Hey guys, I am leaving tomorrow for a family vacation. So the next chapter of ROTBK won't be up until Monday. As for my readers who are also reading Property of the Alpha, I will have a chapter for you guys tomorrow and then not another one until Monday as well. After the scarlet fever encounter, we are in need of a vacation. So I hope you all have a lovely weekend and I will see you then!
Chapter 26 - Mistakes AloraIt didn't take us long to get to the roof, and it took even less time to spot the four beasts as they circled the cabin. Their long snouts were covered in foam from the long dripping drool that spilled out between their fanged teeth. The creatures were ugly bastards with boney hunchbacks and milky eyes. Their skin was a pale grey, and they smelled wretched. They stood in their arched hindlegs like some diseased form of a mutated werewolf—sharp claws drawn as they released one ear-piercing screech after another. "What are these things?" Damon hissed in disgust. I let out a dry laugh. "Think of a wendigo and a Werewolf mating, and this is what you get. A thing of nightmares." "And you have come here on more than one occasion because?" Damon asked, and I looked out at the beasts again. Not wanting to look him in the eye as I replayed my nightmares in my head. "Because I never want to feel as helpless as I did when I was younger. If you can kill your fears
Chapter 27 - ExposedDamon I was a piece of shit, that much I was sure of. I had always prided myself on having great self-control; I never crumbled under the pressure of my desires, not even when I found my mate. I was patient and never rushed her to accept me. I would have taken a friendship with her even if it killed me, just to be close to her.But with Alora, it was different. She got under my skin so easily. Her aura was all-consuming, constantly pulling me in and having me wage war with myself. So when the thought of kissing crossed my mind again, I gave in. I needed to sate my craving to taste her lips. It was too much, though, I knew it would be, but at the moment, I didn't care. Until the image of my mate's face crossed my mind, and all I saw was the disgust as I betrayed her. The flashes of her battered and bloodied body lying on the floor pulled me away from my temporary bliss and immediately snuffed out Alora's thoughts. I had left Alora in that room without explanatio
Chapter 28 - RevengeBalthazar "Where the hell are they, Balthazar?" Apollo growled. He had been acting like a toddler throwing a tantrum for the last three days since Damon and Alora got sucked into where ever Alora sent them. And of course, to him, that meant it was somehow now my problem to find them.It was pretty entertaining to watch, actually. But also quite sad because he really thought he could try and bully me into answering his questions. Well, actually, it was the same question he had been pushing on me over and over and over.The best part was that I hadn't a single clue where they were, and it wouldn't have been easy to find them either. Unfortunately, Alora's magic made it impossible for my book to track them. Yes, I could use the shadows to help narrow down a location, but then we would have to search for them instead of me sitting here tormenting Apollo and where was the fun in that? So, I wasn't lying when I said I didn't know; I was just refusing to put one hundre
Chapter 29 - PromiseAloraVirginia narrowed her old little eyes at me, the corner of her mouth tipping up in triumph as I scowled at her. Of course, her admission of knowing who I was caught me off guard and put me in one hell of a situation, but I wasn't going to tell her that. Besides, now I had something else to worry about because of her big mouth. Still, it wasn't just me who had been keeping secrets. Damon seemed to have a secret of his own. All be mine was more incriminating, and I knew that whatever Damon had in store for me, he was holding off until we were far away from here before unleashing it on me. But at least I had time to prepare an argument. I knew the moment Virginia stated who I really was; our truce was gone. I could see it in his eyes as he looked at me with such distrust and anger before snapping at her and storming off. It would have been a perfect opportunity for me to escape his capture, but his team still had Helga, and I couldn't leave her behind. "Who
Chapter 30 - Unexpected Damon Lir's suggestion held merit. In theory, it made sense and was the easiest route to getting back my ring. But that didn't seem all that true from the fear that filled Alora's eyes and the audible gasp of horror that Helga let out. "Please don't send her back her m-" "Helga," Alora said sharply, cutting her off. The fear in her eyes was now gone as she glared at me. Helga looked at her, her big round eyes wide with concern for her friend. It was weird seeing a pixie holding such a strong bond with a fae but then again, nothing about Alora was normal. "Telling them anything won't change their minds. I can see it in their faces. We are going back no matter what." "But-" Alora shook her head. "It's done. I stole from them. They should be doing more to me than just handing me back to my mother. I can handle whatever she throws my way. We made a deal, and I broke it." If I hadn't spent those few days with her in the realm of nightmares, I would have beli
Chapter 31 - Liar AloraI stared at the ceiling of my room. My mind to busy conjuring up my worst nightmares to allow me a moment of rest. I knew tomorrow was going to be a hard day. So much could happen, and I didn't know what to expect. It didn't seem possible for Damon to walk out of the dream realm with not only his ring but also me. It would be one or the other, and I knew without a doubt he would choose the ring. Despite how easy it was to come to that conclusion. It didn't stop the thought of being left behind from making my chest ache. It was foolish to think that Damon would have spared me at all, considering that I had stolen from him and held important information from him. But I guess, in a way, him taking me from my mother and imprisoning me in his kingdom was a far better fate than being left alone with her. I turned my head so that I could look out of my window. The moon was bright, filling the night sky with its silver glow. I had always found myself relating to t
Chapter 32 - Run AloraNothing about this was easy; going back to your own personal hell wouldn't be easy for anyone, I suppose. But as I boarded my ship for what would most likely be the last time, I couldn't help but take a moment to appreciate the feeling of the smooth oak beneath my palm. Or how every carving held a story of my past, present, and future dreams. Every journey was a new opportunity to see a different part of the world. From travelling to the realm of witches or to the realm of dragons, there was always something new to discover. I tilted my head toward the sky, letting the heat from the giant sun soak into my skin. I took a deep breath, embedding the smell of the salty air into my memories, knowing I would never be allowed this close to the ocean ever again. I pushed the thought of being trapped in a tower for the rest of myself to the side, not wanting to darken this already depressing day further. "Everyone has boarded, Captain. The sails have been raised, an
Chapter 33 - Past selves Damon "Alora," I shouted as she vanished into the fog. "Damon." Garren's voice was urgent as he pushed me to move. The fog was so thick I couldn't see anything in front of me. But, as far as I knew, we were all possibly running towards whatever had captured the others. "Apollo, Kier, Alora, Lir," I shouted as we ran. Balthazar, Drabek, and Garren close behind me."Nah ah ah. I can't have you all working together. You wanted a trial, after all, Prince Damon. So a trial you shall get." Sorin chastised.Before I could even warn the others, hands gripped my ankles, pulling me into the fog. Cold and darkness surrounded me. I expected to encounter the hard ground but found myself falling through space instead. I yelled out as I fell, my stomach tensing as I prepared for a hard impact that would undoubtedly kill me. "This isn't real." I heard a soft voice echo through my head. The voice grew louder, chanting the same sentence over and over again. "This isn't r
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