Damien’s POV“It’s Lucian. He’s here.”The words left my mouth like a curse, the weight of them heavy in the air. Serafine stood beside me and her breath was quite catching . The night is thick with tension that can make you fear.She barely has time to react before the ground shakes beneath us. Lucian’s warriors, shadows in the moonlight, begin to close in on the Freedom Pack."Damien," Serafine whispers, her voice trembling. “What does he want?”"He wants you,” I said, barely able to suppress the growl in my throat. “And he’ll stop at nothing.”Serafine’s face hardens, her fear slipping behind a wall of resolve. “Oh God, I can’t let him take me.”I instantly felt proud of her for her courage, though I was a little bit scared. I pulled her close, making sure my forehead touched hers for some moments. “We’ll stop him together.”Before either of us can say more, a deafening crack splits the air. The ground beneath our feet trembles as dark, twisted roots shoot up from the earth, coili
Serafine's POV"This is far from over, Serafine," Lucian's voice echoes in my brain as he vanishes into the night.It was long after he was gone that the weight of his words stood in the balance.I felt my heartbeat racing and caught my breath in short spurts, while doing nothing other than standing and staring at the place where he had vanished.A cold shiver ran down my spine. Deep inside, I knew he meant each word, and that terrified me.I looked at Damien, who was furiously hot. The bleeding around his arm doesn't let up yet, but he acts like it's not even there.
David's POV"It's too late," Amara says with an icily calm tone, her hand holding onto Serafine as the magic swirled on Abigail.I watch, tense, from afar as Serafine struggles against the hold Amara has on her, her eyes wild with panic. My instincts scream at me to intervene, yet something holds me in place.The air is thick with the weight of Amara's power. Even from where I am standing, I can feel the dark magic pulsating from her-a cold reminder that this was not a woman one underestimated.Abigail's wails shred through the night, and I felt the earthquake beneath my feet. Her small body convulses, caught in a maelstrom of uncontrollable magic.
Serafine's POV"And all goes dark."The silence is deafening. My heart pounds in my chest. Abigail's scream still echoes in my ears, but everything feels cold and empty.Abigail?" I called out, shakily, a mere whisper. My knees buckle and I drop to the ground, my hands shaking while I reach out for her. "Please, not my baby…My fingers fell across something soft, and a wave of relief washed over me. I grasp her small hand in mine and squeeze hard. Her skin is still warm to the touch, but she does not move.The magic that churned around her just a moment before was gon
Henry's POV"We need to get back. Now."I stood near the packhouse, watching them fade into the darkness as Serafine's words echoed in my mind. There's an unease in the air tonight, more than it is usually.A storm is brewing, and no one can see the clouds yet.I've been part of the Freedom Pack long enough to know when something's wrong.The whispers, the fear. It's not just about Lucian anymore. Something's eating its way from the inside out. And I don't like it.As Beta, it's my job to
Serafine's POV"It's not just me. There are others. Lucian… he'd planned this out for ages. And it's not over.Tina's words cut through the thickness of silence that hung over the packhouse.My head can barely process it all: Tina, of all people, a traitor? And now she claims there are more of them? My stomach twisted.I stand at the edge of the room watching the others. Damien, Daniel, and David all tense, their eyes ablaze with anger.The ripple of their emotions washes through our bond, a mixture of betrayal and frustration. They do not trust Tina, nor
Serafine's POV I really can't seem to get the vision out of my mind. It had been days since I had seen the triplets lying in their own blood, days since I had witnessed a battle played out in vivid colors. The image of their deaths was seared into my mind, and no matter how hard I tried to clear my head, to focus on something else. And now, something more. Something worse. Some sort of sickness has started to seep through the pack, infecting our warriors. It began small, only a few coughs, a few pairs of tired eyes, but now it's more. Day by day, the warriors grow weaker, slower; it drains them of their strength. They're trying to hide it, but I can see how it's taking its toll on them. And the worst part? This is all my fault, or so it would seem. I stand at the window, my gaze drifting out into the yard below where a group of warriors gathers. Their voices carry up to me-low murmurs interlaced with confusion and frustration. They do not know what is happening, but in my
Susan's POV"What do we do?"Serafine said, her voice shaking."We stop him. But first, we have to find out just how far his influence goes. And we need to do it fast."Serafine's face was a picture of shock and confusion as the weight of my words settled in. I had barely wrapped my head around the full implications of it myself, much less Lucian using her as a conduit for his dark magic this whole time-manipulating her power, influencing her decisions. It made so much sense, yet at the same time, it put us in a terrifyingly vulnerable position.She's too weak to defend herself, too uncertain about her own magic. And now the pack was still reeling from the mysterious illness; we didn't have the time to sort this out. We needed answers, and we needed them now. But Serafine… She's torn. I saw that in her eyes.And now, war is coming.The pack is beginning to recover; the warriors are slowly regaining their strength after being weakened by that terrible sickness. They don't know it wa
"You are free to choose your path, Abigail. You are stronger than his lies."The voice of Serafine sounded in my head-a small beacon of light tearing through the darkness that had consumed my mind for far too long. I felt the magic of Lucian clutching at my throat, seeking to snuff out the light, but something buried deep within me had started to stir-a truth hidden even from myself.The visions that had wracked my mind finally dissipated, and I saw Lucian's face, twisted in anticipation. He thought he had me, that he'd won, but he had no idea yet.I drew a deep breath and let the tumult of what was happening around us fade to a silent hush. Now or never. "You're right, Lucian," I said, willing my tone to stay even. "I do know what I must do."His face twisted in a triumphing leer. "Then fulfill your destiny," he hissed, reptilian.I met his stare, eyes slitting. "I already have."Before Lucian could even react, I harnessed a surge of magic deep within me and let it explode, shatteri
As we entered deep into the tunnel , the walls seemed to close in on us. Every step that we took resounded against the blackness.With every minute, the air grew heavier as we re-approached the stronghold of Lucian, taut with tension, as every step weighed upon me. I wasn't sure if I was ready to face him; there was just no more time left for doubts. The course of events that would ensue would seal my family's fate. and maybe even my own.As we emerged from the final tunnel, the entrance to Lucian's lair loomed ahead: a dark fortress built into the side of the cavern wall. Shadows seemed to gather around it, twisting and curling like smoke. A shiver crawled down my spine as we approached, but I forced myself to stay calm. We had a plan, even if it was full of risks.We burst through the main entrance, our magic flaring to life as we fought our way inside. The clash of spells and clash of swords was heavy in the air as Lucian's forces swarmed us. I fought beside Damien, my heart r
"We have to go after them!"Still, the last words of Damien were echoing in my ears when I finally found a moment to slip from the crowd. I pounded inside my chest, not just from the fight, but from the turmoil inside me-from Owen's betrayal-but something clanged furiously in my head. The storm at my center tore me asunder.Down a catwalk, I came to a small alcove where the darkness just about ate up any light. The cool stone walls bit into my back as I leaned against them trying to calm my breathing and the thoughts that raced through my mind. Just as I closed my eyes, a voice whispered from behind me in the dark."You look troubled, Abigail."My eyes flew open, and in that instant, my pulse shot up as finally the man stepped out of the shadows. The air seemed to have grown cold with his presence, his eyes shining with both mirth and something darker."What do you want?" I asked, trying not to let my voice show the shaking inside me.He leaned his head, lips curling into a thin s
"Make your choice."The lieutenant's voice continued to ring in my mind, even as I ran wildly through the tunnels, my breathing rough. My heart pounded in my chest, and for one wild moment, the dark temptation of his offer pressed upon me. Betray Serafine and the pack… save myself. It was a coward's choice, a traitor's path. But a small part of me, the part of me that had doubted whether I was strong enough to protect them-whispered that maybe it could be our chance. No, I told myself sharply. I couldn't let my mind go there. I pushed it away and refocused on finding the others. I would never betray my family no matter how bad things got.Rounding a corner, I nearly collided with Damien. Relief danced across his face to see me, yet was speckled with urgency. "Daniel, thank the Moon you're here. We need to regroup—Lucian's forces are closing in fast."I nodded and fell into step beside him as we sprinted down the tunnel. The sounds of far-off fighting got louder with every step.
The earth around me opened with so much fierceness, a low rumbling that seemed to tear the very earth asunder.Before I could even turn, the ground had split, and I was tumbling into chaos. I landed on hard earth, the impact knocking the air from my lungs. It was all chaos, dust, falling rocks, the sound of distant shouting echoing off cavern walls. As I struggled to my feet, the dust began to settle and my eyes adjusted to the dim light filtering down from above.I froze, the image around me blurring as my mind tried to wrap itself around what was happening. We fell into some sort of large underground chamber, ancient and hauntingly beautiful. Strange symbols carved into the stone walls glowed with a silvery tint of light, unlike anything I had ever seen before. It was a relic left behind by some lost, magical civilization, long forgotten by the world above.But it was what was at the center of the room that took my breath away, there was some sort of pedestal, and on top of th
"Mom!"My own voice is returned in the darkness and the storm pounds until I feel the edge of exhaustion. The darkness courses through my body, shaking me to the core, threatening to swallow me whole in its depths. I pulled myself together, trying until I was suddenly aware that the air had shifted. The temperature drops, a coldness running down my spine. I sense him before I see him-Lucian.Lucian emerges from whirling shadows, stepping forward. Something authoritative in his figure, something coldly calm about the manner in which he advances through the chaos erupting in the air around us, draws my gaze irresistibly his way. Gleaming dark eyes fasten on me, a cold dread rising up in my chest. He raises a hand, and in but a gesture, the whirling storm around me begins to settle, as if even magic I struggle to grasp bends to his will."Enough of this, Abigail," he says smoothly, tone laced with a command. "Stop struggling with the man. You waste your breath on one not even worth
"This is my fight now."I can feel the weight of those words as I unleash the magic inside me, channeling everything I have into this strange man who surprisingly was as strong or perhaps stronger than I am. The air crackles and hums, vibrating with energy that seems to move with time to my heartbeat. I watch as his expression changes, his eyes widening in surprise. Then I feel something else, a shift deep inside, a change that isn't altogether my own.I feel some strength gathering within me, and in an instant, it runs hard through my veins. The energy suddenly surges and explodes inside me like a continuing storm ready to tear me apart. With each surge, it becomes so much stronger than the one before and I am fighting hard to keep it inside me. My hands are shaking terribly, and my breathing is reduced. With a sense of anticipation, I realize that I could be losing this battle not to this man in front of me but to myself.Stay back!" I scream, but it sounds more like I'm plea
"Do you feel that? What is this?"The words echo in my mind as I step into the clearing,the chaotic power, like a hurricane, surrounds me. I followed my mother for quite a long time when the air changed, it tugged at me begging me to follow her to this place before it was too late.Now, from behind the scenes, I finally see before me the scene of Serafine standing in front of the mysterious man who had set into action so much pain and manipulation, The air is really crackling with tension, and the dark magic wraps them like a cover."Let her go!" I scream, my voice carrying across the clearing. The weight of my power surges forward inside me, tightening against the reins of my control. I don't think, I act.They both turn to me then, surprised across the man's face. "You!" he exclaims, his composure cracking for a moment. "What are you doing here?"I move forward, my veins coursing with determination and fear. "I felt your presence," I say, locking eyes with him. "I knew you we
"We have to keep running until there's no other choice but to fight."With every step, it beats in my chest, fighting my way through the thick underbrush of the forest, placing distance between myself and chaos at the stronghold. The darkness wraps around me. My mind races with thoughts of all that has brought me to this moment in life. The weight of the world is held on my shoulders and with it, the balance of my family's fate.Before me, I see the bush he told me to meet him at, with every step my pulse quickens. The thought of his wicked grin seems to flash before my mind a chilling reminder of my bargain struck. A deep breath is taken and in it, I steady myself for what is about to be. Strong, though frightened, I must be.Finally reaching the place, it is bathed in moonlight, the tall grass gently swaying with the wind of the night. There he was, waiting to see me with that annoying smirk, arms folded at his chest, as if the world belongs to him. "Serafine," he calls, with