"We have to follow him into the void!" Elena yelled as they pushed their power against the struggling Vampyre king. They all knew what that would mean for them.
"I will search for you for a thousand lifetimes, I will not stop until I find both of you."Elena vowed to her mates as the decision was made, "And we will wait for you in every one." Mikhail and Ethan made their own vows to their brave Alpha female.
"It's been a glorious ride." The Trimates said as they held each oth
Caroline wandered among the dead, gathering the remnants of the fallen heroes. Tears caused a river to run through the empty cavern of her heart as she came upon the familiar face of her grandson, lying amongst his mates' bodies, limbs everywhere, and yet the three of them still held hands. Gone to meet the Moon Goddess together in death as they had been in the final moments of life. Sometimes she wondered if she could still do this job, be responsible for sending children to their deaths for the greater good.The land around them was ravaged by the war that had claimed thousands. Black scorch marks made craters deep in the earth as wizards and w
"Will I ever get used to this?" April asked her mate as she looked out upon the carnage they had wrought. She was a gentle, nurturing soul and any life lost pained her. Though she considered this unavoidable, she still had a hard time dialing down her humanity. It's what would forever set her apart from other dragons. Adrastus sighed deep in his throat, his pale blue eyes sliding sideways as he peered at his mate, " It is nature's way to cleanse the earth through war, my love, and we are dragons. Violence is an essential part of our nature. Tell me, in times like these, do you regret the choice you made? Do you regret choosing me?" April took her time answering, but when she did, her words rang true. "I miss my wolf Adrastus, but Fleetfoot had to be set free in order for us to be truly bonded for life. I accept that and am grateful for my dragon form and all that comes with it, so no, I don't regret choosing you. How can I, when you are the keeper of my heart?" Together the
Up they rose, the Alpha Tri mates, hand in hand trapping Magnus in the circle, each one using their power to push against him, paralyzing the Vampyre while they headed towards the dark vortex opening up in the sky. With a scream that Isabella would never forget, the Tri mates hurled themselves into the hole, knowing they wouldn't survive the crushing pressure of the entry...and with their sacrifices came life for the werewolves they left behind.Isabella Stalker, Luna of The Howling Warrior pack sat by her mate's bedside. Her belly was slowly healing a
Raeann Romano stepped out of the limo, aided by her mate as she solemnly eyed the small church by the village square. Candles were lit, lighting the way intermingling with the fireflies, and hundreds of wolves stood in silence to honor the Tri mates, waiting to say goodbye to her brother. "Valenar, I don't think I can do this." Her lower lip trembled, and she buried her head in her mate's shoulder, wanting only to get lost in his arms and forget the pain. The flashbacks and memories leading up to that day were crippling. Why couldn't she understand? How could she have let this happen? Her brother had died because of her ignorance, and the guilt that came with that knowledge was unbearable.
Santos felt the change in the air, and the sound of hundreds of wolves howling chilled his bones. The ceremony of the dead was about to begin, and soon his son's body would burn on the pyre, sending the vessel back to the Moon Goddess.The sound of stilettos broke the haunting silence of the cells, and Santos felt a small sliver of apprehension run through him, wondering who was paying him a visit at this hour.A hooded figure appeared in the small square that allowed the guards to view their prisoners and glowing green eyes glared malevolently at him as Morgana faced her father's head minion."Hello, Santos." Her husky
WARNING GRAPHIC SCENES OF VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE AHEAD PLEASE SKIP THIS CHAPTER IF YOU ARE SQUEAMISH.
SIX MONTHS LATER.My charge was slowly gaining his strength back. When I dragged him back to my cave, Santos was barely alive. I gave him some of my blood, and then I broke his neck. When he woke up, he was a Vampyre. Since then, I have been teaching him about our way of life; he's a fast learner.Dad was gone. I could hardly believe it. The Vampyres had scattered to the four winds, and I was left alone in my coffin, forgotten. Jezzabelle, my mother, had left me with M
The sound of rain thundering down on the roof should have been enough to wake him up, but for some reason, his body was not responding. There was nothing but silence in his head, no smart ass wolf giving him hell or helping him to swim up from the darkness, and the Alpha felt the unfamiliar stirrings of panic start to spread throughout his core. Snippets of conversation could be heard every now and again, disjointed sentences mainly, although whenever she visited, Bella's scent had him crav
Shadow felt his breathing begin to slow as he looked up at his mate. He tried to manage a smile, but the pain was too real, and all he could do was grimace as it arced through his torn-up body. Bella was telling him to hold on, that Valenar was reasoning with the threat, but he knew that there wasn't enough time for him, so using the last of his strength, he lifted his hand and gently placed it against her lips. "I waited a lifetime for you, my Bella," he struggled to get out the words, knowing that this was the last time he would feel her touch, "I will search through a thousand lifetimes to find you mate. You have my heart, you have my soul and no matter where you go after I'm gone, know that in your heart I'll always be here." Bella's lips trembled, and her eyes filled with tears as she shook her head at him, "You promised me forever, Shadow, please don't leave me!" As Shadow closed his eyes against the pain, he was vaguely aware of Bella's screams,
Down in the cellar, the children were quiet. Some trembled while others bristled, eager to get out amidst the fray and earn their place as pack warriors. When the ground above started trembling, and the hatch heaved as though the earth itself was trying to break in, that's when hysteria hit. Onyx struggled to hold back the retired warriors and mothers whose children were valiantly fighting to keep them safe. The tension grew higher as Onyx barked for them all to calm down. Reason was rapidly going out the window, and Lucifer awakened, shining wrathfully through Onyx's eyes as his leadership was challenged. Then, out of the darkness, a clear voice rose, weaving its way through the pack bunched up in close quarters, and Onyx looked gratefully over at his nephew.Tarakona sang of times gone by, the history of the Howling warriors, and his parents' courtship. He spread calm throughout the cellar as they were all transported back to the time of Shadow and Isabella, the magic of th
Like the plague, Hael's anger washed through Howling, killing dozens in its wake. Pyro's magic was depleting itself quickly under the onslaught of his friend's fury, and sensing his master's struggle, Barghest's howl signaled his hellhound's arrival in Howling. Unfortunately, the boy had only lasted seconds as Hael tore his intestines out, half-crazed by the thoughts of his mate being with another man. For the first time in their lifelong friendship, Pyro doubted his ability to reign Hael in."Marie is going to make me eat my own balls," He thought grimly as his legs gave way, blood dripping from his ears as Pyro faced his death. He was lucky in the sense that while he would die in this space, as an overlord in Hade's realm, Pyro would end up back where he belonged anyway, and Marie would be waiting to tear him a new one, as she did every time he went on a jaunt with Hael. Barghest came at a run, bowling through half a dozen wolves as Pyro's magic finally deserted him. His fa
Ratchet left Sal's with a full belly and a grin on his face. Maeve was like the ray of sunshine in his life that made everything okay, and whatever it was that she was dealing with, he was sure she would slay it like she did everything else in her life.Lost in his thoughts, Ian reached his bike in no time, grabbing his helmet and pulling his bandana up to keep the bugs out of his teeth. He didn't see the freight train until it hit him full force in his side. Like a spring flinging loose from a trampoline, he sailed through the air landing heavily on his side. "What the fuck?!" He roared, reaching for his handpiece. When Ratchet found who had rammed him, his mouth dropped open, and the gun fell from his boneless fingers. It was the two giants he caught sniffing around Maeve's shop earlier on. Only now, the one called Hael looked like some avenging angel. His eyes glowed with fury, and his muscles quivered with the urge to smash someone's head in. That someone being Ian.
"I had to stay and run the pack!" Lucien barked defensively, crossing his arms and glaring at the pint-sized woman in front of him. Bella's eyes widened, and he swore he could see steam pouring from her ears. "I call bullshit!" She retorted, getting right in his face; her eyes crackled, and the fury held barely in check started to leak out, giving the Luna a frightening look."You haven't been running the pack," Bella brutally pointed out, "You've been curled up in your bed like a teenage girl listening to sad songs and eating ice cream. Why do you think I'm back so early?"Lucien couldn't find an answer for that. But it didn't matter because Bella wasn't finished, "You have thirty minutes to get dressed and pack a bag, I've already organized a replacement bike for you, and my strongest tracker picked up traces of her scent on the Eastern borders. Got and get your woman Lucien, before someone else claims her." She tossed him the keys to his bike and looked at her watch
The ground felt strange beneath his feet. Grass tickled his toes as he wandered along, breathing deeply of the mountainous air. Beside him strode his friend; he was aware of the appreciative stares from females as they passed by and wondered if maybe it was unusual to see humans in Howling, but then again, they weren't really human-now were they?"Of all the places Hael? I'm allowed one free pass from Hell each millennium, and you bring me to Hicksville?" Pyro Diego glanced at his friend, who didn't bother to answer, and hoped for the sixth time that venturing into a wolf pack disguised as humans was a wise choice. Shaetan only knows what Marie will think when he returns home in a few weeks, and he rather liked his balls."She's here, man, I can sense her," Hael muttered as he began to look in the shop windows, and as the demi-gods came to the one on the corner, Hael stopped and took a deep breath, a guttural growl sounding deep in his chest."This is it."
The vortex appeared directly in front of them, and Jarvis shoved Lucy behind him as he prepared to shift. The sound was deafening, and when the light pulsed, expelling a figure from the portal, Jarvis shielded his eyes from the glare."Well, damn, this is a sorry excuse for a welcome, but I'll take it."Bella stood there, cradling the pup gently in her arms. She knew that their luggage was already at home. Lucy and Jarvis looked at her with their eyes popping and jaws dropping as she smiled back at them. Lucy was the first to recover. "You weren't gone for that long, Luna? What is this? Immaculate conception or something?" She drawled, and Bella laughed. It was good to be home."It's a long story, my friend, and will need to wait until Caspian is settled in. Now, where is my foolish mate?" Bella easily took control, and as they continued walking down the street, it was a relief for Lucy to hand over the reins. As she revealed what had transpired in Bella's absen
Something was wrong in Howling. As Jarvis pulled up to the local herbal shop, it was obvious that something significant had happened here. Many stores were closed, and the usual hustle and bustle of a small town were missing. It made the lion shifter nervous. He was still in his car, wondering at the best course of action, when a familiar figure jogged straight past him."Lucy!"Lucy turned around, and a huge smile greeted him as she jogged back. Jarvis opened the door and stepped out in time for her to pull him in for a hug. "It's so good to see you," She gushed as they pulled away from each other, and Jarvis noticed her eyes sparkled and her mouth curved easily into a grin. If he were ten years younger, Onyx might have had a fight on his hands for Lucy's affections.As he looked at his friend Jarvis, saw the dark circles under her eyes and the weight she had lost, instinctively knowing that something was really, really wrong. When he quizzed her on it, L
"I know it's late, but do you think you would like to take a stroll with me?"Thorn felt like he was drowning as he waited for Raeann's answer. He couldn't even turn around to see what her expression was like; he was that nervous. There were several seconds of silence where Thorn thought he might actually throw up. Then with the tiniest of voices, she replied, "I think I'd like that." Expelling a breath he didn't know he was holding, Thorn turned and let his eyes drink in her beauty. Raeann smiled softly, "April tells me that the thermal baths on the other side of the mountain are nice at this time of the morning?" And Thorn almost stumbled over his own tongue as he hastened to agree. Raeann held out her hand for him to grasp, and he did, almost shyly, shivering as the ever-present tingles made their way up his arms.For a time, they walked in silence, taking in the beautiful view of the sun coming up, as they slowly traversed fire mountain. Eventually, it flattened out near t