NATHANIEL My insides were on fire.Every breath I sucked in was more painful than the first. My vision was blurred, and I felt dizzy. The room was too crowded for me, the multiple nauseating scents filling my nose until I caught a particular scent.One I was all too familiar with, one that brought calm to all the clashing thoughts in my head. I could feel a cord snapping within me, and without giving it a second thought, I followed the scent until I was behind her.As if sensing my presence, she turned away from Seth, and from my peripheral, I saw him curl his lips up in anger."What's wrong?" She asked, worry coming down on my face."I need you."My voice sounded weak even to my ears. She picked up on that, her brows knitting together in confusion."Come here." She grabbed my hand, tugging me along with her as she made her way out of the ballroom, ignoring the people that tried to stop us and talk to us."What's going on?" She asked. "
NATHANIEL"Nate, come sit for breakfast."There in my kitchen was Aiden with an apron tied around his waist as he moved around the kitchen like he did it every day."Where is Alan?" I asked, plopping down on a stool."He went for a run. We figured things are going to get hectic around here. Relieve the stress while we can and all that."He placed a plate of hashbrowns and eggs in front of me, but I couldn't bring myself to reach for it. Food was the last thing on my mind."We checked through security footage of the party. At what point did you know Acheron was gone?" He asked, going into business mode."A few minutes after I had a glass of champagne? I can't remember," I replied, rubbing my eyes."Who gave you the glass of champagne?""I took it from Ayra.""Bingo. We saw the security footage, and aside
AYRA"Nathaniel needs help. He- "I paused when I entered the kitchen to find Sandra sitting on a stool like she belonged here. She had a suitcase by her feet."Why are you here?" I asked."To see Nathaniel, of course," she replied. "Now that his brothers are here, they'll knock some sense into him.""I thought you said you were over him?" I folded my arms, glowering at her.She shrugged a dainty shoulder. "I changed my mind."Now, this was the Sandra I knew. The one at the party had been suspicious. I didn't see her letting go of Nathaniel any time soon, but I had to give it to her. She took her acting classes. "I don't know what you're doing in here, but you need to leave.""If there's anyone here who should leave, then it's you," a masculine voice bellowed behind me.Sandra smiled at me, straightening her shoulders at the new arrival.I turned on my heels to face the person. "Excuse me?"He looked just like Nathaniel, but inst
AYRA"Ayra, come sit," Kimberly said with a strained smile I saw right through."Where's he? Something happened to him, didn't it?" I asked, trying to mentally prepare myself for whatever she was about to say.If she looked like this, then it was bad."Did you relieve yourself in the bathroom?""Yes. What's wrong?""Nathaniel is badly injured, and his wound isn't healing up. They said he was attacked by demons.""Okay. Where is he?""About that — you're not allowed to see him. Aiden and Alan are pissed at you.""Why?"She shrugged. "Logan didn't say.""Well, I don't care, anyway. I'm going to see him. Where is he?""The hospital. I don't know his particular room number, though.""It doesn't matter."If Nathaniel's brothers thought they could stop me, then they were in for a treat. I didn't know which one I met in the kitchen, but if only he'd hurried to help Nathaniel when I told him to, maybe all of this wouldn't have hap
ISHMAELI watched the scene unraveling before me, not knowing whether to interfere or keep quiet. I got where every single emotion was coming from.They all cared about Nathaniel, and that made their emotions fly all over the place. Aiden especially. During the brief times that I had witnessed Aiden and Alan's interactions with Nathaniel, I saw how deeply they cared for Nathaniel. If they could give their lives for their brother, they would. That was how deep their loyalty to one another ran.As someone who they looked up to, seeing him lying helplessly on a hospital bed was something they weren't used to.I understood Ayra's point of view, too. She lived with Nathaniel, and if I wasn't wrong, they shared the same bed. They couldn't have that type of closeness without caring for each other. It sounded a little farfetched to me that she'd poison him, or whatever the younger Blacks said she did.Sandra, on the other hand, I wasn't too sure of. The way she
AYRA"What are you doing in here, and why the fuck are you going through Nathaniel's things?" Aiden asked, raising a condescending brow at me."Instead of being a bitch to me, why not keep your fucking mouth shut, and make yourself useful? Your brother is laying on that bed unconscious, and instead of finding a solution, you're here questioning me."He crossed his arms, unmoving from his spot by the door. "And you think answers to his cure is in office? Sounds rather suspicious to me.""If I said I gave a fuck about what you think of me, you should know I'm lying," I said, grabbing another book from Nathaniel's shelf.This one was bulkier than the others. I opened the first page to find an old piece of parchment paper with a message on it. Everything was written in a strange language, but strangely, I found myself able to understand the words.'Our bloodline is contaminated. Odin has seen the future, and he saw an even bigger upset to the balance. Quadbr
NATHANIELMy vision was distorted as I slowly rose from a bed that didn’t feel like mine. The room didn’t even look like mine.I tried to jog my memory to remember how I’d gotten here in the first place.Ayra and I were at the top of the cliff.Benjamin and Ervin came along.I asked Ayra to return to the island.I fought Benjamin and Ervin, but Ervin sunk his poisoned claw into my side. Then I was kicked off the cliff.“Ayra.” Did she get home safe? I placed my feet on the cold floor, patting my side. There was no injury. That was strange. I faintly remembered Ervin and Benjamin mentioned something about the poison consuming my mind, and sending me into a killing spree.I didn’t feel any of those things. Had they been bluffing?“You’re awake,” Alan said, dragging my attention to where he stood by the door.“Where’s Ayra?”He looked away from me, bringing his hand up to rub the back of his neck. “Um… "“The fuck do you mean by ‘um’
AYRAI was starving. I needed something to quench the hunger in my system.Only that 'something' wasn't food. No. I craved blood instead.Blood. Blood.That wasn't right. No sane person should crave blood, but here I was, fucking eager to sink my fangs into someone and have my drink of blood to abate my hunger.From a distance, the rich scent of blood filled my nostrils. I could hear the thumping of a pulse calling out to me, mocking my hunger."Isn't she supposed to be awake by now?" A familiar voice said as footsteps approached my bed before a weight pressed down on the bed. "Was I unconscious for long after she took the poison into her body?""No. It could be because—"I lunged at the person on my bed, sinking my already elongated fangs into his neck. My tastebuds hummed in appreciation as blood filled my mouth and slid down my throat."Okay, babe, I think that's enough. You're gonna suck me dry," the man said with a chuckle, trying t