“You’re wondering how we’ve managed to stay on your lands this entire time without anyone noticing.” Ember spoke softly, Angelica’s hand clutched in her own as she led the child in between houses to where the backyard was.Tall picket fences divided the properties, each one the same uniform shape, height, and color. With the moon as our guide, Ember led us to the back of the property, right where the forest met the neatly trimmed grass.“She’s not the only one wondering that.” Brandon muttered sourly, casting a glare in Ember’s direction. “This entire time I thought you brought me to some witchy village.”“Freya told me to bring you to her, and this just so happened to be where she was.” Ember fired back.Angelica giggled, watching the two of them with curious eyes that shimmered brightly even in the dark. My only option was to intervene before they could descend into a full-blown argument. We’d be here all night if that was the case.“How have you been able to stay here for so long w
As the back patio came into view, along with Asher’s broad shoulders and unruly hair, I realized my gut had been right after all. Flecks of dazzling gold swirled in his eyes and were bright even in the dark, much brighter the porch lights with their artificial glow. His shoulders visibly relaxed as his eyes settled on my face. Only I could see and feel the fury that painted his iris’s gold. While my vision might’ve tunneled on Asher, I didn’t fail to notice he wasn’t alone. Reclined on the swinging bench was Breyona and Giovanni. Mason and Clara occupied the two chairs off to the side. There wasn’t a single smiling face, only scowls carved deep with worry. I’d almost forgotten about Ember and Angelica, both of which were partially concealed behind my back, until Asher let out a snarl that nearly shook the entire house. Ember went deathly still. The temperature rose several degrees, quick enough that a sweat began to break out along the back of my neck. I took a step towards my mat
One moment I was there, and the next I was gone.The Shadows melted around my body with ease, filling the gaps of moonlight that shone through with impenetrable darkness. I couldn’t see a thing, couldn’t navigate my surroundings even though I’d been through this forest a hundred times before.My body was no longer my own, stolen by an invisible force that tied its web-like threads around my wrists and ankles, stringing me along the way a marionette manipulates its puppet.The only thing that remained my own was my thoughts. As panicked as they were, the only thing I could think about was Asher and my friends. Were they alive? Were they fighting Cassidy? Had they killed her already and rushed off to my rescue?Each one went unanswered.When the tendrils of darkness slithered away, no longer clouding my vision, I stood somewhere new. At the very back of the field was a rectangular brick building, dimly lit by the streetlamps that seemed so far away.I recognized the building as the town
“My Queen.”Tristan, my first in command. The man I considered both a friend and a worthy enemy. A Vampire I had once hated with every fiber of my being, only to now trust him with every beat of my heart.He was dead.Cold. Unmoving. Not a spark of light in his eyes.He pushed me out of the way. He took the blow that was meant for me. He gave his life for me and its broke Freya’s spell.Tristan loved me. Holly’s head was bowed, her hair a dark veil that covered her face as she wept. Her hands were stained red with Tristan’s blood, but she didn’t seem to notice. She continued clutching at his shirt, whimpering, and whispering under her breath.Without warning the blood ruby unleashed a blast of light that left me seeing spots. Holly ripped the blade from Tristan’s unmoving chest, dropping it as though it were poisonous.Freya’s face had lost its triumphant luster, taking on a more sinister expression. It looked like her skin had been pulled too tightly over her bones, stretching acros
Half an hour later, I stumbled away from Tristan’s body and into Asher’s warm embrace.My legs had been reduced to jelly, and my magical reserves drained so low they might never recover. I could only imagine how much blood and rest it would take before they were back to normal again.Asher’s voice washed over my shoulders, his breath fluttering against my cheek, but the blood roaring in my ears kept me from hearing.I’d poured everything into Tristan—everything.Holly and Giovanni remained rooted in place, searching for any sign of life whether it be a heartbeat or an influx of breath. The inky strands of my half-sister’s hair cascaded down Tristan’s shoulder, hanging off the side of the table he’d been placed onto.With her ear placed against his chest, she waited and waited.I understood her worry. Really, I did. Her mother had to sacrifice ten witches just to lock my father’s soul into my body. While I didn’t have ten innocent people to slaughter, I did have something else on my si
Six Months Later“Does this ever get easier?” I groaned, swiping a hand over my forehead. A thin sheen of sweat clung to my skin, running from temple to temple.There wasn’t one specific person I spoke to, rather the entirety of my friends and family that had gathered for this historical event. Naturally, my eyes strayed to my mate, the beacon that never once failed to lead me through the dark.His lips quirked up at the side, eyes sparkling with significantly less shadows than before. He was slowly learning to forgive himself for the death’s of our pack members. “I wish I could say it does, but I’d be lying.”Zeke let out a cheeky snort. “Way to make her feel confident. You’ve got this, Lola. You’re a natural.”Breyona peeked her head from around Giovanni’s massive shoulder. “Besides, if you choke you can always work a little magic and make everyone forget about it.”“Hah! With my luck I’ll get a little too magic happy and make the whole pack forget about me.” A genuine chuckle slid
One Year LaterIt was hard to believe how much time had passed, even as I stood at my own wedding reception, surrounded by the people I loved most in this world.So much had changed in three hundred and sixty five days, and it wasn’t just my marital status. There had been some uprising within the other packs in the country, but with Zeke as an ally and assuming leadership over Bran’s pack, they were easy to defend ourselves against.The packs that wanted nothing to do with this new world closed themselves off, shutting their gates and increasing their security even though we had no intention on retaliating. It would take time before those packs changed their ways of thinking, and despite what they believed, violence was not the answer.Rather than wage war, we focused on our own lands and doing all that we could to welcome any Vampire or Witch that needed a place to call home. Towns similar to the Vampire’s safe haven were currently being built on neutral territory.Never in a million
Holly and TristanThree Years Later – Holly’s P.O.V.The breeze was blissfully cold against my skin, the sunlight a slight tingle that rippled over my exposed arms and shoulders.Winter was approaching, tainting the air with its crisp scent. No matter how much I ventured outdoors and basked in the sunlight, I wasn’t sure I’d ever get enough. Even though I burned easily—thank you, Vampire genetics—it was a wonderful taste of freedom that I’d never take for granted.The shrill screams of children playing pierced my ears. I didn’t find it irksome the way some of the parents here did. Despite how loud they were, their wails were full of joy and innocence that could never be replicated or replaced.I looked up from the stack of papers in my hands, focusing on the children racing across the mulch just ten feet away. The tiny font had been giving me a headache for the past two hours now.“Honey, you need to stop and tie your shoe! You’re going to trip and fall.” The woman on the bench beside