Theo stares down the female in front of him with squinted eyes. He is surprised by the calmness and unaffected expression on her face.She is dressed in a navy blue T-shirt and black pants. Her hair is cut short till her shoulders and dyed a platinum blond color. On her face is heavy makeup, her eyes are lined with black kohl smudged at the edges and her lips are painted red. Her eyes look pitch black, maybe lenses. Her nose and right eyebrow are pierced and rings dangle at both places. She is carrying a bag pack that looks like it has seen better days.Theo has seen pictures of Alana and the woman in front of him looks nothing like her. Maybe he’d noticed the resemblance if he met her before all this but right now he feels like someone else is standing in front of him.Theo and Kira have been waiting for her to reach the pack borders since yesterday. Theo has already informed Kira and the Alpha and they should be here any minute now. They haven’t captured Alana as an intruder since s
“His real name is Austin Jones of the Black Onyx pack.” Alana’s words send a ripple of confusion through everyone’s mind. “Black Onyx Pack?” Alpha Azraiel questions with a raised eyebrow. “I- I know it sounds unbelievable but it is true! He really is from the Black Onyx Pack.” For a moment, no one speaks. Theo and Alpha Azraiel look at each other with a knowing look in their eyes. They have most probably mindlinked their suspicions about the witch in front of them. “Please elaborate.” Theo pushes with a clenched jaw. Alana nods furiously. “So…do you remember how the fall of the Black Onyx Pack and their Alpha lead to the story that everyone from the pack died except the Alpha and the one male that turned into an Alpha?” “You are saying it’s not true?” Kira narrows her eyes at her. “No.” Alana looks down for a second and then looks at Charlotte for a moment. She then returns her eyes to Alpha and says, “Years ago, when the Alpha of the Black Onyx pack, Emmanuel Reed went haywir
Azraiel looks at the forest with searching eyes. After Charlotte identified the portrait as that of Richard, Azraiel asked Theo to have them make another one with the help of Alana. It would help them know whether Alana is actually talking about the same person.Later he also plans to put Alana and Caleb in front of each other. He wants to know more about the time these two spent with Austin aka Richard.He is just doing what he thinks is right but is it actually right though?With all that has been going on these past few days, both Charlotte and he have been busy solving this mess. They haven’t really considered what will happen next.There’s just one day left for her shift!Only one day!“Hey, Love!”Charlotte snakes her arms and locks them in front of Azraiel’s stomach. She lays down her head on his back and sighs.“Hey..you okay?” He whispers and turns his head slightly at her.“Mhmm…”Both of them silently stay like that for God knows how long.“Come on…we have a long day ahead
Charlotte scans the area in front of her with alert eyes. She can feel a headache coming as she thinks about what Azraiel told her a few minutes ago. The Head-Coordinator is on his way to the pack and wants to share some crucial information. He asked Azraiel to ask her pack members where they want to reside for the rest of their lives…in the werewolf world...in the human world…or with their respective species packs…also to ask them if they indeed turn out to be therians then as which creature would they want to spend their lives as? As soon as it was confirmed that Richard is indeed Austin Jones of the Black Onyx Pack, Azraiel put some warriors to the task of tracing back the ancestors of her pack members. She kind of knows what he suspects but she won’t know for sure till he decides to reveal everything. In front of her, Theo along with several other warriors was helping Nicholas and Jamie to gather information about everyone’s ancestors. She herself talked to several pack members…
The room is silent. Everyone present is interpreting the information as per their fears and imaginations.“I know this is hard to process…,’’ The Head Coordinator breaks the silence. “I understand that there are a lot of things to be considered before taking any action but I’d like to propose something…” He looks at Azraiel.Azraiel nods for him to proceed.“There are hundreds of beings outside your pack's border. If they all shift together at the same tomorrow, things are bound to go out of hand. I know your warriors are competent and large in number but it will create a lot of pressure and tension among your pack members. So, I think it would be better to shift some of Charlotte’s pack members to a place that has more space and where they can’t hurt people even if they want to!”“And what place would that be?” Katya asks.“The Queen’s Palace!” Azraiel answers.Daniel nods. “The Queen’s Palace!”Queen’s palace!Charlotte frowns. Azraiel told her that the King’s Castle caught fire 23
As soon as Charlotte shares what Daniel just told them with Nicholas, his face changes from calm to panicked in seconds.“Please tell me this is a joke?” His eyes pleaded with her.Charlotte looks at him as if saying sorry in every language but words refuse to come out of her mouth.Both of them then relayed the same message to the folks residing in the woods.A wave of panic washes over the crowd as they register their words! Charlotte sighs and begins saying.“Please!”Her voice is full of desperation and regret...regret of not being able to do anything for them.“Please, try to understand! At present, we don’t know what will happen tomorrow. We just want to take extra measures to avoid any mishap whatsoever. Please cooperate with us. It is for your own safety!” She tries to assure them.They quieten down but she can still sense their worry.“What if we don’t turn into something we want to?” one of them asks.“We’ll just have to figure it out as it comes I guess!” Charlotte sighs. “
As soon as they finish chanting, something unexpected happens that chills them to the core.Caleb’s body suddenly starts convulsing and lights on fire!Katya and Alana have no time to react before Charlotte barges in while chanting something.“Charlotte, NO!” Katya shouts and tries to stop Charlotte as she steps towards a burning Caleb but fails.Charlotte isn’t just Charlotte in that moment. Katya stops in her tracks as she looks at her.Her eyes glow a vibrant purple color and the power radiating off her forces Katya and Alana to take a step back.Both the witches watch horrified as Charlotte comes to stand by the burning body of Caleb. They don’t have the courage or time to stop her before she does something that surprises them.Charlotte slashes her palm with the claw that has extended from her other hand. Bringing her hand just above Caleb’s body, she squeezes her palm into a fist and lets her blood drip into the fire.With every chant getting louder, Charlotte’s eyes glow bright
Azraiel rubs his palm over his face. As soon as he heard that Charlotte was unconscious he rushed through the woods to reach her. Katya and Alana were trying to remove the magic from Caleb when his body lit on fire. At that very moment, Charlotte reached there and started chanting something which ultimately stopped the fire. To everyone’s surprise, Caleb doesn’t even have a scratch on his body.Azraiel carried Charlotte to their home where she is currently lying on their bed. He is sitting beside his mate waiting for her to wake up.Seeing her like that, lying unconscious on the floor made his heart writhe in pain. He has no idea how he is going to watch her complete the shift tomorrow. He still remembers how much effort it took to keep it together when his sister shifted for the first time.What happened today has no doubt put several doubts in everyone’s mind. He too is concerned now. If Charlotte really shifts into a witch tomorrow, it might become hard for her to continue to live
Aunt Caitlyn sat on the plush sofa in Azraiel’s drawing room, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. The rich, dark wood of the furniture glinted faintly under the muted glow of the overhead chandelier, and the scent of pinewood from the hearth lingered in the air. She had rushed over in her nightclothes, barely taking the time to throw a coat over her shoulders when Ayleen’s desperate call came.The sound of Ayleen’s sobs still echoed in her ears, and Caitlyn’s heart clenched at the memory. The young woman had flung herself into her arms the moment she stepped through the door, her body trembling with unspoken fears.Now, as she sat in the center of the tension-filled room, Caitlyn couldn’t help but notice how heavy the atmosphere was. Matt and Theo stood to the side, their postures rigid, their expressions grim. Siobhan sat beside Ayleen on the loveseat, murmuring soft reassurances while rubbing her back gently. Ayleen, her eyes red-rimmed and swollen, leaned her head against Siobhan
The moonlight cast a faint, silvery glow on the forest path leading to Alana’s house, illuminating the route just enough for Kira to navigate without stumbling. Her boots crunched softly against the dirt, the sound oddly loud in the stillness of the night. She glanced up at the looming trees, their dark branches intertwining above her to form a canopy that swallowed most of the moonlight. It felt like the forest itself was holding its breath. Alana’s house came into view, a small structure perched on the edge of the pack’s territory. Its isolation was deliberate—an unspoken acknowledgment of the unease the pack felt around the witch. Even as she approached, Kira couldn’t help but feel the weight of its placement. It wasn’t just physical distance that separated Alana from the others; it was a barrier of mistrust and fear. Kira slowed her steps, her hand instinctively resting on the hilt of the dagger strapped to her thigh. She didn’t expect trouble, but being cautious never hurt. The
Katya tossed aside another of her mother’s journals, letting it fall to the floor with a defeated sigh. The thick stack of ancient leather-bound books was strewn across the room, each one filled with spells, enchantments, and writings about flames of every imaginable color—blue, black, green, even a rare purple. But nowhere, not a single line, had mentioned the mysterious silver flame. It felt as though the answers she sought were just beyond reach, buried beneath years of her mother’s guarded knowledge.Katya rubbed her temples, feeling a growing frustration behind her eyes as she got up from the floor, carefully stepping over a couple of loose pages that had scattered during her search. She wandered into the kitchen, her bare feet padding softly on the wooden floor, where the hum of the refrigerator and the ticking of the wall clock punctuated the otherwise heavy silence of the night. She reached for the coffee pot, her hands moving almost mechanically, measuring out the coffee grou
For the next two hours, various tests were conducted on Charlotte to determine the cause of her condition. They wanted to be certain that she was physically fine before drawing any conclusions. Some of the test results came back normal, and now they were awaiting the others.Dr. Humphrey had checked Charlotte’s vitals earlier—her pulse, heartbeat, blood pressure, and brain activity were all normal. Yet, despite these signs of life, Charlotte remained unconscious, as though trapped in a deep slumber. Azraiel lay beside her, his body healing slowly from the burns, but his heart was heavy with worry. The others had left the room to give them space, gathering downstairs in the hall.Katya had left the house altogether, determined to search her mother’s books and journals for anything related to the mysterious silver fire and its effects. Ayleen, who had been inconsolable earlier, reluctantly joined the others after Dr. Humphrey insisted they needed the room to monitor both Charlotte and A
Azraiel’s scream tore through the night as the silver flames licked at his skin, searing his flesh. The pain was unlike anything he had ever felt—blinding, all-consuming—but he pushed through it. His grip tightened around Charlotte’s limp body as he lifted her into his arms, ignoring the fire that burned him down to his core. Every breath was a struggle, coming in short, agonized puffs as the heat smothered him, but he refused to let go.He summoned his true-blooded wolf, the primal strength buried deep within him, and let out a howl of pain and anguish that echoed through the walls. The wolf took over, guiding him with a singular focus—protect Charlotte. His feet moved on instinct as he hurried into the room, the flames still biting at his skin, and laid her carefully on their bed.As soon as her body touched the bed, Azraiel collapsed, his knees buckling under the unbearable pain. He hit the floor with a thud, the flames finally retreating, but leaving him scorched, his body covered
Azraiel felt her pain before he heard her voice. The intensity of the headache that slammed through the mindlink sent a sharp jolt of panic through his entire body. He was at the pack border, inspecting the security for Charlotte’s introductory ball with Kira, Matt, and Katya, when it hit him like a physical blow. The agony was overwhelming, and it wasn’t just his own—he could feel Charlotte’s fear pulsing through their bond.Without a word, Azraiel spun on his heels and sprinted towards her, his heart racing with dread. He knew something was wrong, terribly wrong, and he couldn't waste another second. Behind him, Matt, Kira, and Katya followed, their footsteps pounding through the woods as they tried to keep up with his pace.Matt’s voice cut through the rush of wind and trees as they ran. “Charlotte left the banquet hall a few hours ago. Ayleen left for home not long after. They must be at your place.”Azraiel heard him, but he couldn’t respond. His mind was racing too fast, his hear
Charlotte stood on the balcony, her arms wrapped around her middle, deep in thought as the cool night air played with the loose strands of her hair. Below her, the maze in the garden glowed with a soft golden hue. Yellow-golden fairy lights had been draped intricately along the maze's borders, casting an ethereal glow that illuminated the neatly trimmed hedges. The lights flickered gently in the breeze, their glow stretching out like long fingers that traced across the stone walls of the estate, spilling golden shadows across her face. Her reflection caught in the glass door behind her, her expression drawn, her lips pressed into a thin line of unease.Azraiel had taken charge of the preparations for her ball—her introductory event. As usual, he was meticulous, ensuring every detail was perfect. Charlotte had been busy too, focusing on the decorations and arrangements, but her mind was not with the party. Hours ago, something had happened, something that had shaken her in ways she cou
Matt tossed and turned in his bed, the moonlight filtering through the curtains, casting silver streaks across the room. Sleep was elusive, as his mind replayed the conversation he'd had with Kira just yesterday.“The way you look at her...it’s the same way Theo looks at Samantha and Alpha looks at Luna.” Kira had said.He had laughed it off at the time, but now, in the stillness of the night, the weight of her words pressed down on him. How could he have been so transparent? How could he have let his guard down so easily?Years ago, he and Katya had been inseparable, especially during that rescue mission for Ayleen. They were younger then, driven by adrenaline and the high stakes of their world. It had been easy to mistake the intensity of their connection for something more. And perhaps, back then, it had been more.But they had grown up. They had changed. He wasn’t the same impulsive wolf he’d been, and Katya wasn’t the same mysterious witch who could read his thoughts before he’d
The Blue Orchid packhouse was alive with the hustle and bustle of preparations for the grand ball, an event that drew werewolves from packs far and wide. However, in the quiet confines of Theo’s office, an entirely different kind of preparation was underway.Charlotte, the Luna of the Blue Orchid pack and the Alpha of her own unnamed supernatural pack sat poised in one of the plush leather chairs, her sharp eyes fixed on Theo. Samantha, Theo’s mate, sat beside her, her interest piqued by the serious discussion they were about to have. Theo, the Beta of the Blue Orchid pack, stood behind his desk, his presence commanding the room.“The world of werewolf politics is more intricate than it appears,” Theo began, his voice steady and authoritative. “As Luna of the Blue Orchid pack and Alpha of your own, you, Luna, must be well-versed in the dynamics of our world. And Samantha, as my mate, your understanding of these matters is equally important.”Samantha nodded, her curiosity evident. Char