It was 3:30 in the morning on Monday. The sun wasn’t out yet and the sky was still dark. The streets were silent with the occasional barking of stray dogs. The local police department of Nievland, a small town in the state of Rysterbia received a call from a man named Peter Sheffield. He was driving back from a late party in the next town when suddenly something dropped on the top of the car, making him lose balance. Whatever it was, slid on the glass, making it difficult for him to see in the dark night. He lost balance and his car swerved onto the side of the road, almost bumping in the tree trunk. Scared, he came out of the car and switched on the flashlight of his cell phone to see if it was an animal or a bird….But it was neither….
A young woman was lying on the road in shredded clothes. There were several bite and scratch marks on her body. Her body was missing a lot of pieces, blood dripping from everywhere…but what shook Peter to the core wa
Charlotte doesn’t discuss what she witnessed in the woods with Azraiel. She tries to keep it all in and focus on the training. If I tell Azraiel, he’ll just scold me for being out there in the dark… She knew Azraiel could probably tell that her mind was somewhere else, but he didn’t say anything. Maybe he already knows…her wolf chimed in… No….He doesn’t…or else he’d definitely say something.. The morning session with Azraiel ends with her scattered thoughts. Azraiel too didn’t say much today, maybe he already sensed her mood, but she is grateful nonetheless. After her session with Azraiel, Charlotte performs her morning tasks, takes breakfast and waits for Ayleen. She is supposed to drop by today with some book recommendations. As her shift is approaching, she is trying to gather as much information as possible. Matt has taught her to think positive, that she’ll be
Charlotte was sitting quietly on her bed after the session with Matt. Her conversation with the Beta kept echoing in her head.“Alpha Azraiel is a Trueblood…!”The white wolf is Azraiel…...Azraiel is the white wolf….She suddenly sat up straight and went to the pile of books beside her closet. The first book was about shifting, so she kept it aside….second was the same…..but the third…There it is….She picked the third book and opened the index. Moving her index finger down the page she stopped when she found what she was looking for. Quickly flipping to the page number she climbed into her bed and leaned back.Charlotte skipped the title and started reading. She skimmed through most of the part but stopped when she found what she was looking f
It was Tuesday….the clock struck four in the morning and Charlotte once again ventured out in the woods.She didn’t get a wink of sleep last night.Yesterday, when she realized what the white wolf had done and who that white wolf was, her head started spinning and she found herself worried and panicked. As soon as she came home she hurriedly made her way to the pile of books that Ayleen had given her and pulled out the one that was about mates. She flipped through the index and impatiently opened the page.Behavior of wolves towards their mates She skipped reading line by line and instead focused on the headings and trusted her brain to pick out the important text.They like to touch their mate…always…No…Azraiel ne
As soon as Katya entered the pack, she could literally feel the power flowing in the air like electricity. She saw a few familiar faces and greeted them from afar, not in the mood to chit-chat. Besides, she just wanted to get this over with. The power in the air was making her uneasy and it’d be just better to finish her business and leave.She knew that she wasn’t answerable to anyone here. Unlike wolves, who have this need to submit to their Alpha, she didn’t feel that need. Hadn’t for a long time….But she wasn’t a fool. Even humans recognize authority and danger in people around them. She might not feel obliged to submit to the power and authority but she damn well knew when to be dormant.Crossing almost the whole pack, she walked briskly to reach Alpha Azraiel’s home. She would have liked to be teleported but Alpha Azraiel had already protected his pack with countermagic so that n
As soon as Azraiel heard the crash, he moved away from Katya and turned towards the window, but then Ayleen dropped the water she brought for Katya…He was about to walk toward Ayleen when he saw the horror painted on her face and heard the words coming out of her mouth… “Charlotte…! Your eyes…!” Both Katya and Azraiel were now looking at Charlotte in shock. She was sitting on the sofa, looking at Ayleen….but her eyes….they weren’t black…. No… The first color that Azraiel saw was gold and his first thought was that her wolf was pushing through….which is unusual since it happens only after the shift, but he had long ago given up on anything being usual with his mate… But then he saw the other two colors…. And his breath got stuck in his throat. Both of her irises were golden yellow…bright like sunlight, but the color changed in both her eyes as it moved towards the pupil….her le
Azraiel was sitting beside Charlotte while she lay unconscious on the bed in his guest room. He has been sitting there holding her hand since she passed out.She’d be living here from now on….He nodded to himself. There is no way that he’ll let her live alone…, especially after what happened a few minutes ago…!She is too dangerous…for others as well as herself...!He stares at her continuously…. without blinking…as if she’d disappear if he blinks. A soaring pain pierces his heart every time he thinks of her not being there. He doesn’t care if she’s not with him. He just wants her to live…peacefully…happily...!“Azraiel…Katya wants to talk to you…I’ll sit there with Charlotte!” His sister’s voice is quiet through the mindlink.With a sigh, he places a gentle kiss on his mate’s forehead and quietly leaves the room.
Katya broke the silence… “You mentioned Charlotte has been tracked by the H.O.P.E. mission almost all her life…” She gave him a look that Azraiel understood very well. “After...you know what happened with Ayleen….I wouldn’t put it past them to do an experiment on Charlotte...It’s highly possible that she was already a supernatural…and they tried to make her a hybrid…and in the process of doing so, they screwed up…” Azraiel considered what she was saying. It was possible…very very possible…but far more dangerous… “We don’t have many options, Azraiel…We need to confirm if there were any experiments done on her….and if they were, we need a person who can tell us what they intended to do with her…What we saw today, it could very well turn into something life-threatening and dangerous, both for her and the people around her.” Azraiel nodded and pulled out a file from the drawer on his table. He passed it to Katya. “Here! This file has every i
Charlotte groaned as she shifted her body. When she opened her eyes, she was met with a white ceiling that was completely in contrast with the dark brown wood of her cottage. With furrowed brows, she turned in the bed….and then something clicked. Azraiel’s house… Shit…she is in Azraiel’s house…. “How are you feeling?” Charlotte jumped in surprise as Ayleen’s voice startled her. She was sitting on the left side of the bed. “I….I am fine...but...tired?” Charlotte muttered in a low voice, confused as well as exhausted. “What happened...? Why am I here?” She asked Ayleen. Did she pass out? Ayleen opened her mouth to say answer her question but at that moment the door of the room flew open and Azraiel rushed in ….only pausing and breathing once he roamed his eyes all over her. Why the hell is he looking at me like that? Charlotte was becoming more and more confused. “Ayleen…” Azraiel
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