NadineThe day of Ophelia's death had finally arrived.Everyone in the Eclipse Pack was serious and waiting for the retinue that would bring Ophelia to Connor to carry out her final sentence. The pack council was silent at all times, which said a lot about the customs of the place.It was Aris who explained to me what would happen and the protocol that would unfold.“Because of the great damage Ophelia caused to the pack, all pack members are to report to the main square to pay honors to the Alpha's family and remember the memory of the late Alpha, Connor's father,” Aris said patiently. “After that brief symbolic ceremony, they remember what Ophelia's crimes have been and await her arrival. A retinue from the Lunarius council is to bring her to the square and hand her over to the pack honor guard, which is led by Inna. Then the people are going to loathe her; they will do it with force and violence... It's a barbaric tradition, but it's something that has been effective in keeping peo
NadineTraveling on a ship was not in my plans.I knew what it was like to be inside a ship long enough to fear the sea. My mother had moved me from one continent to another as we abruptly moved places as a way to avoid anarchists.It had been a difficult experience, but my mother transformed it into a kind of adventure.I couldn't believe that I was about to continue my own maritime adventure.I wiped away my tears, and Aris hugged me, placing his arm around my shoulders.“What made you sentimental?” the vampire asked, and I sighed.“I spent a lot of time on boats when I was little,” I admitted confidently. “Those weren't very good times because I threw up more than I'd like to admit, but my mother treated everything like an adventure... And now the situation is real in a way I never thought it would be.”“Life is a compendium of surprise, Nadine,” Aris said and gave me a kiss on the head. “I think you're going to be fine. If you're experienced, you'll possibly know where you stand.”
NadineIt was cold, cold enough for Drago and Biel to put on furs.Connor and I scowled at each other before laughing at our biological advantage, while Aris just slurped the blood he had jealously guarded in the ship's hold. I still didn't really understand how his feeding worked, but it wasn't to my total delight to see him consume human blood.“Don't look at it like that,” Connor whispered in my ear. “It's a natural thing... He's not eating it out of a vein, though.”I looked down at my mate with a frown.“I'd rather remain ignorant as to how Aris' feeding works,” I told Connor, and Aris smiled.“I can explain; it will be exciting to tell you who would be my main source of food for life once I accept reality,” the vampire said before getting up and taking the rest of the blood to the storeroom.I frowned, not understanding the implication.Biel sneered at me, and Connor looked at me with some pity, but it was Drago, bless him, who had the will to put me out of my misery.“Vampires
Country villageAthenas Region“Nadine, remember when I told you that one day we would play hide-and-seek at any time by surprise?” My mom asked, and I nodded excitedly. “That moment came; do you remember the rules of the game?”“Yes, Mom, there are three rules: I have to find the best hiding place; I have to be quiet; and the most important rule is that no matter what I hear, I don't come out until you tell me the code word,” I replied efficiently.My mom smiled, and I felt proud for remembering it all; however, there was something sad in her look, and it made me frown.Something didn't feel right.“You're a very sweet and smart girl, Nadine,” Mom said before drawing a picture on my forehead and spraying me with a spray that had no scent. “What's the code word?”“Chocolate,” I said before biting into the little chocolate bar she had given me minutes before.Mom giggled in such a way that her eyes sparkled with mirth.“What's the other rule?” Mom asked carefully.“I must never reveal o
Part I. Meeting of soulsNadine13 years later...I woke up in the middle of the night with erratic breathing and a racing heart.I had dreamed again of my mother's death, but this time I saw her killed in a much more grotesque way. The hunters had sat her down in front of me and ripped out her heart so that I would suffer.I shook the horrific image out of my head.I brought my hand to my chest and felt the rune of protection.I sighed in relief, knowing that at least I had an advantage over the hunters. After years on the run, I had found a way to more effectively disappear from the map, and that was by sealing my energy trail so they would be looking for a needle in a haystack. It was a trick I learned from my mother when I was old enough to know what she always drew on my forehead after she kissed me.I moved all the time, didn't last long in one job, and used different aliases.I did everything within my power to ensure everyone's survival, especially them.Don't think about them,
NadineIf anyone had told me what was going to happen, I would never have believed him.It was impossible to think that the most beautiful vision I had ever had in my life, one different from the images of terror that always flooded my brain, could turn into some kind of nightmare.Biel looked at me angrily, and I did not respond.The priest took the drawing and looked at it with interest, then frowned.“Who are the other men?” The old man asked, and I said nothing.I had sworn the vision of my mates to secrecy, so I kept my mouth shut tightly and stood up straight. That made Biel and the priest look at each other, then Biel nodded and walked toward the exit, but not before looking at me like I was a serious problem. And yes, I was a problem he shouldn't be dealing with. When Biel left, I let go of my hands and tried to regulate my breathing.“Aren't you going to say anything about this drawing?” the priest asked curiously, and I shook my head. “Then I'm going to tell you who I am and
BielHunting the woman of the prophecy had almost turned out to be mission impossible.We didn't know who she was or what magical powers she had, so we couldn't find her trail. So when the temple gave us clues on how to catch a stripper who was related to her, I didn't hesitate to come up with a plan.I created an intelligence operation with elite guards in the small town of Valkir, the capital of Valter, one of the 3 common areas of Kagolen, the continent where we lived. Once we found the club where the stripper worked, it was a matter of investigating her movements until she finally met the woman of the prophecy.It was a good move on my part, and when the prophecy woman was apprehended, I declared the operation a success. The woman was already hours into her processing; all was going well until one of the operation's guards approached me with a serious expression.“What's going on, Jackson?” I asked him immediately."When the unknown female attempted to flee, I entered her apartment
NadineBiel didn't miss the opportunity to insult me back, and boy, did he do it well.When I saw the others, they were all serious, as if what I had said to them was a sentence. And maybe it was a sentence, but it was just a way to protect them, and if I had to be a bitch to do it, I wouldn't hesitate to hurt them if it would keep them alive.“We don't need to be aggressive here,” said the elf medic who had introduced us. “I think they need a moment to—”“We need privacy, Lu,” Biel answered her in a sweet tone of voice. “Go find the high priest Lion, please.”The blonde elf looked at him earnestly, and I could tell there was something longing in her eyes. That bothered me a lot, more so when she complied with Biel's order as if it was nothing.“Speak up, Nadine; we don't have our whole lives to put up with your tantrums,” Biel said, and I pursed my lips.“I don't owe you anything,” I replied immediately. “The soulmates test means nothing, so I'm not obligated to get involved with eith
NadineIt was cold, cold enough for Drago and Biel to put on furs.Connor and I scowled at each other before laughing at our biological advantage, while Aris just slurped the blood he had jealously guarded in the ship's hold. I still didn't really understand how his feeding worked, but it wasn't to my total delight to see him consume human blood.“Don't look at it like that,” Connor whispered in my ear. “It's a natural thing... He's not eating it out of a vein, though.”I looked down at my mate with a frown.“I'd rather remain ignorant as to how Aris' feeding works,” I told Connor, and Aris smiled.“I can explain; it will be exciting to tell you who would be my main source of food for life once I accept reality,” the vampire said before getting up and taking the rest of the blood to the storeroom.I frowned, not understanding the implication.Biel sneered at me, and Connor looked at me with some pity, but it was Drago, bless him, who had the will to put me out of my misery.“Vampires
NadineTraveling on a ship was not in my plans.I knew what it was like to be inside a ship long enough to fear the sea. My mother had moved me from one continent to another as we abruptly moved places as a way to avoid anarchists.It had been a difficult experience, but my mother transformed it into a kind of adventure.I couldn't believe that I was about to continue my own maritime adventure.I wiped away my tears, and Aris hugged me, placing his arm around my shoulders.“What made you sentimental?” the vampire asked, and I sighed.“I spent a lot of time on boats when I was little,” I admitted confidently. “Those weren't very good times because I threw up more than I'd like to admit, but my mother treated everything like an adventure... And now the situation is real in a way I never thought it would be.”“Life is a compendium of surprise, Nadine,” Aris said and gave me a kiss on the head. “I think you're going to be fine. If you're experienced, you'll possibly know where you stand.”
NadineThe day of Ophelia's death had finally arrived.Everyone in the Eclipse Pack was serious and waiting for the retinue that would bring Ophelia to Connor to carry out her final sentence. The pack council was silent at all times, which said a lot about the customs of the place.It was Aris who explained to me what would happen and the protocol that would unfold.“Because of the great damage Ophelia caused to the pack, all pack members are to report to the main square to pay honors to the Alpha's family and remember the memory of the late Alpha, Connor's father,” Aris said patiently. “After that brief symbolic ceremony, they remember what Ophelia's crimes have been and await her arrival. A retinue from the Lunarius council is to bring her to the square and hand her over to the pack honor guard, which is led by Inna. Then the people are going to loathe her; they will do it with force and violence... It's a barbaric tradition, but it's something that has been effective in keeping peo
NadineI went back to bed with the feeling of loss burning my skin.I couldn't help crying, and maybe it was that very thing that made Biel hug me silently, so I went back to sleep inside my dream. What I never imagined was waking up to an icy scream.I opened my eyes in a hurry, and when I focused properly, I saw a woman turning to ashes in front of me. Biel was up with a magic weapon in his hand, serving as a shield before me, but with a puzzled expression in his eyes.My other mates rushed into the room.“What's going on here?” asked Drago, and Aris walked over to the ashes and immediately looked at Biel.“Did you see the thief's face?” asked Aris, and I realized it was someone who had touched the grimoire.That fact gave me chills. “She was a thief, and not only that, she was one of the she-wolves who came to clean up the other night,” Biel said, looking at Connor. “You still have rats within your pack.”That sentence shook me, and I got out of bed in fear.“I dreamed about my mo
NadineConnor made the formal request to the Lunarius council to set a definite date: in three days, Ophelia would die under Rose's hands.After that, we would leave to search for the next divine object.Drago and Aris, due to their knowledge of the language of the gods, were the only ones to help me hold the grimoire while Lion, along with Ale and Rex, pulled clues from the books we had read.“I haven't found anything else,” Rex said with a frown as I carefully turned the pages of the grimoire. “It's hard to do this if we can't touch the book.”Aris and Drago locked eyes for a split second.“Magic is conscious, so we must not tempt it,” Drago said seriously. “We just have to be perceptive with the facts and legends. The key is that.”I looked at my dragon mate with a sad smile and then saw the number in the palm of my hand.I had been so focused on other things that I hadn't realized that time was running mercilessly, and if I got careless, things were going to get out of hand.Aris
NadineDrago's kiss was gentle.It was exquisite and delicious.Drago was everything I needed at that moment.His lips were touching me as if he was afraid, as if testing the ground to know it properly and not overstep my boundaries, which was the best stimulant of all. That, somehow, seemed very tender to me, and so I indulged myself in extending the exploration.There was nothing to interrupt us, and I simply gave myself over to passion.Drago's mouth was a treasure for me; his lips were the chest, and his feelings were the crown jewel I wanted to touch. I had a compelling need to know everything Drago felt because of all that he was transmitting to me in each slow movement of our intertwined tongues.I knew he adored me, but with the bond, that love would settle in forever.I moved closer to Drago, promising to take this to another point, and that's how I ended up sitting on his legs as we extended a kiss that meant everything to both of us.He was giving every ounce of love he fel
NadineI looked at Aris without understanding what was going on and watched as he raised his eyebrows, surprised by the decision Connor had made. I didn't understand exactly if he was telling me to show my power in front of all these people or what exactly was going to happen.It's nothing like that, Aris said.I squeezed Connor's hand, and his response was to put his arm around my shoulders protectively, as if to get his point across.The worst part was seeing Ophelia's terrified expression.She was a beautiful and stunning woman, a woman who could have had a steady partner very well despite not having a mate. However, I could understand her frustration and suffering. The reality was that I would not know what I would be capable of if one of my mates died; however, harming others at the cost of that was well within my limits.I hoped not to challenge my limits in that way.“Condemnation granted,” said the council leader. “It will be enforced on such terms as the affected family sees
ConnorThe evidence against Ophelia was heartbreaking.The bears sent to the herd everything they collected from her hideout, which turned out to date back years, many more years than I would have guessed. It was amazing what this woman was hiding. It felt like Pandora's box had been opened and a storm was about to break.And that was a minimal description, from a human story, to simplify the shit that had to be studied from that evidence. Every bit of power used in each of the objects she hid had to be analyzed, but the confirming evidence of my family's death was videos of the failed spells she tried to cast.That left me bad, so bad that my grandmother went to see what was wrong with me, and it was Nadine, as beautiful as she could be, who helped me confront the situation.I had no choice but to sit my grandmother down gently to break the news to her.“What's wrong, Connor?” My grandmother asked with a frown, as if she knew what was going to happen.Nadine at that point squeezed my
Nadine“Nadine, wake up!” exclaimed Biel in a hurry.I awoke to find my shadows filling the room like a cocoon of protection to the point of completely isolating us from the rest of the world. I frowned and then saw Biel standing beside me, looking in the direction of the door.His worried expression set me on edge.“What's going on?” I asked him.“There are strangers who have tried to enter the house,” Biel said and I looked at him sleepily, not quite understanding the situation. “More people have come to Raptart, and these ones are indeed well trained, unlike the rogues you caught. I guess your shadows sensed the danger and that's why they have isolated us, but we must help the wolves in the pack and Drago. It smells of dark magic.”Biel's words set me on edge.Please, shadows, show me what's going on outside, I whispered patiently.Biel watched as the shadows retreated, leaving only a small, almost transparent gray layer that let everything into the hallway. Inna was fighting like