I untangle myself from my aunt and uncle and give them one more look before turning my attention to Aera, whose expression is screaming with suppressed anger."Will you come outside with me?" I ask, knowing that we needed to talk. "We should have a discussion before I leave.""No," Aera snaps, his g
[Ayla's POV]"It was."As the words leave my lips, all the emotions that I felt at that time come rushing back. It had been a while since I truly let myself relive those moments with Barren since it was just too damn painful."We met when I was about thirteen, and the darkness was just beginning to
[Ayla’s POV]It had been a while since the last time that I saw the elders, but they were the same as I remembered. Three ancient-looking men with looks of annoyance and judgmental eyes that take me in as if I’m the most irritating thing on earth stare at me as I enter the room.As I close the door,
"Nothing new," I growl. "They’ve been wanting me dead since the day I was born.""You’re lucky you were even allowed to be born," Elder Sergio counters. "As a hybrid, you are a wild card; add in the Lancaster curse, and you are an extreme threat not only to Crimson Tides but to all that surround you
[Aera’s POV]"Does it matter why we are together?" I ask before Ayla can respond. "Is that any of your business?"I didn’t know what the hell I was doing jumping in, but I couldn’t ignore the hostility that was beginning to form on Celia’s face."As her family, it is," Celia responds slowly.It was
As the words leave her lips, fire erupts from her hands and heads straight for Ayla."WATCH OUT!" I roar, jumping in front of her and using my body as a shield.Red-hot pain shoots through me from the fire that is slamming into my back, but I hold Ayla tightly until it finally stops.Letting out a s
[Aera's POV]I stare down at Ayla's pain-filled expression while trying not to count every fucking minute that has passed. Where the hell were the elders, and why were they taking so long? Was this intentional on their part because they too, like everyone else, wanted Ayla gone?As this thought hits
[Aera’s POV]I can’t make sense of what is happening, and before I can truly begin to question it, the coppery taste of blood is dripping onto my tongue."Wai…" I gasp, trying to stop Ayla from whatever she is doing. "Why?""I said before, just drink," Ayla snaps.Her features are pale, and there is
Nodding, I take a deep breath and rush to Ayla’s side while Gwen begins the operation, and after a few minutes have passed, I hear a shriek fill the air before she is lifting a tiny creature into the air and handing it over to Brian to clean while she cuts the bloody cord attached.Once she is finis
[Aera’s POV]9 months Late"Mmm, Aera, right there."Ayla’s voice echoes around me, spurring my movements even more. Knowing she was enjoying what I was doing to her was all the encouragement I needed."Ah!" she gasps, leaning more into the chair in front of her. "Not so hard."Chuckling, I lean for
When I reach my parents, their faces fill with relief, and I feel my heart squeeze. Even though they hadn’t spoken a word about everything that happened, I was sure that they were now expecting me to snap at any given second. I still had a lot of making up to do in order to gain everyone’s trust an
[Celia’s POV] I stare up into Alphonze’s dark, unreadable eyes while trying to figure out exactly what I was feeling. Was I just caught by surprise because he suddenly appeared, and that was why I suddenly felt jittery and my heart was racing? Right, that had to be it; there couldn’t be anything e
This had been proof to me that we were intended to be together since we didn’t meet just once by chance but twice.After that, I approached her and began to woo her since I couldn’t stand the thought of losing her. It was a love that I never imagined could exist, let alone for me, but she made me so
[Alphonze’s POV]I stand to the side, watching as everyone present for the evening enjoys themselves, laughing, dancing, and being merry. It had been a while since I had attended something like this, so it was taking a bit to get used to it again.The last time I came to a full moon ball was when I
"It seems that your date for this evening has arrived," Alphonze announces, clapping me on the shoulder. "I wouldn’t distract you any longer."Nodding, I give him a look and don’t miss the sorrow that flashes in his eyes as he looks from Ayla to me."Hold on as tight as you can because you never kno
[Aera's POV]Soft music drifts toward me as I stand to the side of the large ballroom, waiting for my date to arrive.Despite all the chaos that had been happening in our world, Silas and Alphonze insisted that we have a small, intimate gathering for the full moon as a way to relax and unwind after
[Ayla's POV]The next day, I sit in the passenger seat of Aera's car, staring at Crimsone Tides Estate while fighting the urge to run away. When I entered that building, I'd be making the toughest decision of my life, and I wasn't exactly sure if I was ready.Beside me, Aera remains silent while hol