Charlotte’s tongue is stuck out of her mouth and two long fangs poke out at the sides. Blood drips from her red eyes and the look on her face says that she is ready to raise hell!Azraiel is taken aback for a second. Sure, he knows that she could turn into anything but this is the first time he is actually seeing it for himself.It looks like the vampire version of Charlotte is on the surface!Without releasing her, he loosens his grip and continues staring at her face. She smiles creepily at his stare as blood drips from her fangs.It takes everything in him to stay still and not wipe off the blood from her face. Slowly, he further loosened his grip but still remained close to her in case the spell didn’t work.He breathes a sigh of relief when he sees that it does work. The spell worked!Charlotte now stands on her own but now bound by the spell she isn’t thrashing. But for some reason, this stillness bothers Azraiel. He knows the spell worked since he can see the semitransparent sn
Azraiel drops to his knees and quickly lifts Charlotte’s fragile body and cradles her in his arms.“Charlotte?” His voice doesn’t express the fear he feels.He gulps down the tears. “Ch-Charlotte?” His voice breaks.“Alpha?” Theo enters the tent and stops in his tracks when he sees the state Charlotte is in.Behind him, Katya enters the tent but her reaction is the exact opposite. She rushes to Charlotte as soon as she sees her.Katya sits down next to Azraiel and slowly inspects Charlotte’s body.She checks her pulse calmly while everything inside her is screaming to get away from here as soon as possible.“Her pulse isn’t regular.” She mutters to herself.Closing her eyes, she puts her right palm on Charlotte’s forehead and starts chanting something.The more she chants, the more pained her face looks.Theo finally moves and sits down near Charlotte’s legs.“Alpha?” He calls Azraiel when he notices the broken expression on his best friend’s face.Azraiel Squeezes his eyes shut for
The first thing Azraiel notices about the wolf is the red eyes staring right back at him. His heart skips a beat when he notices the colour of the thick fur on the wolf’s body.BLACKBlack as in…royal…royal…which means a direct descendant of the Royals…But…The Royal family died 23 years ago…How could…Charlotte…is a Royal…The King’s daughter?Or another mutation as a result of the tragedy that happened to the Black Onyx Pack?When he is able to take his eyes off her, he notices that the other wolves are on their knees, bowing their heads to the black wolf.Azraiel is confused as hell right now. If she is indeed a royal, then he should bow down…but if…Well…he thinks to himself…here goes nothing.He steps forward and gets on his knees to bow down to her.He has no idea right now if she is indeed a royalty but he knows that that right there is his Queen, his mate and he has no freaking problem bowing down to her.With bated breath he waits for her reaction. He knows that Katya and T
Azraiel, Katya and Theo stand together at the edge of the woods with around three dozen warriors standing behind them.After Azraiel woke up Katya and Theo, they rushed to the borders to see if anyone had any idea what happened when they were unconscious. To their utter surprise, they found all the warriors unconscious. No one was harmed but they weren’t awake. They had to help them wake up. A five-minute talk with them concluded that none of them saw Charlotte shift into the black wolf. They all lost consciousness at the same time.They decided to wait for Charlotte and her pack in the woods, just in case anything goes wrong.Azraiel also received a call from his sister Ayleen and things have been fine there, to say the least. The vampires, weredragons and sirens shifted at the same as the werewolves and they too heard the howl of the black wolf. As a result, they left the Queen’s palace as soon as they heard that howl. How they managed to bypass the many spells protecting that place
Theo lifts his head a little, his eyes shine with unshed tears. He looks straight into the black wolf’s eyes and says,“Alpha!” All eyes are on the black wolf as Theo keeps kneeling down.Azraiel’s eyes play ping pong, shifting between his Gamma and his mate. Why the hell is his Gamma calling Charlotte ‘Alpha’ instead of ‘Luna’?With his breath stuck in his throat, Azraiel watches as after looking at Theo for about a minute the black wolf trudges forward and licks his cheeks, wiping the tears now streaming down from his eyes.What in the name of hell is happening?Theo bows his head and cries softly.Without another glance at him, the black wolf steps aside to stand in front of Azraiel.Pushing the scene, he saw before to the back of his mind, Azraiel leans down to hug his mate. His nostrils flare as her intoxicating scent enters his nose. Mhmm…Much more powerful and strong.His wolf’s relief is evident as his mate rubs her muzzle in his neck, marking him with his scent. He plants a
She is home! He is her home!Azraiel pulls her inside his office and takes her sit on the couch, making her sit on his lap. His face rets in the crook of her neck and he breathes in deeply.“Are you okay?” He asks her lightly.“Mhmm…I am now.” She places a kiss on the top of his head.“Good.” He pulls back to look into her eyes.A smile slowly etches on his face.“You look stunning.” Azraiel whispers. He wasn’t lying. Charlotte was practically glowing. It was still her but somehow more beautiful, if that was possible. Her face now had a certain tightness and sharpness that it didn’t before. Her eyes looked bigger and sharper, probably her vision has altered too. She was dressed in a simple black sweatshirt and a blue denim but to him, she looked exquisite.Charlotte smiles in return. “Please tell me I didn’t hurt you…or anyone?” She asks, her smile slowly wiping away.Azraiel understands her concern immediately and shakes his head with confidence and conviction painted on his face. “N
Charlotte woke up to an empty bed. Immediately, she mindlinked Azraiel to confirm if he was at the packhouse and yes he was.She felt like she needed a coffee so she brewed one cup for herself and slowly sipped on it while looking at the woods from the balcony in her room. There were warriors stationed all around her house and she knew it was Azraiel’s doing. She was fine with it.The moment she woke up from her sleep, she has been thinking hard about only one thing. The whole ordeal with Theo left her confused and conflicted. She doesn’t want to hurt Azraiel but she also has no control over Theo’s decision.Theo is Azraiel’s best friend and Gamma, so how can he be her Beta? Why did she feel that connection with Theo when all along she felt like Nicholas was her Beta? She has a lot of questions but no answers. Worst of all, she doesn’t feel bad about Theo being her Beta. She has always felt at ease around him, almost as if he was her brother. He cheered her up when she felt down, he w
“It-It’s Wolfsbane.”Both Azraiel and Theo knew what was in the pouch even before Charlotte opened it. That’s why Azraiel pushed it out of her hands.Since she too is now a wolf, wolfsbane is equally dangerous for her too.“Leave the room.” Katya looks at them. “All of you. Ask someone from the medical wing to send gloves and sample containers.”Azraiel nods and the three of them leave the room. Theo instantly mindlinks someone at the medical wing while Azraiel inspects Charlotte’s hands.“You are not hurt, are you?” he asks gently. His heart thunders in his chest.“No.” She says quietly, surprisingly calm.A few minutes pass and a nurse from the medical wing drops the supplies asked for. None of them speak while Katya collects the sample from the pouch and cleans the office from any wolfsbane with her magic.A few minutes later, she opens the door and says, “Come in. It’s all cleaned up.”Azraiel exhales and they take their places again.“So”, Azraiel begins, “A blood stained cloth,
Charlotte’s head feels like she has been hit with multiple hammers a thousand times over. A sharp, pulsating pain courses through her skull, making her groan softly. Her throat is dry, her limbs feel like lead, and her eyes itch as she struggles to open them.What the hell is going on?Where is she?The last thing she remembers is an angry voice screaming “RAVEN!”, and then… nothing.She puts every bit of strength left in her body into forcing her eyes open. It takes effort, but after a few agonizing seconds, she finally manages to pry them open. The first thing she sees is the vast expanse of tree leaves above her, their thick canopy allowing only thin slivers of sunlight to pierce through. She barely catches a glimpse of the sky in between the dense leaves.Great. More trees. That narrows down the place, she thinks sarcastically.A groan escapes her lips as she tries to sit up. Every movement feels like she is dragging a boulder attached to her body. Her limbs protest, but she pushe
Azraiel leaned back into the sofa, letting out a loud sigh, his frustration is evident in the way his shoulders slumped. Ayleen sat beside him, her small hand lightly clasping his. She knew her touch offered him no real solace, but it brought her a sense of grounding she desperately needed. People often saw her as delicate, a young woman barely stepping into adulthood, sheltered and untainted by the harshness of life. They were wrong. What they didn’t see—what she kept hidden behind her soft smiles and quiet demeanor—was the weight of grief she had carried for years. She had witnessed heartbreak and loss, endured the kind of pain that left invisible scars, and yet here she was, sitting strong and steady beside Azraiel. Her fragile appearance was a mask; beneath it was a will forged by fire, stronger than most in their world. She tightened her grip on his hand slightly, as much for her own reassurance as to remind him she was there—not weak, not afraid, but ready to face whatever came
Charlotte felt like her eyes were glued shut. The weight of her eyelids was unbearable, an invisible force pressing them down. Panic blossomed in her chest, sharp and suffocating, as she struggled to make sense of her surroundings. Her breath came in shallow, uneven spurts, and she willed herself to concentrate.“Why the hell can’t I open my eyes?” she thought desperately. Each attempt sent a searing burn through her eyelids. With every ounce of willpower, she took a deep breath, calmed the racing of her heart, and tried again. The ache behind her eyes intensified, but she pushed through. Finally, with what felt like a monumental effort, her eyelids fluttered open, and the world exploded into light.“What’s going on?” The thought was a quiet whisper in her mind, drowned in the overwhelming brightness that engulfed her.She raised a trembling hand to shield her eyes. The light was blinding, its intensity unfamiliar and disorienting. As her vision adjusted, she realized she was standing
The silence that followed Daniel’s call was as thick as fog. Everyone sat in contemplative unease, their thoughts spiraling into the abyss of uncertainties. Silver flames had been sighted 22 years ago—just a year after the devastating fire at the king’s palace, the same fire that claimed the lives of the werewolf royalty. Could these two events be connected? The implications of such a connection were as vast as they were terrifying.Azraiel’s drawing room felt heavier than ever, the weight of worry and exhaustion palpable in the air. Kira shifted uncomfortably, her gaze moving to the grandfather clock ticking loudly in the corner. Every second seemed to stretch into eternity.Suddenly, the sound of a door creaking open broke the tension. Everyone’s heads snapped toward the staircase, alert and apprehensive.Theo and Matt bolted to their feet, rushing up the stairs.“Azraiel?” Theo’s voice carried a mix of relief and worry as he spotted the Alpha slowly descending the stairs.Azraiel w
The weight of responsibility bore down on Daniel as he leaned back in his chair, rubbing his face with calloused hands. The room around him was dimly lit, with the flickering glow of a solitary desk lamp casting long shadows against the walls. The soft hum of the ceiling fan was the only sound accompanying his tumultuous thoughts.He had just returned to his office after a grueling day spent ensuring the security of the forest surrounding the Blue Orchid pack. Every minute had been a whirlwind of meetings, coordination, and checks, with one goal in mind: to eliminate any potential threats before the ball. The gathering of so many Alphas and Lunas in one place was a political and logistical nightmare. It was a powder keg waiting for a spark.And now this.The phone call from Caitlyn had left him shaken. He stared blankly at the pile of papers on his desk, unable to focus on any of it. The words "silver flames" echoed in his mind, each syllable slicing through his thoughts like a blade.
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