365847142E+15		1711004400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108974115788755		0	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING			120205648360290695		campaign.edmiston.com	Learn More		NONE	dco	Preference 19	Start planning your charter.	https://campaign.edmiston.com/charter/		1710416895	1.0897411578876E+14	EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432357478_1211314323177880_4325783941413280995_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TjF6S0bX73QAb5zyxKh&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA2WuW3WpWb8mQ6zXDtq1VDUf1hGo33MmBkHUJIuXM8FQ&oe=66234308	person_profile	0	Edmiston & Company	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432450562_343076725398444_2192709193264445098_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=A0ADsCnxjh0Ab4N1cuq&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDWKqR76fnBfaFaBlnDcelYGlZvg20rW_pj0ER5vB-y_w&oe=66230C9B			0	3	The possibilities are endless with a superyacht charter. No other holiday can compare, no other experience comes close.		EDMISTON - WORLD LEADERS IN YACHTING		8588	https://facebook.com/edmiston	0		LEARN_MORE						1710399600		View Edit Delete
1245360	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199025	1734922115		532		1611407152950294	1	3.2448994394897E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	265052230017125		0	Prize Palooza			120206603755500654		emergclutch.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇 текст		https://emergclutch.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=3mmVUnZu9O6vIo7UVx8l&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&fbpxl=%7B%7Bfbpxl%7D%7D		1710227059	2.6505223001712E+14	Prize Palooza	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/430314909_292943640277910_6593818600642220211_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=MLk983X0B3wAb6X8XZY&_nc_oc=AdheYvtaXY7ptrRaIPvmP88pFv_sZ6muYpJ3iRnP0SUYTCDPHErpTw4BVieG3LKqjf8&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBO2Jk0E_DzTEjbmMU3aT5Dk9FZISkOZDAp-C6OrXOisg&oe=662317C9	person_profile	0	Prize Palooza	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/430295126_722346280084509_5567710850298741699_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0WtVQZDnD24Ab7z7sTt&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBPqND5nTqXVhNYB_DN7NuH4IWXGRCOJS9EVvWtfezmfQ&oe=66233271			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳		Prize Palooza		255	https://facebook.com/61556812859534	0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1710313200		View Edit Delete
1245362	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199025	1734922115		532		1452702805352971	1	4.0010601264153E+14		1710745200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	148034835056966		0	Titan Revenge			120207576048030127		gamehollywood.com	Play Game		NONE	dco	Welcome to Titan Revenge!	{{product.description}}	https://www.gamehollywood.com/ldp/cEEx.action?gameId=239&lp=tr14&cno=TitanRevenge_GHG_FB_T1		1709956430	1.4803483505697E+14	Titan Revenge	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/428712680_418826437305195_5858516169441456784_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_F3QAYgW1U0Ab6SGfgA&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAEztqESTNGkpaqikbaHR-5Fkkh_ElGLiX0JDffYOCw8A&oe=66232F6A	person_profile	0					0	3	Join Titan Revenge for Epic RPG Action Battle, come discover and challenge! 💥💥		Titan Revenge		10266	https://facebook.com/TitanRevenge	0		PLAY_GAME						1709884800		View Edit Delete
1245368	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199026	1734922116		532		7129388660511901	4	9.452229571124E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	265052230017125		0	Prize Palooza			120206929981810468		emergclutch.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇 текст		https://emergclutch.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=3mmVUnZu9O6vIo7UVx8l&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&fbpxl=%7B%7Bfbpxl%7D%7D		1709852335	2.6505223001712E+14	Prize Palooza	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/428688474_340854551685842_3924861629061134291_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=V0ZfSN4ZSmMAb7osXW4&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAtGcQfUNbhIr6Waz6GU-LTjkskLOXjlr70yCohOSGf-w&oe=662318C9	person_profile	0	Prize Palooza	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/428705876_858062473000387_4431262504193481139_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_aid=0&_nc_ohc=mrtTwhR6cgkAb5A4R2s&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCy5e4aO6E6pYpptD1JklFJoYJQm_QbdpJiI7NYy1cs_A&oe=66233A71			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳		Prize Palooza		255	https://facebook.com/61556812859534	0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1709884800		View Edit Delete
1245369	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199027	1734922116		532		735871754983692		9.452229571124E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	265052230017125		0	Prize Palooza			120207474125870661		emergclutch.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇 текст		https://emergclutch.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=3mmVUnZu9O6vIo7UVx8l&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&fbpxl=%7B%7Bfbpxl%7D%7D		1709851511	2.6505223001712E+14	Prize Palooza	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432099490_425246760010842_2579172947423839997_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Z-gzEQEn1UUAb5Qf-UZ&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAZCzEMi0tFCaSJY1slMywJ8OhRcNvsR6pIH-5poVkdTw&oe=66232137	person_profile	0	Prize Palooza	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/430315245_404871735480318_4897940197665244837_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oM0KUb1CXl4Ab7tBjvf&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC0FX0334A6j20ScEpGsNkopH824qh0-4Gq33bP5DszmQ&oe=66232220			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳		Prize Palooza		255	https://facebook.com/61556812859534	0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1709798400		View Edit Delete
1245370	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199027	1734922116		532		374967288757780		9.452229571124E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	265052230017125		0	Prize Palooza			120207474126270661		emergclutch.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇 текст		https://emergclutch.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=3mmVUnZu9O6vIo7UVx8l&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&fbpxl=%7B%7Bfbpxl%7D%7D		1709851508	2.6505223001712E+14	Prize Palooza	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/430848798_1084129976040238_3391539901504454593_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=d8ofTv254IcAb78k5oD&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCcYeX4q3aB1m9hWYzkCJry_gd7x6h_InNe_Sjof278qA&oe=66231938	person_profile	0	Prize Palooza	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/430824602_765016395553927_1703459050874290185_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Azw5k6uNrWIAb5Z8BbY&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD2xp6E1cB-qXP4uLn_MoRbbObQ80dlLcF0wgrdjnFEHw&oe=66233E15			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳		Prize Palooza		255	https://facebook.com/61556812859534	0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1709798400		View Edit Delete
1245371	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199027	1734922116		532		960088718345925	2	7.2126186315694E+14		1710658800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	261497253706396		0	LV for Everyone			120205921510520393		unripenesss.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://unripenesss.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=Ia8EHtSNvPE5xLhIca1t&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&fbclid=%7B%7Bfbclid%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&id=IUYfiii5x		1709724453	2.614972537064E+14	LV for Everyone	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/428694019_1120099312746280_1304942596648389719_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0JdXwJ5BAu4Ab7m9Y_x&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD29MOnIBKK9fSGB6wjenpbyJnFD6XjZJPZA7VKWK-JPQ&oe=662325F5	person_profile	0	LV for Everyone	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/428687806_389196940384521_5248875778367170400_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=m9L5R8QkP88Ab7kQZUO&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBRbsD_G3KJM4Q_vXP4y1pdIYAQ88Whxa00mQqCzOXbOA&oe=66232512			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 2,975 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $9.97 in our spring giveaway 🥳		LV for Everyone		844	https://facebook.com/61556390108579	0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1709712000		View Edit Delete
1245385	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199032	1734922116		532		738833164959300	2	8.1286126393833E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	892588401116730		0	Practice Anywhere			120204193096150376		accubow.com	Shop Now		NONE	carousel	Code:ACCU20	Limited Time!	https://accubow.com/		1705091021	8.9258840111673E+14	Practice Anywhere	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/419133673_310227124771438_972601204068737509_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=STORPAUIGTQAb6kFVF0&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAt05zN0Ws9LdeumQqVK1B8uP57N81fRQkqYat33EfoDA&oe=66233123	person_profile	0	Practice anywhere	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/419119670_317631567934896_2992698053173032227_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ay07OQRRZvQAb5uNbB3&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBLvEbiwnWL6WVwbzyWv3vmU_ZyuH2APXWLIAbo4qBcgQ&oe=66232C06			0	3	Limited Time!		Practice Anywhere		9799	https://facebook.com/practiceanywherenow	0		SHOP_NOW						1709107200		View Edit Delete
1245372	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199027	1734922116		532		1216832515955091		7.2126186315694E+14		1710572400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	261497253706396		0	LV for Everyone			120206265524130255		unripenesss.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://unripenesss.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=Ia8EHtSNvPE5xLhIca1t&ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign_name={{campaign.name}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}&adset_name={{adset.name}}&placement={{placement}}&fbclid={{fbclid}}&site_source_name={{site_source_name}}&id=IUYfiii5x		1709314931	2.614972537064E+14	LV for Everyone	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431059010_3676131662670040_5343693385323575810_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=m7gReBZGXMYAb72G7Ft&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfA_uepPLKkKqDhsyPJcMsdRncWQ80iNE_2vmemBlz3y0w&oe=66232276	person_profile	0	LV for Everyone	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431158860_1524738084752268_6322986587223920682_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QVjW69oHicAAb6I6QWp&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAOuHFqVWDOUxSN50Kdn4NoNLL2-L7nRPLgnaBkKlfuzQ&oe=662337A2			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 2,975 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $9.97 in our spring giveaway 🥳		LV for Everyone		844	https://facebook.com/61556390108579	0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1709280000		View Edit Delete
1245373	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199028	1734922116		532		7759540307392390	1	4.1612359091104E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	100365976129594		0	Puzzles & Chaos			120206728737530421		play.google.com	Play game		NONE	video	The winter is coming		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.global.pnck		1709535800	1.0036597612959E+14	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/428675024_1134118907775547_1470778305470570191_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8x1a6_-uARoAb50iRwW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBWPmVLK39GHQ8gyQ-odqWJjeU3LUwTm8GTYLD6VUuuYA&oe=66232A03	person_profile	0	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/428713244_742789704618490_2040688107521860061_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FkEuFCqUg7cAb5KyS0Y&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAoWjQKTKVZjeukfrgSwqqaipk97yrnXxfdxjNdmqIC0A&oe=662310D9			0	3	Save your home through match-3 combat.⚠		Puzzles & Chaos		11827	https://facebook.com/PuzzlesAndChaos	0		PLAY_GAME						1709452800		View Edit Delete
1245374	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199028	1734922116		532		1591682571585046	1	1.0016626147379E+15		1710313200	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	108124922119098		0	Eternal Hunt: Dark Ancients			120206777282770285		itunes.apple.com	Install Now		NONE	dco	Get 777 Free Draws🎉	{{product.description}}	http://itunes.apple.com/app/id1664335636		1709534957	1.081249221191E+14	Eternal Hunt: Dark Ancients	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/428702953_1294895474745022_271974139990118811_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JRp3D13OGIEAb5VNtrX&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBT4oO9SCAkkdWywDjnFxQubKVa8YZFF1oY7j1sQB5frA&oe=66232E60	person_profile	0	Eternal Hunt: Dark Ancients	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/428710853_1568509233982901_1797576216710430314_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=BZHmZYKVLBwAb7X-p81&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBGUtQgrhtNSCWRcECRtERaR0ZgwbCt0iOZprWNBHMZ6g&oe=66232F56			0	3	The Dungeon's door has opened🎉Forge Your Own Hero's Journey📲		Eternal Hunt: Dark Ancients		1744	https://facebook.com/100088190161207	0		INSTALL_MOBILE_APP						1709452800		View Edit Delete
1245386	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199032	1734922117		532		738833164959300	2	8.1286126393833E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	892588401116730		0	Practice Anywhere			120204193096150376		accubow.com	Shop Now		NONE	carousel	Code:ACCU20	Limited Time!	https://accubow.com/		1705091021	8.9258840111673E+14	Practice Anywhere	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/419133673_310227124771438_972601204068737509_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=STORPAUIGTQAb6kFVF0&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAt05zN0Ws9LdeumQqVK1B8uP57N81fRQkqYat33EfoDA&oe=66233123	person_profile	0	Practice anywhere	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/419119670_317631567934896_2992698053173032227_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ay07OQRRZvQAb5uNbB3&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBLvEbiwnWL6WVwbzyWv3vmU_ZyuH2APXWLIAbo4qBcgQ&oe=66232C06			0	3	Limited Time!		Practice Anywhere		9799	https://facebook.com/practiceanywherenow	0		SHOP_NOW						1709107200		View Edit Delete
1245377	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199028	1734922117		532		1116952662710166	1	9.4322723018246E+14		1711004400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	218810774653254		0	Techguru			120206813998670263		ridermiseri.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://ridermiseri.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=tBvBWazjmFpYTEwnf7DD&ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign_name={{campaign.name}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}&adset_name={{adset.name}}&placement={{placement}}&fbclid={{fbclid}}&site_source_name={{site_source_name}}&ids=KIyg7d		1709354939	2.1881077465325E+14	Techguru	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/429548950_1749256132264153_2121853105467280595_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JPur_-ewcR4Ab4wE4-c&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDG3lECih8BKqB-vEwSCbxzmx_fLKe_2tji1-KldDBp5Q&oe=66232729	person_profile	0	Techguru	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/428699798_422937976850574_8478791820033969524_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=DbWiG637aIQAb4dG-FY&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCgQyGCNjN2lycEFMq3TSzOa9Xo74WbnxRXjJq6XNjOSA&oe=6623176F			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 2,973 individuals who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $9.95 in our giveaway, 🥳		Techguru		831	https://facebook.com/61556263801499	0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1709366400		View Edit Delete
1245379	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199029	1734922118		532		414134284311009	1	2.0420591994978E+15		1710140400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	105810599097200		0	ZW-Shooting Game			120204959886800534		play.google.com	Install now		NONE	video	Zombies are coming！		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ddup.zombiewaves.zw		1709296233	1.058105990972E+14	ZW-Shooting Game	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/428503942_923884975719354_5477108965959599606_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=r_9znlRJf3YAb4j8kYq&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD3FQU7CrjAR4TWF6fhecSmo7U6Ukp62Z-wRccG4rkM_A&oe=66231C65	person_profile	0	ZW-Shooting Game	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/428507678_1732926830526868_6324205797696489579_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=iK_WCXZBvswAb5w1Gvk&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCXjkdupJQlKdYQP32exaflnCmSdAW1wU_eJ8VaoxpqTA&oe=66231C9F			0	3	How Long Can You Survive? 👉<br /> 😱😱 Can You Survive The Next!🙏		ZW-Shooting Game		26	https://facebook.com/100090268868472	0		INSTALL_MOBILE_APP						1709280000		View Edit Delete
1245380	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199029	1734922118		532		1082786276177405	4	7.2883172602714E+14		1711090800	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	181760488365196		0	Devices for work			120206129045290114		ridermiseri.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://ridermiseri.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=tBvBWazjmFpYTEwnf7DD&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&campaign_name=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&ad_name=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D&adset_name=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&placement=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&fbclid=%7B%7Bfbclid%7D%7D&site_source_name=%7B%7Bsite_source_name%7D%7D&ids=KIyg7d		1709270620	1.817604883652E+14	Devices for work	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/430489326_24802103736104516_8300198805730771556_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bR3gqudtGmcAb78p1X1&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD8Gb6utKE7fnbDiqlKZl4cRb5B2DOQUc1MoPUgC5ba1A&oe=66231B1B	person_profile	0	Devices for work	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/429908169_791748129666468_5888067511520341142_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=kW-mDygWPZoAb6UAEpo&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAAIOGBO34nbhZuQpJIaaEo8M_EfWt-CgpU1TqN2ndweQ&oe=66232D09			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the 2,759 lucky people who have secured a TenPoint Nitro 505 for just $9.99 in our spring giveaway 🥳		Devices for work		809	https://facebook.com/61556081113592	0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1709280000		View Edit Delete
1245381	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199030	1734922118		532		738833164959300	2	8.1286126393833E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	892588401116730		0	Practice Anywhere			120204193096150376		accubow.com	Shop Now		NONE	carousel	Code:ACCU20	Limited Time!	https://accubow.com/		1705091021	8.9258840111673E+14	Practice Anywhere	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/419133673_310227124771438_972601204068737509_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=STORPAUIGTQAb6kFVF0&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAt05zN0Ws9LdeumQqVK1B8uP57N81fRQkqYat33EfoDA&oe=66233123	person_profile	0	Practice anywhere	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/419119670_317631567934896_2992698053173032227_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ay07OQRRZvQAb5uNbB3&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBLvEbiwnWL6WVwbzyWv3vmU_ZyuH2APXWLIAbo4qBcgQ&oe=66232C06			0	3	Limited Time!		Practice Anywhere		9799	https://facebook.com/practiceanywherenow	0		SHOP_NOW						1709107200		View Edit Delete
1245382	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199030	1734922118		532		738833164959300	2	8.1286126393833E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	892588401116730		0	Practice Anywhere			120204193096150376		accubow.com	Shop Now		NONE	carousel	Code:ACCU20	Limited Time!	https://accubow.com/		1705091021	8.9258840111673E+14	Practice Anywhere	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/419133673_310227124771438_972601204068737509_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=STORPAUIGTQAb6kFVF0&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAt05zN0Ws9LdeumQqVK1B8uP57N81fRQkqYat33EfoDA&oe=66233123	person_profile	0	Practice anywhere	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/419119670_317631567934896_2992698053173032227_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ay07OQRRZvQAb5uNbB3&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBLvEbiwnWL6WVwbzyWv3vmU_ZyuH2APXWLIAbo4qBcgQ&oe=66232C06			0	3	Limited Time!		Practice Anywhere		9799	https://facebook.com/practiceanywherenow	0		SHOP_NOW						1709107200		View Edit Delete
1245393	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199035	1734922119		532		407103728523856	5	3.9029571028666E+14		1710831600	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	2296094330467325		0	R2Games			120205738991330727		do.r2games.com	Play game		NONE	image	Play Now	Dark Odyssey, an epic online rpg game that contains AUTOMATIC UPGRADING, endless CHALLENGES, massive BOSS FIGHTS, orc INVASIONS, and CHARACTER CUSTOMIZATION. Get ready to embark on a dark and thrilling journey, increase your power, team up with other players and save the world!	https://www.r2games.com/link.php?id=1010827		1709003774	2.2960943304673E+15	R2Games	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/430158640_760048506051685_1350157845783949232_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=D4U8KBnqrJ0Ab66BQte&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCbWN9XY0gmuwmRuafxyVkOKe88U9dFSCLYZc3Dlaogag&oe=66233AA6	person_profile	0					0	3	Welcome to the world of Dark Odyssey! ⚔⚔<br /> The world is full of danger, don&#039;t go alone<br /> 💥💥		R2Games		8533	https://facebook.com/R2GamesNew	0		PLAY_GAME						1708934400		View Edit Delete
1245394	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199035	1734922119		532		408970121800109		3.9029571028666E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	2296094330467325		0	R2Games			120205553667330727		do.r2games.com	Learn more		NONE	image	Free RPG game. Play NOW	Dark Odyssey, an epic online rpg game that contains AUTOMATIC UPGRADING, endless CHALLENGES, massive BOSS FIGHTS, orc INVASIONS, and CHARACTER CUSTOMIZATION. Get ready to embark on a dark and thrilling journey, increase your power, team up with other players and save the world!	https://www.r2games.com/link.php?id=1010869		1708670502	2.2960943304673E+15	R2Games	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/428613985_285235354389308_1755750585622662603_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=c9EA6GU1BqkAb5Dqh-b&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAoR1JaiKzwalQmPduszkDi3l4qk59BaDZ1LFRWje2ztA&oe=66232AD2	person_profile	0					0	3	Welcome to the world of Dark Odyssey! ⚔⚔<br /> The world is full of danger, don&#039;t go alone<br /> 💥💥		R2Games		8533	https://facebook.com/R2GamesNew	0		LEARN_MORE						1708588800		View Edit Delete
1245395	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199035	1734922119		532		1770689156768765	1	3.3766546059219E+15		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	747021958709347		0	Music City Archery			6535603657907		musiccityarchery.com	Learn More		NONE	carousel	For All Your Archery Needs		http://musiccityarchery.com/		1706307745	7.4702195870935E+14	Music City Archery	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/422264410_752229343444243_7706606627779637779_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AfTuaNRy1_oAb5gN9MU&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCTy_ptR4rj8wvDFjZ00WfxLDqKRC4bpfiv1scXbMORWQ&oe=66231EC7	person_profile	0	Music City Archery	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/422283653_1221340112157860_9010050063915198490_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Li6NaQc06noAb69B7uU&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDGGWuqpdr-AUxEhnCrh6EvxEd_ADnOsj_a_iZKV002hw&oe=66230BF4			0	3			Music City Archery		2564	https://facebook.com/musiccityarchery	0		LEARN_MORE						1706256000		View Edit Delete
1245396	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199035	1734922119		532		1770689156768765	1	3.3766546059219E+15		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	747021958709347		0	Music City Archery			6535603657907		musiccityarchery.com	Learn More		NONE	carousel	For All Your Archery Needs		http://musiccityarchery.com/		1706307745	7.4702195870935E+14	Music City Archery	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/422264410_752229343444243_7706606627779637779_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AfTuaNRy1_oAb5gN9MU&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCTy_ptR4rj8wvDFjZ00WfxLDqKRC4bpfiv1scXbMORWQ&oe=66231EC7	person_profile	0	Music City Archery	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/422283653_1221340112157860_9010050063915198490_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Li6NaQc06noAb69B7uU&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDGGWuqpdr-AUxEhnCrh6EvxEd_ADnOsj_a_iZKV002hw&oe=66230BF4			0	3			Music City Archery		2564	https://facebook.com/musiccityarchery	0		LEARN_MORE						1706256000		View Edit Delete
1245397	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199035	1734922119		532		1770689156768765	1	3.3766546059219E+15		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	747021958709347		0	Music City Archery			6535603657907		musiccityarchery.com	Learn More		NONE	carousel	For All Your Archery Needs		http://musiccityarchery.com/		1706307745	7.4702195870935E+14	Music City Archery	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/422264410_752229343444243_7706606627779637779_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AfTuaNRy1_oAb5gN9MU&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCTy_ptR4rj8wvDFjZ00WfxLDqKRC4bpfiv1scXbMORWQ&oe=66231EC7	person_profile	0	Music City Archery	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/422283653_1221340112157860_9010050063915198490_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Li6NaQc06noAb69B7uU&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDGGWuqpdr-AUxEhnCrh6EvxEd_ADnOsj_a_iZKV002hw&oe=66230BF4			0	3			Music City Archery		2564	https://facebook.com/musiccityarchery	0		LEARN_MORE						1706256000		View Edit Delete
1245398	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199035	1734922119		532		6768688703260549	1	3.6505563851625E+15		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	100365976129594		0	Puzzles & Chaos			120204508361130601		itunes.apple.com	Play game		NONE	video	Rally, to war!		http://itunes.apple.com/app/id6446389130		1706258186	1.0036597612959E+14	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/422927621_1420279545259386_1393293151869996681_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=rx8HkpxP_h0Ab65YXMy&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCyolnNc1Xs3nzxu2TuHRDHGt5fFDCSma6f67D4k5_RqQ&oe=66233DE5	person_profile	0	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/422934922_410689661526646_7408576882001537210_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fMZykHA4S4kAb79CHva&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAqakqGY62jrqVgo-d6R-iYGGY8o6_u-FtjORG510bP-Q&oe=662341B6			0	3	The strongest alliance in the new server is one player short!		Puzzles & Chaos		11827	https://facebook.com/PuzzlesAndChaos	0		PLAY_GAME						1706256000		View Edit Delete
1245399	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199036	1734922119		532		1153250632332305	1	1.0463250964471E+15		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	100365976129594		0	Puzzles & Chaos			120204797375290421		play.google.com	Play game		NONE	video	The winter is coming		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.global.pnck		1706164148	1.0036597612959E+14	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/420106986_390836616750400_4785285487608768183_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-ywhSMgK7SQAb74665h&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfA5GmClZRgj9wVlWrWz6rt699fX38-yvgzxoZCG-OxvfA&oe=66231EC3	person_profile	0	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/420094076_925427188949131_5088787140421479825_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=nHJ8KuTtmbEAb4Dgxs8&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBV1QuTC7SM6pCSMfq775GKDrElla1aZpJxaGAcoqCWvw&oe=66231673			0	3	Save your home through match-3 combat.⚠		Puzzles & Chaos		11827	https://facebook.com/PuzzlesAndChaos	0		PLAY_GAME						1706083200		View Edit Delete
1245402	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199036	1734922119		532		3096934617283052	1	3.4596340376391E+15		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	114937521918926		0	Redneck Hunting Blinds			23853995156210476		redneckblinds.com	Shop now		NONE	image	Save $50 Now	With its spacious 6-foot by 6-foot interior, there’s plenty of room for up to three adults or two adults and two children to hunt comfortably—whether that’s with a bow, gun or crossbow.	https://redneckblinds.com/collections/soft-side-hunting-blinds/products/soft-side-6x6-ghillie-360		1684949993	1.1493752191893E+14	Redneck Hunting Blinds	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/348564339_1590880708083522_4147484452215381097_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_nUKZ0kN-4EAb4vz4bw&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAkUdyJXq3ONhr-K-sIAQDb6__AoKLbYac28mcEfrYa7A&oe=66232037	person_profile	0	Redneck Blinds	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/348638354_631303285232811_89859257707853319_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oOHIoOZZFjUAb75OSrr&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD0PDyl54zS0vtwjhfR0bQlKiMK73Y3kTCaiISwaHQi1A&oe=66230B7F			0	3	Stay hidden and see everything in our spaciously designed and superior quality soft side ghillie blind. Now at our best price ever.		Redneck Hunting Blinds		101394	https://facebook.com/redneckhuntingblinds	0		SHOP_NOW						1684911600		View Edit Delete
1244931	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713198921	1734922121		532		1464847257762584	3	3.2845536023858E+14		1713078000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	892588401116730		0	Practice Anywhere			120207328534580376		accubow.com	Shop Now		NONE	carousel	Scope-to-Phone Crosshair Sight		https://accubow.com/		1710617225	8.9258840111673E+14	Practice Anywhere	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431950026_712364067761625_8500033827148086301_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bwC3KujGgZAAb4Rz_8X&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC6GcL3kgzatS_yrEfuNH8yw17N6MCJLqo6ycFNIljwpA&oe=66233E3C	person_profile	0	Official AccuBow®	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/431972926_397577752988272_9068572841206466590_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wLaFOY3zg-AAb7ganSd&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAu2JTia59GLCNc7FGdrCi1l8JgCiXmB-CDmQtE6b1LpA&oe=66230D31			0	3			Practice Anywhere		9799	https://facebook.com/practiceanywherenow	0		SHOP_NOW						1712905200		View Edit Delete
1244907	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713198907	1734922121		532		788519456573595	1	2.5550806531199E+16		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	1768001686751495		0	Crossbow Telluride			120210874393540779		shopcrossbow.com	Shop Now		NONE	dco	{{product.name}}		https://shopcrossbow.com/search?Spring+Sale+Hat+Box=hat+box		1712962508	1.7680016867515E+15	Crossbow Telluride	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437482661_2276572122547471_5452828747441643309_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HF7oeH7VnVgAb53wE0S&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCOwI15eqfUXbh5C8pOYAqffiwnB2HUj0pkmCvndNJbbg&oe=66233FCA	person_profile	0	Crossbow Telluride	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437562494_788819182799068_6104759479159036719_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Fi-ouf3UaQAAb6U65rT&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfApXPJrd7frugD8ZUGDImHmMjEm-1dUMNA2ToTMDEGGFA&oe=6623336E			0	3	Grab Them Before They're Gone! 15% off while		Crossbow Telluride		645	https://facebook.com/crossbowtelluride	0		SHOP_NOW						1712905200		View Edit Delete
1245400	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199036	1734922121		532		1766028447141019	1	2.7716184146071E+14		1712905200	regular_page		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	1	101410031779066		0	Igoldencnc			120205726777430022		fb.me	Get quote		NONE	video			http://fb.me/		1704875959	1.0141003177907E+14	Igoldencnc	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/417789445_3824120457874575_1718063993017667222_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=i0u1Pdxk9ZkAb4SO3l-&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCTeIzi4z_LKeHVBnkvu9xcVO_I3H8l44Ee3C1oSRukAA&oe=662337BA	person_profile	0	iGOLDENCNC	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/417772705_1365449790999729_5592436530954521317_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5Sn074Sa8-QAb5b-VeI&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBVTvhfbVLP9dgPH3YesaqdRx-x_bBbKdSxTpOYTGu4Mw&oe=66230FD8			0	3	🛒Crossbow portable cnc plasma cutting machine<br /> <br /> 🟢Stable structure and long life<br /> 🟢Easy to move<br /> 🟢Economical and practical<br /> 🟩The portable CNC cutting machine is an ideal upgrade <br /> <br /> product to replace handheld flame-cutting equipment, handheld plasma cutting devices, profiling cutting machines and semi-automatic cutting carts. The use is as flexible and convenient as the cutting trolley, and it can be moved at will without occupying a fixed site. It is a CNC equipment specially used for sheet metal blanking.<br /> ⏳If you are interested, fill out the form for more information.		Igoldencnc		3062	https://facebook.com/igoldencnc	0		GET_QUOTE						1704873600		View Edit Delete
1245403	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	12/22/24, 8:48 PM	1713199036	1734922121		532		1418559241971547	1	8.8673531563932E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	184075394976974		0	Lumenok			23852124042060070			Like Page		NONE	video					1662559176	1.8407539497697E+14	Lumenok	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/302136537_1111926936122084_2173076245057580639_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cQDGMfomx3YAb4gVvGm&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAh2ngRhQtZYGg2Ir-WnlV2bXUCtAd93LJe8RGDceiCWg&oe=66233B72	person_profile	0					0	3	The Original Lighted Nock Made In The USA. At Lumenok, we didn&#039;t just create the best lighted nock. We created the entire lighted nock category.		Lumenok		162183	https://facebook.com/Lumenok	0		LIKE_PAGE						1662534000		View Edit Delete
1244990	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	5/1/25, 8:53 AM	1713198936	1746107628		532		4110344675858518	1	1.0840142962361E+15		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	1374231599564553		0	Barrett's Bowhunting			120207789718950467					NONE	video	NEW Mathews Bow Accessories in STOCK! | Barrett's Bowhunting in Elmira Heights, NY.				1712439276	1.3742315995646E+15	Barrett's Bowhunting	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434039162_980626963680562_95455062847802621_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=BSp2zjmO2ngAb7U9RzH&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDF6ZqfcnfZFXHU6acCmqZEdlJt8nAELaAE-6rL-lIPPA&oe=66233E92	person_profile	0	Barrett’s Bowhunting	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433938216_733547652305324_7775935640007374372_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=EzhVf3AXAu0Ab7NZb40&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDURCsUEZwnnrRM2ONYA3daXbbW-vhf49LQv0pbB8tWqw&oe=662322FA			0	3	NEW MATHEWS ACCESSORIES in STOCK! 🏹✅ Any bow accessory you&#039;d need in any color! Visit Barrett&#039;s Bowhunting in Elmira Heights, NY! 🦌<br /> <br /> --<br /> <br /> The largest inventory for archery in the Northeast. With over 200 bows on display, indoor lanes, and any accessory you need!<br /> <br /> Barrett&#039;s Bowhunting has the BEST BOWS for your BUCK! 🦌 💵 Get a hands-on, personalized archery shopping experience &amp; visit our store in Elmira Heights, NY!<br /> <br /> P: (607) 733-7773<br /> Barrett&#039;s Bowhunting<br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.barrettsbowhunting.com%2F&amp;h=AT2NMoLE-fLS3AuUX1Uc3vZBvaixkF2RQwLpsw3qW05zUI9h6Be4EqVlyj0k9SEEwvaREfFLWCFUQuKRZFuB2KAoaXGXLC1Mw56IduZQ9h5e8815ZLMxQzfxTaWifbD9gyfkZQK1rl1OfFMPg4X3r6cy4fiS18Ol2ocPkQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">www.barrettsbowhunting.com</a><br /> 257 E 14th St, Elmira Heights, NY<br /> <br /> #upstateNY #elmira #elmiraheights #barrettsbowhunting #bow #crossbow #bowhunting #hunter #archer #archerylife		Barrett's Bowhunting		6102	https://facebook.com/BarrettsBows	0								1712386800		View Edit Delete
1245266	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	1/27/25, 5:19 PM	1713199008	1738019983		532		757613989650323		8.2079270988312E+14		1711004400	person_profile		taken-down	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	229860183539319		0	Mizzy Online			120206257482670426		www.dealwbig.top	Learn more		NONE	video	A drop witnesses the rocket ascending – this is the best gift for yourself.🥰❤️		https://www.dealwbig.top/products/dthgfgghfhfgjgjn		1710936895	2.2986018353932E+14	Mizzy Online	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433697727_1594288384680529_5273457888666532678_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Q9pSlzNtZnIAb5MysPd&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAhrRLJ2Cop53zWsaPaod_6IJDd0bK-z96K8jfuSY5tfg&oe=66231A81	person_profile	0	Mizzy Online	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433720590_807142604808212_280524199231840483_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dmN47UI808oAb4tl__E&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBw3XvsIVTOgD5v2lxiPiJagt6UkU4XP1kVsguH0IKCJQ&oe=66232665			0	3	A drop witnesses the rocket ascending – this is the best gift for yourself.🥰❤️<br /> Click on the link below to receive your best gift for half price🥰❤️😍<br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dealwbig.top%2Fproducts%2Fdthgfgghfhfgjgjn&amp;h=AT2DyeraIdnhhPP3oVUWJetTI1BES2Z4iW7yrcngZlU-_Dq7epBWJFuhlA1PYlwYSOCNV2sQCB3r1ZeLUbWu_4d9MuDvRwG1GSrcUq_B4tEQJ_8dHhSs6YpYw4zNr078R1_cHx94KrYzES8naXTn4-CeFqw" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.dealwbig.top/products/dthgfgghfhfgjgjn</a>		Mizzy Online		13	https://facebook.com/61555921441914	0		LEARN_MORE						1710918000		View Edit Delete
1244912	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	4/28/25, 11:13 PM	1713198910	1745900020		532		1452987122282100	1	3.7107937158253E+15		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	100347639120822		0	Sports running shoes			120208146108990255		swishairtime.info	Get offer		NONE	video	Tap the "Get Offer" button to seize your offer immediately. 👇		https://swishairtime.info/mCvLuIyCpKz.php?qKuEzYg=BvP7v5dDKPCoGKFg8VfI&ad_id={{ad.id}}&campaign_name={{campaign.name}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}&adset_name={{adset.name}}&placement={{placement}}&site_source_name={{site_source_name}}&fbpxl={{fbpxl}}		1713175925	1.0034763912082E+14	Sports running shoes	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/438029874_2377209412477867_111412862744077656_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dLslb8rxJ0kAb7bgI1m&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCmUKGIxImgkxg5yYKtjOhZirKbUVDh_7oiN9Gma-e_fQ&oe=66232FE3	person_profile	0	Sports running shoes	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/438030619_1733353653740496_8334099979833455853_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KmzxaiwQqFYAb69AEon&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBQIXmTqhJu-PWY7uoWoouB_HqAs5VDtREMKIuhdjRsiw&oe=66233B3F			0	3	If you&#039;re reading this, 😱<br /> Celebrate your success! You&#039;re among the fortunate 3,000 individuals who have secured a Ravin R29 Crossbow for just $10 in our giveaway, 🥳		Sports running shoes		0	https://facebook.com/100081574132996	0		GET_OFFER_VIEW						1713164400		View Edit Delete
1245261	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	6/17/25, 10:45 PM	1713199007	1750218311		532		7316197208416949		2.6564703992983E+14		1710918000	person_profile		taken-down	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	214429651760593		0	Cassey Edmonds World			120206525816890638		www.dealwbig.top	Learn more		NONE	video	A drop witnesses the rocket ascending – this is the best gift for yourself.🥰❤️		https://www.dealwbig.top/products/dthgfgghfhfgjgjn		1710937040	2.1442965176059E+14	Cassey Edmonds World	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434059035_431604159264075_9209842322437943663_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tntE9dbtZrkAb5sLkAR&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAIrx5SyGXzjQjrmiJp-NQ2cKxFKsCQu7Af8sfdfzeP2g&oe=66233D0C	person_profile	0	Cassey Edmonds World	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432465152_424429646932892_7822572108135239136_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=EFNS2KrEQWcAb76-iM5&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAA2XqdYZ5zPlMGWL9HmVQlIsYSChgFy7jfCjKk_34JXQ&oe=662314E2			0	3	A drop witnesses the rocket ascending – this is the best gift for yourself.🥰❤️<br /> Click on the link below to receive your best gift for half price🥰❤️😍<br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dealwbig.top%2Fproducts%2Fdthgfgghfhfgjgjn&amp;h=AT2xk19nyhbesdGExVryDPiJuXMQpYqNoTHzyauqUred_kbBsmbYZnM2rnumRlHInxAdm4m4RC_BM-eydA3ubdEiHPjFIU9Pb62Fmos88Col3jcNKrp3RD_Z9lieM9VWg3jFPapu97FA0GbGfbWi9WawDM9VigAx8VURew" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.dealwbig.top/products/dthgfgghfhfgjgjn</a>		Cassey Edmonds World		4	https://facebook.com/61556118337565	0		LEARN_MORE						1710918000		View Edit Delete
1245139	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	4/29/25, 2:38 PM	1713198968	1745955522		532		1387918041869303	1	1.4757041932206E+15		1712214000	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	107089802492332		0	Dauos			120210526848440311		thedauos.com	Shop now		NONE	video	Satisfied Customers ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐		https://thedauos.com/products/dauos-mount		1711680627	1.0708980249233E+14	Dauos	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432145039_433386239091946_2713802964859442976_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WWmI2MOIT64Ab7fM2sM&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBXtb7weAd69JfVm6vjM7Okdk2pv43hF4N4yxGvzUmC9g&oe=662330F8	person_profile	0	Dauos	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432215878_286842571115296_7979491564121629004_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-VAno-j8OWYAb6otDvR&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC5CEFVaOcIuJILWFRK7duFdnAM0PsIN788AfSPV-Mk5Q&oe=662329E1			0	3	Upgrade Your Hunting Game! 🌳 Mount your smartphone on any rifle or crossbow and record stunning videos. Stay connected in the wilderness, grab yours today! <br /> <br /> Hurry, grab your set today! 👉 <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fthedauos.com%2Fdauos_mount&amp;h=AT2mgWDe5ZfxaTsap5RWdozRi47ZrJ5F7p4m0vyCFZ5fFSzwLKWCnhK2pK3Vd0U83Z-Itcwqcm4l-l8qFMKgkOTmNlrhOSSVeO-nbNWPLfnL2_YSfxaD3RlpC5oxDcC7GmSTtVXstaYMWDckGMmoSyJeKxeOb6I7gUDR2g" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://thedauos.com/dauos_mount</a>		Dauos		298	https://facebook.com/61550049947721	0		SHOP_NOW						1711609200		View Edit Delete
1244911	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	4/30/25, 5:28 AM	1713198909	1746008940		532		1246971706150637	1	1.2055765908152E+15		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	100365976129594		0	Puzzles & Chaos			120208073412150601		itunes.apple.com	Play game		NONE	video	Make matches to unlock more!		http://itunes.apple.com/app/id6446389130		1713179158	1.0036597612959E+14	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/438174255_397044763161856_8394706181908067037_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9ZgOhTVJHzgAb5GtGqq&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBPEZBweMvmEPqFOKIHaefhtMbXK6TbAfR1SbE4MFbadw&oe=66231287	person_profile	0	Puzzles & Chaos	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437927349_2908140696005969_1965478192032951443_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gu-ZAQ5aHiEAb4O4PhA&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfB9ZvHqdjvmnGu46FCiCdywBSUBz8ituAdqO7DYrMxz5Q&oe=662335F7			0	3	🤔How high of an IQ do you need to beat the final level?		Puzzles & Chaos		11827	https://facebook.com/PuzzlesAndChaos	0		PLAY_GAME						1713164400		View Edit Delete
1245265	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	4/29/25, 9:00 PM	1713199007	1745978458		532		367271619625706		8.2079270988312E+14		1711004400	person_profile		taken-down	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	229860183539319		0	Mizzy Online			120206257482650426		www.dealwbig.top	Learn more		NONE	video	A drop witnesses the rocket ascending – this is the best gift for yourself.🥰❤️		https://www.dealwbig.top/products/dthgfgghfhfgjgjn		1710936897	2.2986018353932E+14	Mizzy Online	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432240924_952165319819126_7062933014527666205_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=sPbWgrze3hYAb5lcfdg&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCHgNS2y_DwgtkR8aA5PzmcjW4S-EVocf7CebpqNp7gVQ&oe=6623328D	person_profile	0	Mizzy Online	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432062322_275834005462213_7472236569779405584_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=dju9d5X9EBMAb6RH4u-&_nc_oc=AdjUbiUlC-fJ0kxqja-kPBso7c38VA2RzgQo5hqLLRm92mGEYeqWc-aI0dDIIg1YjM0&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCH3S4pDN1hx_l1ECS1s3VYldBKRZhLhhyOZNObr8-UKg&oe=6623132D			0	3	A drop witnesses the rocket ascending – this is the best gift for yourself.🥰❤️<br /> Click on the link below to receive your best gift for half price🥰❤️😍<br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dealwbig.top%2Fproducts%2Fdthgfgghfhfgjgjn&amp;h=AT1RuUW1r0FbT4IpGl0E5pCAaYLK_hcEpEQRvkZny6BLIUV5TPv_td6LhcwzbvM8cjpkTUi_TGPXnHwPqLEM7coDPmyIw57xphaGwbO-XrAt42mumhPDLbmAEqimPrR97YW6u1nZnT92_fUK-zJ3IiKO_Qs" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.dealwbig.top/products/dthgfgghfhfgjgjn</a>		Mizzy Online		13	https://facebook.com/61555921441914	0		LEARN_MORE						1710918000		View Edit Delete
1245401	1	active	4/15/24, 11:37 AM	4/30/25, 10:02 PM	1713199036	1746068577		532		1075268333626520	1	3.8344156093361E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	1990816214546289		0	BowSpider			120205221533750506		bowspider.com	Learn more		NONE	video	Grab your Bow and GO!		https://bowspider.com/collections/bow-spider-bow-packing-system		1704730963	1.9908162145463E+15	BowSpider	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/417162380_318501867833149_233591208466003523_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-zZFhYBAfYMAb5jEe-6&_nc_oc=AdjODT-NTew4WwDubwPeTfIuupSOlWylptGA6BCpqFI0sT1S1C_z8U7SS28Zp5UnFzw&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDN9s-63uYUc6zFdF9mo_eYE887caWGl0LBr0InNd9Fyw&oe=66232780	person_profile	0	Bow Spider	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/417183134_1321321845250589_519129792036512257_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=e6I0Hr0l5n0Ab5SY-Px&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDhY-Y0iFqAI3qYd1Rog-AFleF-KeIQF0aDAkKsZAuA1A&oe=66231701			0	3	Grab your Bow and GO! For all our Archery Hunters, 3D competitors and backyard target enthusiasts we have a game changer for packing your Bow! The Bow Packing System will allow for easy access while on the archery course. Carry and retrieve your bow with ease.<br /> <br /> &quot;...the nicest and quickest way to carry a bow while hunting!&quot;<br /> <br /> “Game-changer!”<br /> <br /> &quot;Bow Spider has became an essential part of my hunting gear.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;...this changed the way I hunt for the better!&quot;<br /> <br /> See how it works: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fbowspider.com%2Fpages%2Fvideos&amp;h=AT2sa4gFk7K0aBgSjeyny4ozNCox9OiQfuDe-JKf88Mm4Vojm8Oi_58ChdtNjPQ5AYaHS9RnZ-QdWMeigOiuEHEAQti8qIWoPL2TewTpNw4mhI5vIOVN5YBOOnUNXCZYeJgZ-Qg056mS7bpfAlI4LpzgjdI" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://bowspider.com/pages/videos</a><br /> <br /> Shop now: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fbowspider.com%2Fcollections%2Fbow-spider-bow-packing-system&amp;h=AT1XtshAU7QSgm7XTn0-7VjoqzCH-p1PAm5WSRKf5zCtlpJWSMv-MLdoq2D-wk6TmLw9FxSvADtuNDZvzCUqqCXq2wiBTMU8J9VZloWUERNDUT8hwCDHQ685MiBMG7YLtislv4fuvfrS1RIucau4LUJ3uQM" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://bowspider.com/collections/bow-spider-bow-packing-system</a><br /> Made in America.		BowSpider		10295	https://facebook.com/bowspider	0		LEARN_MORE						1704700800		View Edit Delete
1244918	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	5/1/25, 12:21 AM	1713198915	1746076861		532		1486618298869902	1	3.5767463055519E+14		1713164400	ig_ads_identity		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	1	114973754952040		0	the_combat_trucker			120207420128840065		instagram.com	Visit Instagram profile		NONE	video			http://instagram.com/the_combat_trucker		1713041344	1.1497375495204E+14	the_combat_trucker	https://scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/297966277_756571352334177_313517677691369300_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=3fd06f&_nc_ohc=pIZCn6n5SYoAb7QohJW&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfD9NoK-D54mjv_WRJ2-Sttus9Jyp0xn7OqVepwdNJxXzA&oe=66233274	ig_ads_identity	1	The Combat Trucker	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437349203_1507667483451359_3137259535605495707_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=_cltSrFJu10Ab5VBxOk&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBU4UImmzq8ROtZegmf01HhrZ_oscYefd2L03LoxAMBww&oe=66231B8A			0	3	&#064;exfog <br /> &#064;valhallaairsoft <br /> Product links below!<br /> <br /> Don’t fog anymore on the field, on the range or on duty. These two products combined have become one of my favorite pieces of kit. <br /> <br /> The ExFog XT unit has more features than IG will let me make video with. <br /> <br /> The Valhalla airsoft Vmaxx inserts allow me to be more comfortable than using goggles. <br /> <br /> If you need eye protection, this is way to go. <br /> <br /> Oakley VMAX Insert <br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fshop.rhodiuslabs.com%2Fproducts%2Fvmax-gen2-airflow-gasket-oakley-m-frame-compatible&amp;h=AT1Q09B3-OBGxsW5jLz3D1bSzO-iw1uszd4HhpLHk2ciE8UOiYaxxT4gCZJibZ1VysLsi47gJQtTqtMuXCBrMOsFzRX2ViBdzCXYq-llmL8t_W_9eDEINVMxfhtUwWtmPvWsy40ZgPypadNGg08lRh-Y0j8" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://shop.rhodiuslabs.com/products/vmax-gen2-airflow-gasket-oakley-m-frame-compatible</a><br /> <br /> ESS Crossbow Inserts<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fshop.rhodiuslabs.com%2Fproducts%2Fvmax-airflow-gasket-ess-crossbow-compatible&amp;h=AT3-lwHSSGtZ0XPYtAPlCJjTTtRPjbD1a8T23fptyHAVXkT8ZRtOcX9r_yh3CXzvV5wxo1ny7Uau5RIwaVwiNEN1Q_DwjFDqVNkK88KL86FyfXZRc0QQJAIrWUHYTG3c8MwzaNr-q9ArhddF2fclwftxQ4Y" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://shop.rhodiuslabs.com/products/vmax-airflow-gasket-ess-crossbow-compatible</a><br /> <br /> Exfog XT KIT<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.exfog.com%2Fproduct%2Fexfog-xt-essential-kit-no-headband-or-tband%2F&amp;h=AT0j9QrQEoaCpnR71T8Qc_htbIcXbgWMMDtY6I584hzIcyBJLNHSGgJEJW-jXUpvw8m2gJ48kK_NYmZnQz54q0T1t5YXeFxJ0l7WkeTEO1pijpsOFzSEwnvXtVogmYrRWVJTu14P9rytZzcFnttzEfh-YFEe92I_uc1J83j8" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="async">https://www.exfog.com/product/exfog-xt-essential-kit-no-headband-or-tband/</a><br /> <br /> #exfog #valhallaairsoft #valhalla #eyeprotection #eyepro #fog #airsoft #airsoftnation #milsimwest #milsim #veterans #lawenforcement #workers #ems #pewpew #pewlife		the_combat_trucker		0	https://www.instagram.com/_u/the_combat_trucker	0		VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE						1712991600		View Edit Delete
1244915	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	4/22/25, 10:35 PM	1713198913	1745379354		532		433895805713586	1	4.1078332847958E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	223312524210112		0	Wanted TV			120207993480910244			Send message		NONE	video	The Dumbest Criminals Of All Time!			{"type":"VISUAL_EDITOR","version":2,"landing_screen_type":"welcome_message","media_type":"text","text_format":{"customer_action_type":"ice_breakers","message":{"ice_breakers":[{"title":"I'm interested. Can you tell me more?"},{"title":"Are you available to chat?"},{"title":"Can I learn more about your background?"}],"text":"Hi {{user_first_name}}! Please let us know how we can help you."}},"user_edit":false,"autofill_message_edited":false,"ice_breakers_edited":false,"welcome_message_edited":false,"surface":"boosted_post"}	1713152793	2.2331252421011E+14	Wanted TV	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437570568_7838338692853945_8090020624358694920_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mLw3TupiQLwAb6VUz2Q&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDhcQrtG-nPC4RmupfzIKxmBaDxCNCQbspwriq5lbTKnQ&oe=662328A5	person_profile	0	Wanted TV	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/438059838_3658857550999343_1830806711101629489_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xbMDHk13vcMAb465zAN&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAILqHtyxkHDiYMwSGTlmPTyhZjR1bTaeKHvpCdxs4Ecw&oe=6623398A			0	3	The dumbest crimes ever...		Wanted TV		0	https://facebook.com/61558573765508	0		MESSAGE_PAGE						1713164400		View Edit Delete
1245267	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	3/3/25, 5:24 PM	1713199008	1741044266		532		1136486454441370		8.2079270988312E+14		1710918000	person_profile		taken-down	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	229860183539319		0	Mizzy Online			120206257482630426		www.dealwbig.top	Learn more		NONE	video	A drop witnesses the rocket ascending – this is the best gift for yourself.🥰❤️		https://www.dealwbig.top/products/dthgfgghfhfgjgjn		1710936893	2.2986018353932E+14	Mizzy Online	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432094167_1246578293412907_7549359261444929413_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=y0z7IEopVlwAb4qUxcV&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCdiKJGJJAUHN1NH6F--Zre1rxzz1eQ5n4DFUlwwZnC1g&oe=662342AA	person_profile	0	Mizzy Online	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432120270_1804356006744020_2497497609224543244_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8BjUESjFokMAb57CFiY&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfD6RLlYaRfJ0w0-eXMNVspgk9ctb90dfAdhYNHhAnnqJA&oe=66232B2E			0	3	A drop witnesses the rocket ascending – this is the best gift for yourself.🥰❤️<br /> Click on the link below to receive your best gift for half price🥰❤️😍<br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dealwbig.top%2Fproducts%2Fdthgfgghfhfgjgjn&amp;h=AT0f33VhuMkF2c2xLzLsszeG4-0lUDrgAKemvEVhZw6z95s4V58XvMDBdPFcNfjQSRl9PukpbPyR-V5ghZMZRlZbwkcTbBONHms_tPHnWGtFFNd8-scVHOBP4khSfbuw66dBlo0F2EWnqgaA78BXQbLxsIs" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.dealwbig.top/products/dthgfgghfhfgjgjn</a>		Mizzy Online		13	https://facebook.com/61555921441914	0		LEARN_MORE						1710918000		View Edit Delete
1245268	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	5/1/25, 3:21 AM	1713199008	1746087705		532		444164588047270		8.2079270988312E+14		1710918000	person_profile		taken-down	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	229860183539319		0	Mizzy Online			120206257166700426		www.dealwbig.top	Learn more		NONE	video	A drop witnesses the rocket ascending – this is the best gift for yourself.🥰❤️		https://www.dealwbig.top/products/dthgfgghfhfgjgjn		1710936315	2.2986018353932E+14	Mizzy Online	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432057787_611169161203252_6391487010163380461_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NgJcom9DtssAb6FP_eO&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfC-u60dsvJq8vv4VJnuqcdKf5rFIGxhr4vUZBuDjjjLJQ&oe=66230CFA	person_profile	0	Mizzy Online	https://scontent-bos5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432062158_1373498880717035_6692889881665077027_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zIQpcB7EKIUAb7GWvpj&_nc_ht=scontent-bos5-1.xx&oh=00_AfBrcB6ZoZFrZ6LgEfgriL5l4Xc9UXZfB_4flcNJcnlL6Q&oe=66233D11			0	3	A drop witnesses the rocket ascending – this is the best gift for yourself.🥰❤️<br /> Click on the link below to receive your best gift for half price🥰❤️😍<br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dealwbig.top%2Fproducts%2Fdthgfgghfhfgjgjn&amp;h=AT0NmG-dxCnTtpk_sVHgBsT3Y8flQSBreXpZGFsW_uqfWDi4c_TR0sJO1qweB3kikca-VMg6RWnqJdjuPGwdzwjyGn407R-ucRIkLtft-aG2BolrdEioTMJPzDefqNTHvmsPuyqsgrrQvfmKFY5MfhbM5V4" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.dealwbig.top/products/dthgfgghfhfgjgjn</a>		Mizzy Online		13	https://facebook.com/61555921441914	0		LEARN_MORE						1710918000		View Edit Delete
1244917	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	5/1/25, 5:10 AM	1713198914	1746094255		532		973972640342932	1	1.6504130657881E+15		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			1	1	0	1242051515818167		0	Steambow			120209010226110699		steambow.at	Learn more		NONE	video			https://steambow.at/en		1713111099	1.2420515158182E+15	Steambow	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435885200_434826069088605_1672702391766715703_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=DMBweUQ59ekAb6tixuk&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDAC7Wgh6xR4XCRgzyDTg7wQ2CYT5pC6fr5vdIS0aVPMA&oe=66232589	person_profile	0	Steambow GmbH	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435700083_345780984658049_3726018600163561903_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NoG0kt8xQC0Ab4qt4Qe&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAMqOn5Smjo3uO8uGucDUcCA3C3CWmC__9o5LISFSTQeQ&oe=66233897			0	3	Steambow - Premium Archery Equipment<br /> FENRIS - Compoundbow with magazine<br /> AR-6 Tactical, Compact - Crossbow with magazine<br /> and much more...<br /> <br /> See more on our website:<br /> <br /> 🇬🇧 <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsteambow.at%2Fen&amp;h=AT0kqc1pi3WORnPIm4MWa-_Zqd5A9y5yIfqtn4_TI8FG_t5ny2uGT5MdQhuU4ebbEJmIhd1MbMT81ZrFcxNUZzj7uf1TOrTUm2PCIjDotf96bE7pxNAdb8OEBy1Qje3vst6y6fkRJhS-L5vuv-0T3ZGku5k" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://steambow.at/en</a><br /> 🇩🇪 <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsteambow.at%2F&amp;h=AT2UCd63OXMi7GYyfeOZId4A3Emf54V5GRq6pVP_-SqgcZXEicTv1qyJ-zfQKxoFrzLqVDbzcHvhqenNRAs3SuTBKlBiEyM72waMEkkr5xi8ajxwuipbuvpobVmfgQqA6fZHdXAXotY7A72d1ow0eOI7jTs" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://steambow.at/</a><br /> 🇫🇷 <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsteambow.at%2Ffr&amp;h=AT1D8ZbeOr0FL2VOFN_gMuJMlrbp_w4Iiac68dRw-SjN9hQmC1E8DBo_132zgfRp7jz7uJ-GxV7CxfCW5F7fiCV2ofWVEWa_elk20vv_9MYbu4QbNWzXzYA5dPmlaBkeUFjZ1n4xBCIO3pQT5B7inXwmQvw" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://steambow.at/fr</a><br /> 🇮🇹 <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsteambow.at%2Fit&amp;h=AT3eV-zwtRvMN3_DNY5EVOJE2rXYlhnLxnmAKQcR47wJahkBYB3K9upbxaqNZwIHFbXphnJ18DT-UJTYm0o_qU1qowCMN45s0WpXC4V_j145XBfJB69lkgo4lmmbawDmvo6Fm55fb6zhjb3lJ55jpB7dZro" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://steambow.at/it</a><br /> 🇺🇸 🇨🇦 <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsteambow.com%2F&amp;h=AT1fFhNVumjU4rb6KM3vRChSUBOqsMWzPN7p0sQqdn_alKFFzUl5dR1i2YfP4Bz9V2sFlc5XrgKmiZ2Vor8PNOyorsJOFfyQm5ThL1KOGj7xdcJ2gxdDYJfnhbwt9wB0KTi9lEB8Qgmg8_uC_gKVHdBvcEQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://steambow.com/</a><br /> <br /> #steambow #steambowusa #steambowpower #steambowfenris #steambowstinger #steambowtactical #steambowcompact #premiumarcheryequipment #archery #archerypractice #archerylifestyle #archerylife #archeryseason #archerygirl #bogensport #bogensportextrem #tiralarc #crossbow #xbow #arbalete #whatgetsyououtdoors #whatgetsyououtside #sportsequipment #sportsgear #outdoorgear #targetpractice #balestra #compoundbow #compoundbowshooting #bogenschießen		Steambow		1163	https://facebook.com/Steambow	0		LEARN_MORE						1713078000		View Edit Delete
1245260	1	active	4/15/24, 11:36 AM	5/1/25, 9:20 AM	1713199007	1746109228		532		1827024694437038		2.6564703992983E+14		1710918000	person_profile		taken-down	0	0	NONE			1	0	0	214429651760593		0	Cassey Edmonds World			120206525817050638		www.dealwbig.top	Learn more		NONE	video	A drop witnesses the rocket ascending – this is the best gift for yourself.🥰❤️		https://www.dealwbig.top/products/dthgfgghfhfgjgjn		1710937040	2.1442965176059E+14	Cassey Edmonds World	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433140565_2653927388120569_1081723073062882885_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8itZSS_fGk4Ab68uyM4&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAJAXsl7K-ilzGOZLAUzVPNS_hdQRTQlUa8VBwBmUn-bw&oe=66233022	person_profile	0	Cassey Edmonds World	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433203038_943305266965006_1094665794227091369_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=aJIvMl6FffcAb4vxidy&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBJYbHBJseAbRERQuronZLQA8Gt9X3ofubgvoyq6b_m4A&oe=66231741			0	3	A drop witnesses the rocket ascending – this is the best gift for yourself.🥰❤️<br /> Click on the link below to receive your best gift for half price🥰❤️😍<br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dealwbig.top%2Fproducts%2Fdthgfgghfhfgjgjn&amp;h=AT11DnsMKq9DT0cFNJd_tJVCqMGqatp-Y6CWmLm7zBSlAlDpKPSuJRHfLCXPdFzdBe1qn57AQhlzzsSGAaqwztD-mqh1yOINwdwLiXcuF1-NcMETOwHjqgc7G9MKMiFSiTiEJ45PLDEM_7j_jOVoKQUveojGIdPB8amp5g" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.dealwbig.top/products/dthgfgghfhfgjgjn</a>		Cassey Edmonds World		4	https://facebook.com/61556118337565	0		LEARN_MORE						1710918000		View Edit Delete
1244952	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	5/1/25, 10:26 AM	1713198929	1746113196		532		2080560632323110	1	1.6314453310126E+15		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	112183905305523		0	Theoutdoortrip.com			6572665213040			Send message		NONE	image				{"type":"VISUAL_EDITOR","version":2,"landing_screen_type":"welcome_message","media_type":"text","text_format":{"customer_action_type":"ice_breakers","message":{"ice_breakers":null,"text":"Hi {{user_first_name}}! Please let us know how we can help you."}},"user_edit":false,"autofill_message_edited":false,"ice_breakers_edited":false,"welcome_message_edited":false,"surface":"boosted_post"}	1712805697	1.1218390530552E+14	Theoutdoortrip.com	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435094006_1085695095805529_168358511445012904_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=g4OmZhhhNhAAb5bXUFq&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDdsZqAXllofZ16sdNiFSHhp7d3cOmgN0PykTp-D3IijA&oe=66230E89	person_profile	0	Theoutdoortrip.com	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435121671_408914741855257_2910051161273151563_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=M5EHSmWnzF4Ab5LN2EO&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDPmrr1xTrMeS2pT-YW--04FBwDze8_bD7dw8fmhW5kfA&oe=6623308B			0	3	Dive into the thrill of our year-round gator hunts across 20,000 acres of private land in South Florida. With diverse properties accessible by foot, buggy, or airboat, you&#039;re in for an adventure like no other. Choose your method—snatch hook, crossbow, rifle, pistol, or harpoon—and gear up for an unforgettable night hunt. Rest assured, these are 100% wild gators—no high fences here! <br /> Book your adrenaline-pumping excursion now with The Outdoor Trip. <br /> Check out all the details of this gator hunting adventure at: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theoutdoortrip.com%2Factivity-single%2F109&amp;h=AT0fUg1fBokZoYmyFuEI9tp0MMo94YkQ3CvhrbAc0RS29UZezwkf4XzW8ilRmxt34ElYiP7U-Q7yT7CbtcMUclcad0HSqwTrCoToqmlPyOgoHbFMiBVC4tz1sOlUwVOv3pbtssE8-tJ3gkf870Le6qvHQfc" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">www.theoutdoortrip.com/activity-single/109</a><br /> #GatorHunting #WildernessAdventure #TheOutdoorTrip		Theoutdoortrip.com		414	https://facebook.com/100095433168856	0		MESSAGE_PAGE						1712732400		View Edit Delete
1244913	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	5/1/25, 10:26 AM	1713198912	1746113220		532		961563715501690	1	9.3894831459565E+14		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	427062324430690		0	Consistent Arrows			120208691639710542			Send message		NONE	image				{"type":"VISUAL_EDITOR","version":2,"landing_screen_type":"welcome_message","media_type":"text","text_format":{"customer_action_type":"ice_breakers","message":{"ice_breakers":[{"title":"\u6211\u60f3\u83b7\u5f97\u5173\u4e8e\u8d2d\u4e70\u65b9\u9762\u7684\u5e2e\u52a9\u3002"},{"title":"\u6211\u6709\u5174\u8da3\u3002\u53ef\u4ee5\u7ed9\u6211\u63d0\u4f9b\u66f4\u591a\u4fe1\u606f\u5417\uff1f"},{"title":"\u6211\u80fd\u4e86\u89e3\u66f4\u591a\u6709\u5173\u4f60\u4e1a\u52a1\u7684\u4fe1\u606f\u5417\uff1f"}],"text":"{{user_first_name}}\uff0c\u4f60\u597d\uff01\u8bf7\u95ee\u6709\u4ec0\u4e48\u53ef\u4ee5\u5e2e\u52a9\u4f60\u7684\uff1f"}},"user_edit":false,"autofill_message_edited":false,"ice_breakers_edited":false,"welcome_message_edited":false,"surface":"boosted_post"}	1713171958	4.2706232443069E+14	Consistent Arrows	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435899873_810371987677430_6660400617256610608_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hCHQuyzINd8Ab4ns6iX&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfACDj7g7VJvSelxSD39eoL30tu-bm_mHZm2xsktCDWhmQ&oe=66231528	person_profile	0	余健	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435671036_1677975239626742_4979358286383237760_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JNV-nJYPAhYAb4w-Pp2&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDKmCM4D74aApVVE3hvO_dfWYd2fPPXmqu_UWvWHIyh1A&oe=66233B5E			0	3	Our New 2024 Arrow Catalog is available, feel free to contact me if you need it, and special thanks to Szűcs Ági and Thomas Colclough, and thanks for Rodolfo ,Craig ,Hans Bolink,Jeffery.#arrowcatalog #archery🎯 #bowhuntingwhitetails #crossbow #bow		Consistent Arrows		497	https://facebook.com/100069422942431	0		MESSAGE_PAGE						1713164400		View Edit Delete
1244916	1	active	4/15/24, 11:35 AM	6/24/25, 5:05 PM	1713198913	1750802729		532		1110946256740153	1	1.0905538620032E+15		1713164400	person_profile		eligible	0	0	NONE			0	1	0	146999618668997		0	Southwest Assembly			6553559033402			Send message		NONE	video	Sunday Service @ Southwest Assembly of God (Louisville KY)			{"type":"VISUAL_EDITOR","version":2,"landing_screen_type":"welcome_message","media_type":"text","text_format":{"customer_action_type":"ice_breakers","message":{"ice_breakers":[{"title":"Can I learn more about your business?","response":""},{"title":"Can you tell me more about your ad?","response":""},{"title":"Is anyone available to chat?","response":""}],"text":"Hi {{user_first_name}}! Please let us know how we can help you."}},"user_edit":false,"autofill_message_edited":false,"ice_breakers_edited":false,"welcome_message_edited":false,"surface":"boosted_post"}	1713137213	1.46999618669E+14	Southwest Assembly	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437534100_997553065066072_2741061205033096498_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=i_cmCrydaW4Ab58yYJj&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAHIeoMXBWkijlC5U6xNXE3UYLCJTo2u88AEATZi72VYA&oe=66233E8B	person_profile	0	Southwest Assembly	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437606935_3683208968663395_7310111576201200_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5Q492syLjKcAb5OSqhI&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDEkcyh8MGmPj25dNuKS4E78eRrCC2Y51cOJXv2nO1giw&oe=66232970			0	3	Sunday Service &#064; Southwest Assembly of God (Louisville KY)<br /> <br /> 4998 Valley Station Rd<br /> Louisville KY		Southwest Assembly		874	https://facebook.com/SouthwestAssembly	0		MESSAGE_PAGE						1713078000		View Edit Delete