AZUREThe air in the lair pulsed with ancient energy that had existed long before this world knew light, and I sat upon my throne, carved from obsidian and etched with the runes of power, with my fingers drumming rhythmically on its armrest. I reminded myself that patience was necessary for all great victories, and mine would be the greatest of them all. As Thomas entered the room, his posture was rigid and submissive; he was loyal, yes, but flawed—like all mortals. His previous report about Marissa lingered in my mind, a mixture of annoyance hung in my head, a mix of annoyance and contentment. Alive yet unable to function. It was a calculated decision, but not one I would have taken. "My lord," Thomas said with a slight bow. I narrowed my eyes and waved him closer. "Talk, Thomas. What's new? He moved forward warily as if he were afraid of crossing some unseen line. "The pack continues to reel. Tensions among Hailey's allies are rising, and she is preoccupied with her pregnancy. My lo
ISAIAH The only light in the tiny space was the warm glow of the fire, which crackled softly in the hearth. I was burdened by the weight of my visions, each of which represented a part of the future that I was still unable to piece together. The realms had always been both a blessing and a curse, a gift that ensnared me in a destiny from which I could never break free. But tonight, the visions were darker and heavier. The subtle shift in the air brought with it the subtle smell of earth and pine. I focused and grounded myself in the here and now by closing my eyes. I imagined I could hear the shadows dancing across the walls for a brief moment.The spirits' whispers were urgent and desperate. "Show me," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "What is to come?" The fire flickered, its light dimming as the room grew colder. I felt the pull, the familiar tug of the visions taking hold. My head swam, and the world around me faded into darkness. In the vision I stood on a battlefield, the
HAILEYThe storm had been brewing all day. The prospect of rain weighed down the dark clouds that swept across the sky. In the distance, thunder roared, a low, menacing warning that made my skin crawl. As the first fat drops of rain splashed against the glass, I watched from the window of our packhouse chamber. I couldn't tell if the strain in the air was due to the storm or the child I was carrying. All day, I had been experiencing an uneasy stomach discomfort that came and went, hinting at something more serious. I tried to calm the restless energy inside my tummy by placing a hand on my very advanced pregnancy. Ryan came in. With a worried and frustrated look on his face, Ryan walked into the room. He said, "You should be lying down, Hailey," in a strong yet worried tone. A tiny smile tugged at my lips as I turned to face him. "I'm all right, Ryan. It's only a storm. As a result, the baby is restless. We had decided to be surprised at birth hence we never had a scan or let our wolv
LOGANThe smell of pine and damp earth filled the forest, but underneath it was a more delectable aroma—Thomas. It pulled me deeper into the woods and was subtle but distinct, a mixture of rotting leaves and bitter smoke. My chest constricted with each step, anger seething just beneath the surface. Thomas had gone too far. His cowardice knew no bounds when he attacked Marissa, helpless and battered. This was a matter of justice, not vengeance. My wolf snarled in anger in my head in a gravelly voice. We'll get him to pay. Slowly. When I considered what Thomas had done to Marissa, my claws extended reflexively. She did have strength, but even strength could only go so far.Tonight, I would allow my anger to blaze like a wild fire.As the smell became more potent, I slowed, my senses becoming more acute. The moonlight struggled to penetrate the thick canopy overhead, casting shadows that crept across the forest floor. The stillness made me edgy, and it was very still. And that was when I
ADRIANThe forest around the packhouse was golden with tendrils of sunset light warming the trees. My mind swirled as did the mist rolling off the earth when I stood on the edge of the meadow. Hailey called me to tell me that tensions with Azure were growing. Despite so much fear all over, tonight's looming fight did not disturb me in any way. Turtela was the kid. Something impossibly awakened inside of me the second I laid eyes on her. I'd attributed it at first to my own instinct of caring for Hailey and her family. This was not, however, like the others. This was a pang, a tug, a connection that had nothing to do with reason. I shook my head and muttered to myself softly, "She's just a child." My footsteps clacked against the gleaming oak floors as I entered the packhouse. With a weary smile, Hailey welcomed me, her hand instinctively resting on her vast belly. "Adrian," she said warmly. "I'm glad you came." I nodded, maintaining a neutral face. "My queen, always. What's new?"The
AZURELike living beings, the shadows coiled around me, their whispers a never-ending symphony of promises and mayhem. I was standing in my fortress's great hall, a place built out of gloom and hopelessness. The flames lining the walls flickered with an unearthly green flame, and the air was thick with the stink of death. I had established my dominion here, a stronghold of power and terror. I was dreaded by both my allies and my adversaries. That was the situation. But I couldn't ignore the whispering in the shadows today. The chamber's doors flew open, and a person staggered in, his face and body shaking profusely and a pallid face. It was a wolf, one of my lower-level lieutenants, whose allegiance I had never doubted until now. He smelt of failure and panic, two things I hated. He knelt down and said, "My lord," his voice trembling. "I bring news." With icy, dark light shining in my eyes, I remained motionless on my throne. "Speak," I said, my voice piercing the atmosphere like a ra
LYNANerves frazzled, I paced back and forth in our little clearing while the sunshine seeped through the forest's dense canopy. Even the beauty of nature couldn't calm the storm that was building inside of me, even though the air was filled with the fresh smell of earth and pine. Hours had passed since Aaron left, and even though I trusted his judgement and strength, my chest constricted with anxiety. Aurora, our baby, was curled up in my arms, her small face a serene counterpoint to my own chaos. Being a vampire, I had thought I was immune to the dread of this magnitude, but motherhood had changed me. I was transformed by Aurora. I had never had a relationship like the one I had with her; it was stronger than blood and went beyond the immortal. "Why do you always pace when you're anxious?" My thoughts were interrupted by Aaron's words, and I looked back to see him enter the clearing with his dark hair blown slightly. I hurried over to him, feeling a wave of relief. I said, "You took
ISAIAH There was a heavy quiet to the night, the kind that filled your lungs with uneasiness and pressed against your chest. I was standing in the tiny space I had made my own in the packhouse, with the walls covered in antiquated manuscripts and artefacts I had brought with me throughout my many years of wandering. Though it was always there, the weight of my history felt particularly heavy tonight. Each vision had been more urgent than the last, and they had begun occurring more regularly. The flashes of a future so unclear that it felt like attempting to capture smoke with bare hands were pieces. The air was different tonight, though. I sensed that it was building like a storm that was about to hit. As I concentrated on my breathing, I sat cross-legged on the floor with my hands on my knees. Except for the slight crackle of the fire on the hearth, the room was quiet. I let my eyes close and allowed the earth's energies to ground me. It was like a tidal surge of vision. The planet
JERMAINEThere was something about the struggle that lingered in the air long after the final enemy fell. A weight, a thrum of residual power that clung to the soul like an ethereal resonance of the dead.Though Thomas's dying breath was swallowed by silence, I could sense him.Or his shadow.His anger.His desperation.His defeat.I leaned against the broken trellis, chest heaving, heart still racing from the battle. The garden rested in shambles—blossoms shattered beneath heavy heel marks, the smoldering scorch scars of Isaiah's and Kael's fury staining the once spotless paths. Death and potency clung in the air, but what had me unsettled the most was the icy stillness that came after.Jackson was cleaning blood from his sword, face unemotional. Jaden was still standing at the ready, golden eyes scanning the area, refusing to believe that it was truly finished.Our father was standing in the center, shoulders locked, staring down at the spot where Thomas once was.Those words were r
HAILEYThe air was quiet, save for my breathing, as regular as the tick of a clock. Sleep held me in its grasp like a heavy fog, but some power pulled me out of its depths—a discord in the air, an awkward shift that didn't belong.I didn't wake, didn't flinch so much as a muscle to show I knew anything, but my senses were on high alert. The scent hit me next—bitter and flavored with evil.David.The moment stretched, charged and taut. I felt him in the darkness, holding back just beyond the edge of night. He thought me vulnerable. He thought he held the advantage.He was wrong.A breath of movement, a mere stir in the air—then a knife descended at my throat.My eyes snapped open.Before he could bring his knife to my skin, I closed my hand about his wrist in an unbreakable grip. His eyes widened, shock crossing his face. He tried to pull away, but I held tighter, bones snapping under my fingers."You're a fool, David," I breathed, my voice a killing whisper.He snarled, twisting in my
TURTELANight air was quiet, but there was something moving in the space around us. One moment we were sitting there, tension still thick with all that had happened, and then—I felt it.A tug deep inside me, as if an unseen string had been pulled taut and back into position. A rush of heat washed over me, as if stepping out into a frigid winter's night and into the sun. I gasped, my eyes wide with shock as my heart knew before my mind could."Mother," I whispered.I wasn't alone. Alexia drew in a harsh breath next to me, her hold on the rim of the stone table tightening. Jermaine and Jackson both stiffened sharply, their heads snapping up at the same moment. Aaron leapt out of his chair so fast the chair scraped harshly on the floor.And then, as a group, we moved.No words were ever spoken. We all knew it—the instant she was back. We ran in, our shoes clattering in the corridors, hearts racing with a single, desperate desire.We discovered them in their room.Ryan stood his ground n
HAILEYThe air was heavy with the smell of fire and blood. As soon as I entered the room, I saw Ryan.Or Ares.His wolf had emerged fully, and the sight of him sent a shiver down my spine—one not of fear, but of ragged, gnawing worry. His massive body was tense, his muscles rippling as barely repressed fury rolled off him in waves. The golden sheen of his irises had been darkened to black, the edges dancing like the embers of a dying fire.And at his feet—nothing but ash remained.Azure was gone. Not dead—destroyed.Ryan—Ares—had seen to that.The smell of charred flesh still hung in the air, but it wasn't what caught my eye. It was how his body shook, not with fatigue, but with rage barely in check. The monster within him was still fighting to get blood, still fighting to tear something—someone—limb from limb.He was losing it. Losing control to his wolf's instincts.And if I didn't stop him now, he would never come back.I crept forward, slowly, slowly, very slowly."Ares," I breath
RYANAgony.It started as a dull ache, a pressure in my ribs, then spread like wildfire throughout my entire body. It was like some thing had been wrapped around my soul—tight, choking, unyielding—and now it was being ripped away.I gasped, my head spinning, my muscles freezing as I collapsed onto the cold, wet stone beneath me. The chains that had bound me all these years clattered against the floor, and suddenly—air was mine.The spell was broken.I balled my fists, the rush of power surging back into my veins, my wolf snarling inside me, at last released after months of being suppressed and quiet. I drew in a deep breath, the stale air of my imprisonment now mixed with something else—power. A commanding, familiar, and unbreakable presence.Hailey.She did it.I let out a whoop of breathless laughter, my lips spreading in a savage grin. My mate had broken the spell. And that left only one possibility—anyone who'd placed it there was dead.Athena.I could feel it, the traces of her m
THOMASThe scent of blood and power hung heavy in the air. I floated through the garden like a specter, in fast, striking hard.Jackson didn't have time to blink before my fist hit his ribcage, and he reeled back into the stone table. His wine glass shattered against it, crimson liquid spreading across the ground like blood.He coughed, rolling onto his side, but I didn't give him a chance to catch his breath. I launched myself at him again, claws extended—A shock of energy struck my side.I was knocked back, crashing through a stone pillar before I landed on the ground with a grunt. Fire coursed through me, but I didn't have time to register it. I leapt up onto my feet as Adrian appeared in front of me, fangs bared.“You’re either stupid or desperate,” he hissed. “Attacking us here?”I wiped blood from my mouth and grinned. “A little of both.”Jermaine and Jaden were already flanking me, their wolves prowling just beneath the surface. Aurora stood behind them, golden eyes glowing, h
AURORA" Damn Auntie, you certainly are queen."I looked at her.At Her.The Queen of All Species. The Unbreakable. The one whose name carried the legends' weight and whispered fear into the hearts of the enemy.And yet, up until this time, I had never truly seen her.Hailey between the dying sparks of magic, power still snapping in the air like a tempest that will not be silenced. Light and darkness curled about her as though the universe knew whom it was dealing with. Outside, wind howled, but inside was only silence—thickness, gagging, wonder-struck silence.I had believed myself strong beforehand. But facing her there, looking at her after what had just transpired between us, I realized something profound."I see now," I gasped, my words struggling to come above the still-pulsing magic.Those eyes turned upon me—aged, knowing, unreadable.I gulped, perspiration tickling against my skin. "I understand why every mighty ruler wanted you as his wife."It wasn't her power, though that
HAILEYThe moon rode high in the sky, dropping a chill silver light across the castle grounds. I rested my arms against the railing on the balcony's edge, drawing in deep gulps of the night air. My hands grasped the railing tightly as I fought to suppress the fury simmering in my blood. Ryan was lost. Athena had cursed him. And that could mean only one thing—tonight, we hunted.Behind me, Aurora stepped forward, her golden eyes burning with determination. She had not spoken a word since the devastation in the war room, but now there was a tempest raging inside of her, quietly. Her wolf was restless, hungry for revenge."Ready?" I asked.Aurora nodded, rolling her shoulders. "More than ready."I turned and moved towards the door. We did not need an army to accomplish this. This was a personal matter. Athena had crossed a line, and she would suffer the consequences.As we strode through the castle corridors, the torches along the stone walls started to dance furiously, reacting to the s
JADENThe air in the war room was so tight you could strangle on it.Jermaine sat at one end of the long wooden table, folded arms crossed over his chest, face immobile. Jackson was leaning back in his chair, scowling as he beat a single, slow finger against the armrest. I couldn't sit still, pacing up and down the length of the room like a caged animal.The silence had lingered for too long.Then Jermaine finally spoke."We must discuss the prophecy."Jackson mocked. "Now you're interested in it?"Jermaine's eyes narrowed. "I've always been interested."I stopped pacing, spinning around to face them both. "Then why do you sound like you're only bringing this up now?" I snapped. "Ryan—our dad—is missing. Can't we be more worried about finding him rather than arguing about some prophecy that's been hanging over our heads since we were born?"Jermaine expelled a rough breath, gazing at me as if I were being silly. "We're not dealing with any prophecy here, Jaden. This one tells us that