Chapter Nineteen - Runaway
Balor's POV
I sat in my living room, staring out large windows. The snow had finally decided to fall, and from up here, you could count each snowflake individually as it fell towards the city street. I looked into the other building across from me. Most of the rooms facing me were offices, but a few were from a penthouse too. The odd lit-up Christmas tree and decoration filled a room or two.
I looked down at my glass of whiskey, swirling it around as I let my mind drift. The Winter Solstice celebrations in Gardenia were two days away. It was a magical time of year and probably one of my favourite celebrations from childhood. It lasted for a month and ended with a huge winter-themed ball just before Christmas.
It was the
Chapter Twenty - New AngleBalor's POVThere is something about spending a few days away from the city that really opens your eyes, makes you appreciate the quiet and the slow-moving you get in the country. But, of course, it also doesn't hurt to come home to a captured rat and the possibility of spilling some blood to really add some pep to my step.I walked down the musty hallway with a smile on my lips as I prepared for what was to come. All the stress that had built up over the last month had really gotten to me, and I needed someone to take that rage out on—findingthis guy really couldn't have come at a better time.Even training with pack members the last two days wasn't cutting. I needed to watch someone scream as I made them bleed. I needed t
Chapter Twenty-one - AgreementReyna's POVI thought about the text all night, only giving Balor a response this morning after I discussed it with Piper. We went back and forth, and ultimately, she told me it was my decision.I don't know why I agreed to meet him. Maybe it was curiosity or the fact that I seriously couldn't stop myself from entering a dangerous situation. But here I was sitting in an empty coffee shop waiting for him even though he was already five minutes late and probably only set this up to mess with me.I looked at the time on my phone and then the clock on the wall. It was five past six. I pulled up to my pocket media app and began scrolling through recent posts trying to busy myself as I waited for Balor to arrive, if he was even going to, that is. I closed th
Chapter Twenty-two - The PlanBalor's POVMy body ached in all the right places, telling me I pushed myself like I needed to. My chest was coated in a layer of sweat. I grabbed my water and squirted it into my mouth before drenching my head.Lincoln and I always made time to train, even in the city. We found a private boxing gym and blocked out a few hours a week to get out all the pent-up energy our wolves seemed to produce."So, how'd it go?" Lincoln asked.I didn't bother clarifying what he meant. He had told me he wanted to talk about how the meeting with Reyna went once he got back to the city, and I told him I would once we were done beating each other's faces in."It wasn't the worst meeting," I muttered. Lincoln scoffed
Chapter Twenty-Three - IntertwinedReyna's POVI looked at the man in front of me, trying my best to keep my mask on, not wanting him to see through our whole plan.When I was younger, I looked up to him, believed he would always protect us. But when Vicky got killed, and he disappeared, it shattered whatever love I had for him into a billion pieces.I pushed back the rage and hatred that was bubbling in my stomach—forcing myself to step forward and pull him into a hug. I tucked my head into the crook of his neck, something I used to do whenever I was scared as a child. I inhaled through my mouth, trying to avoid inhaling his familiar aroma of honeyed cigars and scotch."You were right, and I was too scared to believe you. But I'
Chapter Twenty- Four - Suffocation Balor's POV Everything seemed to be falling into place. We caught the rat, and we now had a plan to take down the whole rat's nest. Everything was looking up, or it at least it should have been. Something about this whole plan wasn't sitting right, and I had the most challenging time pushing the doubt away. Unease sat in the pit of my stomach as I nursed my glass of whiskey. The party was tomorrow, and I went to the packhouse to clear my head. The city's noise was too overwhelming right now, and I just wanted to have a moment to breathe. "You know if you keep scowling like, your face might stay that way." I looked up to see Penelope leaning against the doorframe. Her head was slightly tilted, and her lips pursed as she watched me. I let out a grunt as I took another sip of my drink.
Chapter Twenty-five - Double-crossedReyna's POV"So what are we looking for exactly? I thought we already had others look through all of this." Sullivan complained as we looked over the file for the third time.I tapped my foot as I looked through every detail of the file in my hand. I finally got to the bank statements we had acquired, looking for any suspicious activity, and it was like the stars had aligned, and I was granted a break for once.I moved to the following file, finding the same thing. Twice a month, payments were made to Bloodstone Security accounts. As I moved from one file to the next, a smile spread across my face."What'd you find?" Sullivan asked, her brow arched.
Chapter Twenty-Six - Deception Reyna's POV "It's nice to meet you, Eugene." I gave him a soft smile before turning my attention to the rest of the ballroom. Ribbons and tulle were draped across the ceiling. Twinkling lights, slowly blinking above them, giving off the illusion of stars. The tables that surrounded the dance floor were covered in black cloth along with silver runners. Black feathers fanned out from the top of tall vases as pearls and crystals hung off of the top of the vase. Everyone was dressed in beautiful formal wear. The men all wore perfectly tailored suits, and the woman wore the more beautiful gowns. Most even flashier and fancier than mine. I didn't believe in fairytales or magic for that matter, but this place was enchanting.
Chapter Twenty-Seven - TemptationBalor's POVI waited anxiously for Reyna to return from the meeting. I wasn't sure what to expect, and the fact that I couldn't actually be in there only made matters worse.I had covered all of my bases. I glamoured myself to everyone except Reyna, which took a lot of energy. I also cast a memory spell on the host so she wouldn't ever remember encountering me. These events were so exclusive that I didn't even have to worry about cameras, which was an added bonus. Phones weren't even allowed past the front entrances, saving me from having to find a way to delete all photographic evidence of Reyna being here too."Another, sir?" The dealer asked me. I nodded as he placed another card down in front of me.Fredericks went all out for these events. Apart from the ballroom and over-the-top decorations. He also had another room sectioned off and turned into a casino."House wins.Would you look to play again?
Epilogue Three weeks later Damon The pressure of the crown was building as Alora and I settled into our new roles. My father was no longer here to keep the council at bay with their demands. But despite it all, I had found that I enjoyed this new life I had been given. The new responsibilities allowed me even more control over the Kingdom than the Captain of the guards ever could. All be it; I did miss the battle prep and daily training. But I still found holes in my busy schedule to take Alora out to the training fields at least once a week. I knew that eventually, our routine would become steady, and we would have more time to relax, but new rulers came with change and to have change, you needed to vote on old and new laws to pass. Alora and I had already made some big changes, like incorporating technology from the human realm into our daily lives to allow us easier communication with other realms. But there were still a lot of issues with the old ways of running our Kingdom
Chapter 49 - To Love and Cherish ErikPeace was something that was talked about constantly. During wars, it was what we fought for. While ruling a Kingdom, it was what we strived to maintain. But I had never truly known peace until now. The thought of finally being ridden of this pain inside of me, knowing that soon I would be with my love once again, was freeing. The final night with my family started out slow, but it eventually picked up and ran right into the night. There was laughter and tears exchanged around the table as we shared stories of my past and everyone got a chance to say goodbye, getting the closer they needed.And as everyone turned in for the night, I found myself alone again; unable to sleep, I found myself outside. I stayed up looking out at the stars waiting for the sun to rise. I closed my eyes, letting the warm breeze brush across my skin, engraving it into my mind. "So you really are going to spend your last moments alive, sitting in a field of flowers like
Chapter 48 - GoodbyesErikI watched as the sun set beyond the forest, the oranges and pinks of the sky blending together as the sun bid it farewell. It had been a long time since I had nothing to do, no responsibilities with the crown or of the guards. I thought it might help me move on from the hell that the last year had been without Athena, but now I realize that was a stupid notion. It was lonely, and the weight of losing my mate weighed heavier on my heart now than it did while I still ruled.I kept as busy as a retired King could, helping Damon when he needed to seek council or helping Apollo if he needed a hand with training recruits, but I knew that they both didn't really need my help. They just didn't want me to feel left out. Apollo was a natural at his role, and so was Damon. Despite what Damon said when he first discovered he would be the next in line to inherit the throne. He took to it as a bird took to the sky. He was a born leader and shined when he was in control o
Chapter 47 - Home Alora It had been a month since I had been crowned Queen of Gardenia, the days seeming to slip away as the kingdom welcomed the summer solstice and our ruling.I was busy learning my new role, Damon's father and Grandfather helping ease us both into the important roles we both now held. However, it was easier having Helga by my side. I was happy to have her as my royal advisor, and Rachel had said she was a natural already. I knew she would be, though; she always loved to take control and never gave up the opportunity to tell someone off. It was also working in my favour because Lord folic was so busy fighting with her that he always missed out on voting for new laws or changes to existing rulings. Damon loved it, and it made the council meetings less gruelling. It was absurd how many times we had to have a council meeting. At least once a day, and most of the things brought up were trivial problems. By the end of the day, I was just happy to get some alone time
Chapter 46 - The CrownDamon It felt like an eternity had passed as I waited in the royal chambers with my father. It felt even longer when we exchanged goodbyes at the throne room, and I waited at the dais while he sat on his throne. Melody stood in front of my father, a smile stretched across her face, glowing brightly. The room was full of people, some from the council, others from royal families, friends, family, and people from our Kingdom. All watching and waiting for the ceremony to begin.I was in a black royal jacket that was made with silver threading, and our family crest stitched into my left breast pocket. The wolves were placed proudly amongst the roses and the sword that separated them as they howled at the moon. My silver crown was placed on my head, but that would be changed once mine and Alora's vows were complete and only after the mothers accepted us as the new King and Queen to signal the dawn of a new era. Drake stood to the right of me, his mate, my mother's
Chapter 45 - Long Live The Queen Damon "Again," I commanded as Alora worked to keep the wings she had summoned to remain on her back. She had learned quickly how to handle the phoenix flames since she had already worked with the fire element. But now came the hard part, only half shifting. I did it all the time, especially in battle, morphing my nails into claws and elongating my canines. But nothing about that was easy; it came with time and practice, but Alora wanted to have it mastered. With the coronation and our mate ceremony happening tomorrow, she wanted to be better at it. Not only to prove to the council and our people that she was a worthy Queen but also to herself. I didn't want to be the one to tell her to slow down, not after she had spent so much of her life ruled under someone else thumb. But I had warned her of the risks of exhaustion and told her that when I saw fit, we would end the training for the evening.Alora begrudgingly accepted my condition, and I kept tr
Chapter 44 - Worship AloraI flipped through the pages of the phoenix book the jinx family had kept for generations. There was so much to process, like what abilities I now possessed because of what I was. It made my head hurt; there was so much to learn, so much to figure out. I was now different than normal fae; I was now a shifter. But, unlike most shifting fae, my order didn't communicate with me. Instead, it was a part of me; we were one and the same. I would still live an immortal life, only having one enemy that could stop me from ever being reborn, permanently ending my life. A Basilisk. A venous snake shifter that, like me, was rare, most believed them to be extinct. But now that I existed, one would be born, if not already—the universe now having to find balance in all forms. It was mindblowing the things I had already read about. For example, I could enchant items with my flames, similar to everlasting fire. But unlike everlasting fire, I couldn't break wards or spells w
Chapter 43 - WarningDamonI sat at the dais, my legs hanging over the edge as I waited for Cedric to arrive with the artifacts Alora and I asked for. Balor was right when he said the Jinx family would bargain for their priceless information. The smug look on their faces was wiped away and replaced with wide gaping mouths as they stared at the amulet in shock.Diana had muttered a curse under her breath. One I was sure she wanted me to hear because she said it so close to me. But I bit my tongue as I handed over the amulet, not wanting to risk them being stingy with their end of the deal.Alora was waiting in the Library, looking over whatever other books Audra had found for her. Now that Alora had her dream magic again, she was more determined than ever to find out what else she was capable of doing. I couldn't help but admire her for her devotion and eagerness. I was still reeling in from the mind-blowing realization that not only was Alora a rare Pheonix shifter, but she was also
Chapter 42 - Full CircleAloraIt's funny how even after you have overcome your deepest fears that they can still creep up on you. That was how it felt right now, anyways, as we arrived at the Dream realm. It was a ghost town, everyone seeming to either vanish with my mother's magic or flee as soon as they were freed from their promise to her. The streets were quiet, the ports empty, and the palace looked haunted. The golden paint was already losing its shine and fading with the faded magic. The windows were dark and unwelcoming as we approached the not-so-gilded gate. It was now that I felt the fear of my mother creep up on me. The well of my fears bubbled in the pit of my stomach. For decades I walked through these gates and made my way to my mother's throne room to report my findings and give her the things she requested I steal. The motions all felt so familiar, but with Damon by my side, they also felt different. I knew he could sense my hesitation as we approached the giant w