NadineI hated dreams, but I hated visions even more.There were times when I couldn't figure out what was a dream and what was a vision because they were so easily confused. It felt like being inside the dream of a dream and many times I had to calm myself down to come back to reality.It was the first time I woke up with my four gourds near me and mistook them as part of a dream. Unconsciously, I had to show them how I felt about them, something I had learned to hide.I had only known them for days, but I was sure that if anyone dared to touch them inappropriately, I would spontaneously combust in a disastrous way.The worst part was realizing that I had hugged Biel and that he had kissed me on the head.The gesture alone disarmed me, but the meaning of it was driving me crazy.“It's okay, Nadine,” Aris said from the other side of the bathroom door. “Come and sleep again.”I laughed.“You think it's all as easy as that,” I said, annoyed.“No, I think it's too much more complicated t
NadineSurprise turned to concern instantly.The expressions of my four mates were different, but they said the same thing.Aris tried to approach me, but I raised my hand to stop him from doing so.I knew very well that I could lose the battle with his touch; I didn't have to be a scholar to realize what was going to happen.“I don't want to be approached unless strictly necessary,” I said with determination. “I don't trust my she-wolf or myself. Right now, I'm feeling very vulnerable; that's a catastrophic situation to admit and one I must struggle with.”I was as honest as I could be and looked back at Connor.“Whatever you need to teach me so I can be friends with my she-wolf and she doesn't hate me when I control her, do it right now,” I asked in a soft voice and Connor sighed.You're a fool. I did you a favor so you could connect with your mates, but you refused out of fear. News flash alert: It doesn't matter if you're not bonded with your mates; the bastards who seek your powe
NadineI fell asleep very quickly.The problem with that was that I didn't notice when Aris came in or out of my room, so I got up a little embarrassed. I had fiddled with him; it felt like a safe thing to do; I just didn't foresee a simple joke turning into something momentous.I understood the bond we shared very well, perhaps I understood it better than they felt and that's exactly why I ran away for years, to keep them safe.You shouldn't fight the bond; you should enjoy something as beautiful as that and accept in good faith the help they are giving you. It's terrible that fear always wins, my wolf Becca said firmly.The beast was right. The problem was that I had witnessed many more things than I would have liked to know. I knew all too well what the Anarkhia Order was capable of, not to say that the Equilibrium Order was riddled with imbeciles and people like Biel believed them completely.An anchor would always be synonymous with chaos.That was why I didn't completely trust
NadineWhatever was keeping Connor busy lasted a couple more days.He didn't return to the shelter and that prompted Drago to help me with the exercises.The interaction of my she-wolf and the dragon was one to study.Becca was licking the dragon's scales while he burned anything she wanted just to make her laugh. The beasts were having much more fun than I had imagined, so much so that Aris mentioned it that night at dinner.“Your beasts seem happy to meet each other,” the vampire said and Biel laughed.“They're mates,” Drago replied. “It's obvious they're happy to be close, so it's only natural.”Aris and Biel locked eyes and I didn't like that interaction at all.“Good thing you're a millennial being who knows how to use his time,” Biel said teasingly. “The data you gave Lion was used to decode some tales. The high priest thinks they're the key to everything.”I frowned uncomprehendingly.“Can you explain to me what's going on?” I asked and Aris nodded.“I went to the herd to get s
ConnorThe moment I saw how Ophelia saw Nadine, I knew I was in trouble.I was proud to introduce my mate to the world; I could shout it from the rooftops if it was that easy to do; however, Nadine had an important mission so we had to be careful.The reality was that with Ophelia knowing about Nadine, the dynamic changed.She had been avoiding her due to the fact that she had sent three amparos to the council and her father was threatening to break alliances. I still didn't understand why Ophelia was so obsessed with marrying me.She had had a mate, but her mate died just before she found him, which put her in a bad position.That doesn't excuse her from being a bad woman, my wolf Will said.And he was right; it didn't excuse her, least of all when she was such a spoiled, impulsive, domineering woman.“It's a wonder you found your mate,” Ophelia said without taking her eyes off Nadine. “She's not from Lunarius; is she from one of the commons?”Nadine frowned. It was easy to detect th
NadineAs I ate breakfast at Connor's family's home in the pack, I had a vision of how the council meeting would unfold. The situation would not be very favorable for Connor, so I had to help him and for that I needed his grandmother.Rose looked at me with a frown and I nodded.With a simple gesture, I let her know that I would interfere, so I needed her help.I just hoped Connor's grandmother would help me contain the situation.I could tell by how Connor responded to counselor Joel that he had never been forceful with the council. His grandmother smiled and I felt an aura change in the room.“There's no problem,” Joel said. “We never knew you were called by the temple, so to us this information comes as a surprise.”“I'm going to make a couple of things clear,” Connor said with character. “I have followed and respected the opinions of the council because you represent the wishes of the entire pack I lead; however, the council cannot hold me accountable for my private life or contro
NadineSaul was sent to the pack dungeons, while Rose calmed the Eclipse Pack council members. Somehow, it had worked to get Connor to react, because that had served to make the council understand that the demands were over.“You're a seer,” Inna said as Connor gave his warriors instructions and drafted a note to send to the Alpha of the Waning Moon Pack.“Something like that,” I said and she frowned.“Seers aren't common; they usually work for one of the two orders of evil.”I smiled because of her perception of reality.“What do you mean by lar orders of evil?” I asked just to tease her.“That they are both wrong,” Inna said sincerely. “One order wants the world to go to hell, while the other order lets the world go to hell by controlling everyone. They're the same, except one order wants darkness to be the one that's with us always.”“You don't believe in the Equilibrium Order,” I said in surprise.“I don't believe in those who control the order,” Inna admitted honestly. “Connor tr
NadineMy she-wolf had the primal urge to mark Connor.I couldn't hold back; it was too strong a feeling and she had somehow manipulated Connor's beast to react the same way.That's why, as soon as we were skin to skin, I just wanted to make him mine. My she-wolf wanted to have the bond, the beast, and the man at the same time.Connor reacts in response and lifts me up to throw me straight onto the bed as our mouths fight for control and our tongues feast on each other's caresses. I was completely out of my mind, and that's how we ended up tearing our clothes off.There was no sweetness in the moment, just the unbridled desire of our beasts.I grabbed a handful of his hair forcefully and made him look at me earnestly.“You're mine!” I exclaimed furiously and then bit Connor right on the shoulder.My she-wolf was brutal, biting down on his collarbone until our teeth touched Connor's bone and I could taste the blood in my mouth. That made Connor gasp in pain and then I licked the wound
NadineWe let more than five hours go by until the fucker in the interrogation room started screaming. That was like music to my ears, and then I got up from the waiting room we were sitting in and Aris grabbed my hand.“Let him scream for another hour; its desperation will make him talk from the door,” the vampire said and I smiled at him. “If he really has people kidnapped as he says, he will scream very loudly.”I nodded, and to my surprise, Biel entered the room where I was waiting with my other mates. He walked with difficulty, as if the magical blow still really hurt him.“What the hell are you doing here?” I asked him annoyed.Biel's relief at seeing me jolted me, but I kept my stance fixed and unwavering.Seconds later, Samir ran up to where we were standing swearing.“I told him he shouldn't come here; he has to lie down right away; he's not fit to walk yet,” Samir said and I crossed my arms.Biel looked at him with annoyance, as if hearing him say those words was a damn prob
NadineI kept the men trapped in the shadows, but it wasn't me they really feared after the initial shock of knowing my power; their fear really lay in Aris, who suddenly rolled his eyes and started doing something I couldn't understand.The men started screaming all at once, as if they were being hurt badly and then I realized that what Aris was doing had to do with his telepathic powers.Connor returned to his human form, and so did the wolves around us.A couple of pack guards appeared wearing handcuffs with power-annulling runes, but these particular ones were made of moonstone and from what I could smell, they had aconite essence.The guardians were looking for all the ways to restrict the rogues' powers in a hurry.When Connor nodded, I released the shadows and the guards proceeded to seize all the rogues in a hurry. Whatever Aris was doing was helping them, then the men fell unconscious on the floor and I looked at my mate with many doubts about his powers.Aris was no simple e
ArisNadine felt too much.Her feelings used to be a balm for me, but that moment when she felt overwhelmed, I could do nothing but act to make the uneasiness she felt much less.What I did not imagine was that, when I kissed her, I was going to feel like an anxious child.I had to facilitate a couple of important talks with our linked group to respect not only Nadine's time but our own time. What Biel had done was just an explosion of his desperation; however, he had overstepped any boundaries.I heard the door open and Rose said something to Nadine; then she walked into the kitchen and saw me with a frown on her face.The woman adored me; she just liked to pick on me because it was fun.“What did you do to her?” asked Rose and I smiled at her.“She's like this because of what I didn't do to her,” I said loosely and Rose patted me on the shoulder.“You're incorrigible,” she said and sighed. “I need advice on something, but I don't want you to tell Connor yet; I need to address it bef
NadineI watched as the shadows enveloped my mates and pushed them away from me because I was turning into darkness. My body was ceasing to exist, my mind had turned to butter and Alister's eerie laughter was the backdrop to my madness.I took a deep breath and then Aris shook me, which made me react.“What did you see to make you so upset?” the vampire asked and I started to deny; however, Drago squeezed my hand calmly to give me comfort.“It was bad or you weren't crying; tears of joy are easy to identify,” the dragon said and his words shook me.I was going to respond, but Rose came in with a large tray of food.“I hope you eat, Nadine; my grandson and these fools have been clawing at the walls on the verge of a nervous breakdown that I don't want to deal with,” Rose said. “Inna had to calm them down after beating the crap out of them, so please eat as much as you can and pull yourself together.”I looked at Aris and Drago, surprised to learn that surprising fact.“They fought with
Part III. The siege of the shadowsNadineI was terrified to see the amount of blood that Biel was coughing up, but when I saw him fade away, terror gnawed at me. What he had just experienced with Drago did not compare to seeing death stalking the captain of the guard; it was a thousand times worse.We landed near the northern mountain range, right on the spot where I had first shifted.“This place is too cold for Biel!” I said quickly, and Drago placed him on the ground, then Aris and Connor carried him while Drago turned dragon.“Wait here; I'll come get you,” Connor said, and Lion denied."I apologize, but due to the captain's injuries, I—"“This isn't about the temple or the Equilibrium Order,” Aris said annoyed. “This is about saving Biel's life.”“Don't take him to shelter,” Samir said earnestly. “The captain doesn't have that much time; he needs medical attention immediately and for Nadine to activate the link to him; otherwise, he's going to die.”Hearing Samir drove me crazy,
BielThe moment we landed at the entrance to the magic trail, I knew that betrayal had overtaken us in a terrifying way.I thought that somehow Nadine had been tracked to the Fairy Wasteland, but seeing Taina's torn body a few meters away, hidden in some bushes, and seeing Samir wounded made me understand that someone from our group had been the traitor.We had fallen away from the entrance, so we had a clear view of the panorama, something Aris didn't seem to see, so Drago roared, and Aris turned to see us, so I nodded, and we crept up to Nadine, who seemed to be furious.I didn't want to imagine her reaction when she saw Taina's throat slit; that was when Aris approached me subtly, once we were close.“Is anyone dead?” the vampire asked in a whisper, and I nodded, “I smell blood very strongly, but I know Samir is fine, wounded, but unconscious.”“It's the elf,” I replied in a whisper. “Someone killed her.”Aris looked at me in surprise, then Drago roared again, and I knew he had sur
NadineThe magical creatures continued to kneel before me, and I did not feel good.I didn't like how that action made me feel, so I told them to get up immediately.“There is no need to kneel,” I told the creatures. “I did this out of a sense of justice; you don't owe me anything; you don't need to do anything else. You already gave so much during the years you were cursed. You would make me happy if you would just live your lives, guard the wasteland, and protect the magic.”What appeared to be the leader of the elves and the leader of the fairies looked at me in surprise.“You do not seek the sacred magic of this place?” asked the leader of the elves, and I denied.“No, I seek this grimoire because it is necessary to complete a mission,” I said calmly. “The moment I can, I will return it to this place.”The fairy leader smiled, and suddenly her wings unfolded, and she flew close to me.That startled me, and Biel took my hand immediately.“I am Alis,” the fairy said. “And that grimo
NadineThe ghouls began to surround me and Drago in a hurry.They were all spewing a lot of black slime from their mouths and when I realized what the slime was doing to the floor, I knew I was in big trouble. That slime was capable of burning anything, possibly containing some kind of acid and I couldn't let them near Drago in his human form.I will die before they hurt my mate.One of them started spitting loudly, and the others took his example, so the shadows created a dome to surround Drago and me. That upset the ghouls because they started spitting at the same time and with the same force. It was obvious that they were trying to gain access to us, so I felt stressed.Wake Drago up, my she-wolf Becca ordered.I can't; it's not right. Do it, call him through the bond, Becca said.“I hope this works,” I said and placed my hands on Drago's chest.I pulled on the bond that held us, the golden thread that connected us, and then my mate opened his eyes. Drago was disoriented, but he c
Nadine“What's wrong with Nadine?” asked Biel.He had walked quietly into the cave, and I looked at him sadly.There was no right or concrete way I could express what I was feeling; the dismay of knowing what had happened on the moor had me sick.The event was appalling.“The curse... The ghouls are creatures of the forest, innocent creatures that were cursed,” I said painfully. “How are we going to kill them? How can I kill those creatures that were once holy?”Aris and Biel met each other's eyes in surprise.I wasn't usually this emotional and empathetic; I used to be explosive, but the scenes I had seen had overtaken me. Maybe it was the water that was causing me to feel outrage over creatures that couldn't free themselves.“What did you see?” asked Aris after gently taking me by the chin in a vain attempt to calm me down.Biel denied it, and as he was about to move towards the water, both Aris and I shouted, “No!”“Why can't I drink from this water?” asked Biel with a frown. “It l