Avery’s POV I couldn’t stop the tears from flowing. It wasn’t just the guilt; it was the overwhelming feeling of helplessness. Clara... She almost didn’t make it. She was lying in that hospital bed, unconscious, and I was here, stuck at home with nothing to do but wait. I was supposed to be there with her, holding her hand, keeping her calm after everything she had been through. Instead, all I could do was cry, pacing around the living room, clutching my phone as if it could somehow make everything better.I couldn’t believe I had let it go this far. That one decision had almost cost Clara her life. Clara had put herself in the line of fire to help me…help me get back at the Montgomerys for everything they had done to me.I grabbed the sleeve of my sweatshirt and wiped my face. No time to wallow in guilt. Clara was strong. I had to believe that. She would make it through. She had to.My phone buzzed in my hand, and I nearly dropped it, startled. Nathaniel. I hesitated for a moment be
Nathaniel’s POV The gentle hum of the house faded behind me as I left the kitchen, feeling as though the entire world had fallen on my shoulders. My jaw tightened and my fists clenched at my sides as I moved farther away from my grandmother, who, for reasons I couldn't fathom, was determined to force me to bear with the Montgomerys. I had almost arrived at the entrance when I heard her firm yet gentle voice calling me back. My heart thumping in my chest, I froze for a second before slowly turning around.“Nathaniel,” she said, her voice always carrying that tone of maternal authority. “You need to visit the Montgomerys. They’re going through a hard time with that pharmaceutical company business. They could use your support.”I swallowed hard, trying to contain the sharp edge of frustration that immediately surged inside me. She had to be kidding. How could she still be so blind? How could she not know? But instead of snapping back immediately, I bit my tongue, breathing deeply. My t
AveryI glanced at the door again. Just then, the door creaked open. I froze, holding my breath. A nurse stepped inside, clipboard in hand, her white uniform crisp and clean. She had a detached look on her face, focused solely on the machines as she checked Clara’s vitals. My pulse quickened again, but I kept still, praying she wouldn’t notice me and at the same I was relieved it wasn’t Sasha’s men. “Everything seems stable,” she murmured to herself, clicking a few buttons on the monitor. “Oxygen levels are normal. Blood pressure within acceptable limits.”I breathed a quiet sigh of relief. She was leaving. I could see her glancing at Clara one last time before she turned toward the door.Then, just as she stepped out of the room, I stood up from my crouch. My legs were shaky, and my head felt light, but I couldn’t waste time. I rushed to the side of the bed, my hands trembling as I carefully reached for the oxygen tube attached to Clara’s nose. The sound of the machine’s rhythmic be
Avery’s POV I stood there, motionless, watching Clara in the bed, her face pale but peaceful. The steady beeping of the heart monitor was the only sound that anchored me to reality. She would be fine, the doctor had said. It was just…nothing serious, but my heart still refused to slow down.Nathaniel was next to me, his expression unreadable as he stared at Clara with a tense jaw. His hand gripped mine, but his fingers didn’t offer the usual warmth. Instead, there was a cool, steely edge to his touch, as if the events of the past few hours had left a mark on him.The doctor had come in, performed his checks, and assured us that Clara would wake up soon. I tried to hang on to his every word, but I couldn’t shake the dread that had gnawed at me ever since I had rushed to the hospital.I’d barely thought about it…just a gut reaction, a sudden panic when I’d gotten the call that Clara might be at the mercy of Sasha’s hands. I hadn’t even considered the potential consequences.“You should
Sasha slammed her hand on the table, the sound echoing through the otherwise silent room. She stared down at the scattered papers, her blood boiling as her mind raced with frustration. How had it come to this? She had made plans and executed them flawlessly only for Clara to slip right through her fingers.“This is unbelievable!” Sasha snapped, her voice dripping with venom. “How could they let her escape? How could they let Avery of all people get involved?! This was supposed to be a controlled situation!”The men standing around the room shifted uncomfortably under her wrath, none of them daring to speak up. Sasha’s gaze flicked to each of them, her lips curling into a sneer. They were useless. All of them. She had ordered them to watch Clara like hawks and made sure to end her for good, and now they were standing there looking like frightened sheep. The thought made her blood pressure spike even further.“Tell me again,” she said, her voice a low growl, “who exactly was supposed to
As we trudge down a hill in the middle of the night, I kept checking around me to make sure everyone was alright.Just then, a group of outcasted vampires attacked us on all sides. The night was thick with the scent of old blood and vengeance.Shadow pooled around the outcasted vampires, as they crept from the edges of the abandoned part of the vampire world, faces twisted with fury and hunger.Exiled from the coven and stripped off their status, they had been driven to the margins of the vampire society, left to scavenge and suffer. But tonight, they had chosen a target, one of their own.We were oblivious to the approaching threat as we trudge down the hill, arrogant in our security. But instantly, the outcast struck, a whirlwind of snarls and flashing teeth.They moved as one, driven by the fury of their banishment and thirst for blood, the weight of their revenge pressing into every strike.Their attacks were savage, desperate and no longer bound by the rules that have once govern
Days after what Xavier said, I decided to give the Eligara members a chance, so we set out to the crimson shadow pack and also with Agiel as a prisoner.Once we reached the crimson shadow pack, we headed to the council of Eligara and met them patiently waiting for us.As we entered the chamber, we were given a warm welcome, and proceeded to having our seats while Agiel was cuffed and made to stand in the center of the room.I sat at the council table, my fingers tapping impatiently against the wood, I still wasn't happy with them and I wanted to get this done with as soon as possible.My jaw was set tight and a low growl, rumbled in my throat, as I watched some council members droning on about matters that I'm not concerned with as they approached the table to take their seat.My sharp gaze flickered around the room, catching the indifferent faces of those who seemed worlds apart from the primal instinct thrumming within me.As the council members droned on while getting ready to addr
Days after what Xavier said, I decided to give the Eligara members a chance, so we set out to the crimson shadow pack and also with Agiel as a prisoner.Once we reached the crimson shadow pack, we headed to the council of Eligara and met them patiently waiting for us.As we entered the chamber, we were given a warm welcome, and proceeded to having our seats while Agiel was cuffed and made to stand in the center of the room.I sat at the council table, my fingers tapping impatiently against the wood, I still wasn't happy with them and I wanted to get this done with as soon as possible.My jaw was set tight and a low growl, rumbled in my throat, as I watched some council members droning on about matters that I'm not concerned with as they approached the table to take their seat.My sharp gaze flickered around the room, catching the indifferent faces of those who seemed worlds apart from the primal instinct thrumming within me.As the council members droned on while getting ready to addr
NathanielI could feel the adrenaline surging through my veins even before Oliver finished speaking. Mr. Montgomery, the man who had always been the picture of strength, had collapsed. He was the kind of man who never showed weakness, someone who carried himself with an ironclad resolve, unbending in the face of adversity. So, hearing that he was in any sort of trouble felt like the ground had been ripped out from under me.I had to know what happened. Now.“Are you sure of what you are saying?” I asked and Oliver nodded “Yes I am very sure, there is no way I would have come up with fake news, I am telling you the truth.” “Olivia, what happened?” I demanded, my voice sharper than I meant. The words tumbled out faster than my brain could catch up.He was shaking her head, looking more flustered than I’d ever seen him. “I don’t know. I was just there when it happened. he just collapsed. They called the ambulance. I…” his voice trailed off, and I could see the worry on his face. The wo
AveryThe phone slipped from my trembling fingers, clattering to the ground with a sharp, unforgiving sound. My eyes remained glued to Nathaniel, still processing what he had just said. It felt as if my heart had stopped beating, my entire body frozen in shock. I could hear the ringing in my ears, louder than anything else, drowning out everything he was saying.“Your dad is in a coma, Avery.”The words echoed in my head, over and over, but none of them seemed real. This couldn’t be happening. My mind was fighting against it. It had to be some mistake, some cruel joke. But Nathaniel’s face… it wasn’t joking. His expression was serious, filled with concern, but that didn’t make it easier to believe.“No,” I whispered, shaking my head in disbelief. “No. That can’t be right. He’s fine. He is always fine.” My voice was small.Nathaniel stepped closer, crouching down to pick up my phone from the floor, but I barely noticed. My eyes were still locked on him, searching for some glimmer of re
By the time the next week rolled around, the plans to relocate the project team to Crescent Moon Pack were in their final stages. Everything was moving faster than I had expected. It felt like I had barely gotten my feet under me again after returning from the pack, and now I was heading back into their world. But this time, I wasn’t going to be there to stay. I had a project to manage, and my head was focused on the tasks ahead, not on the triplets or the complicated emotions that came with them. I only had one job to do, which was to do some research and avoid everything else. Ruby was also getting ready to leave. She’d been a great support to me, especially after everything that had happened with the triplets. But now, it was her turn. She had arranged an introduction between me and her mate before they traveled. She was insistent on it, and as much as I tried to avoid the subject, she wouldn’t let up. “I’m not going to leave without you meeting him,” she had said one evening whe
I sat in the study, the quiet hum of the house around me doing little to calm the storm swirling inside. My fingers absently tapped the edge of my desk, but I couldn’t focus on anything, nothing but her voice. “It’s disgusting, Lucas.”The words had landed heavier than I expected, heavier than I wanted to admit. They repeated in my mind, over and over, as though she was still standing in front of me, her eyes flashing with anger, her voice cutting through the space between us. Disgusting. The word felt like a punch. And I couldn’t quite shake the sting.I had gone too far, hadn’t I?I hadn’t meant to upset her, hadn’t meant to cross any lines. But watching her with Ryan tonight, seeing the way that man had looked at her and tried to touch her, I couldn’t sit by and pretend it was fine. She didn’t deserve that kind of treatment. But the way she’d turned on me, my attempt to protect her, to help, had been met with nothing but contempt.She doesn’t need me to protect her.That’s what her
When I regained consciousness, the world felt wrong. It was the kind of wrong you sense in your gut, but your mind is too clouded to process at first. My body ached, a deep, dull pain radiating from my neck and limbs. I tried to move, but the restraints holding me were tight, unforgiving. I could barely move my wrists, let alone my legs. My surroundings were unfamiliar, cold, metallic, and humming with the low, steady rumble of an engine. I blinked several times, trying to adjust to the dim light.The realization hit me slowly. I’m on a plane.I jerked my head to the side, feeling the sharp tug of the ropes, but nothing gave. There was no escape. The air around me was thin, carrying a stale scent that made my stomach churn. As I struggled to orient myself, I saw Elena. She was seated across from me, her gaze locked on mine, unwavering and predatory. “How long?” I rasped, my throat sore from the silence. My words felt foreign, like they hadn’t been used in days. “How long was I out?”
From where I stood, in the corner of their chamber, I noticed there was some other presence just like me, some other vampire like me was also present, and I could smell them.I watched as Agiel stabbed the girl on her chest, and I let out a grin, my whole body, thirsty for her blood, and as the man beside her took her away, I walked out of the room gently and unnoticed.I decided to head back to the vampire castle, but first I needed to know if what felt right, I needed to know if exactly there was another vampire.As soon as I was out of sight and into the bushes, I had the leaves rustle and I froze, not out of fear but the fact that I know that, whoever that is knows I'm a vampire.“Show yourself.” I said, as I lowered the hood of the jacket I was wearing, to cover my face, and protect me from the blazing sun.“Show yourself already and don't hide inside the bushes.” I said, looking around me.“Draven?” The voice called, out of surprise, I turned around, my eyes widened in disbelief
The door slammed behind Kingston, the echo lingering in the air like a warning. Jason stood by the window, his posture tense and jaw clenched, as though he was ready to throw someone else out if need be. The room felt charged, as though an unspoken threat lingered in every corner. I watched as Kingston walked to his car, turning around severally with a puzzled look on his face. “What the hell was that about?” I finally asked, breaking the heavy silence. My voice sounded stronger than I felt, but I wasn’t going to let Jason’s mood intimidate me.Jason turned, his dark eyes meeting mine with a stormy intensity. “You need to stay away from him, Willow. All of you do.”Ruby, seated on the couch, raised an eyebrow. “And why’s that? He seemed creepy, sure, but what’s the big deal?”Jason’s lips pressed into a hard line. “He’s not a good person, that’s the big deal. Trust me on this one. A few years ago, I worked on a case where Kingston was involved. I can’t go into details, but he’s bad n
I could see the pain and anger in Annalise's eyes as Agiel confessed all that he had done in the past. I couldn't help but feel her pain as she sat close to me, her hands trembling with pain and anger.Everyone in the room was horrified at what Agiel had done. The leader of the council ordered the guards to take him away as he would be executed in some days time.Annalise pulled away from my hug, as the guards walked Agiel out of the room, but as soon as Agiel was close to Annalise's side of the table, he tackled the guard and lunged at Annalise with a knife, stabbing her on the chest before I could even blink an eye.I stood frozen, breath caught in my throat as my eyes widened in disbelief. My face drained of color, lips parted slightly, as if trying to speak, but no words came out.A shiver ran through me, and my hands trembled, as I tried to touch the wounded part of her chest, my heart pounded erratically, as I couldn't tear my gaze from the horrible scene, unable to fully compre
Days after what Xavier said, I decided to give the Eligara members a chance, so we set out to the crimson shadow pack and also with Agiel as a prisoner.Once we reached the crimson shadow pack, we headed to the council of Eligara and met them patiently waiting for us.As we entered the chamber, we were given a warm welcome, and proceeded to having our seats while Agiel was cuffed and made to stand in the center of the room.I sat at the council table, my fingers tapping impatiently against the wood, I still wasn't happy with them and I wanted to get this done with as soon as possible.My jaw was set tight and a low growl, rumbled in my throat, as I watched some council members droning on about matters that I'm not concerned with as they approached the table to take their seat.My sharp gaze flickered around the room, catching the indifferent faces of those who seemed worlds apart from the primal instinct thrumming within me.As the council members droned on while getting ready to addr