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
BENJAMIN"The fuck are you doing here? You killed him, didn't you?" I asked, balling my fists by my side.Ervin was the closest thing to a brother, and Nathaniel had killed him. I was filled with rage, but at the same time, I couldn't fault him. We'd attacked him first."Why not relax, Benjamin? You wouldn't be here if you didn't want us to meet you.""Oh, so I can't visit a vampire brothel to forget about the loss I just suffered without it seen as me trying to gain an audience with you?""You weren't this uptight years ago," Nathaniel said, cocking his head to the side. He took a seat opposite me, his brothers, and a sorcerer I heard about from Ryker, standing guard behind him. They'd gained everyone's attention, but they didn't care about that."What do you want?" I asked, eager to get the conversation done and over with."Since you started sending you demons after Ayra and I, you've been the only one to incur a loss. You've lost several lair members, and I don't think your people w
NATHANIEL “I am fucking dead on my feet. I didn’t know that was possible until now,” Ayra groaned, throwing herself back on the bed. “Did you know Kimberly has a weird obsession with flowers?” She asked, shutting her eyes.“What did she do?” I asked, whipping my sweatshirt off my head. She opened her eyes, eager to tell her story. “She wanted these enormous bouquets around the table, and I told her people wouldn’t be able to see each other if it was too much. She almost swallowed me, and she came out with the ‘I am an interior decorator’ shit. Long story short, we had to tie her down to remove the excess flowers. If you find my dead body, look no further for a suspect. Kimberly did it.”I nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind.”“Also, I heard there’s a pre-ceremony tonight. How many parties do you guys throw around here? It’s just one freaking ceremony. I don’t understand the extra shit going on.”I chortled. “My uncle loved parties. When he formed this pack, he used the Blood Moon Festiva
NATHANIEL Growing up in a pack that didn’t want you there hadn’t been easy, but my father had been willing to stick out for my mother’s sake. He loved her, after all. Her father was the Alpha of their pack, and she was the only heir. When she’d found my father, she had planned to rule with him by her side, but fate had other plans. My grandfather would never accept a demon as his heir. Even though he hated my father, he still loved his daughter dearly. So, he kept the secret of my father’s true identity from the pack.“He didn’t want them to know for obvious reasons,” I told Ayra. “They were all prejudiced against demons.”I couldn’t blame them, though. As I grew older, I understood why they spoke about demons with so much contempt. The war had ruined lives and had caused many werewolves to be homeless. Even I had hated demons when I read about the war.Looking back now, I could only laugh. How could I hate was I was? What my father was? Granted, I hadn’t
NATHANIEL “The moment of truth is finally here. Are you excited?” Alan teased, clasping on my cufflinks.“Fuck off.” I yanked my wrist out of his grasp.“He’s afraid Ayra won’t be his mate,” Aiden piped up from my balcony. “I have a simple solution for that. Don’t go,” he said, walking into my room.“Ayra and Kimberly put in a lot of work. It wouldn’t be fair to ask her to sit it out. Also, I know she’s my mate.”“Is that Acheron speaking or Nathaniel? It seems you’re forgetting this ceremony is for wolves,” Alan said.“I think our demons are a deciding factor. If your demon loses interest in your mate, things won’t work out. Anyone regretting not asking Mom about this before she died?” The twins shook their heads.“Just you. Why do you think we’re sitting it out? We’re going to be out of here tomorrow before the heat hits us hard and forces us to go find a female who could be our mate,” Aiden said.I understood where they were coming from. If it weren’t for Ayra, I’d have stayed at
NATHANIEL“Nathaniel, can I talk to you?” Ayra asked, tugging on my sleeve. I turned away from Kai to give her a raised brow. She looked like something had spooked her, and that was never a good sign.“What’s wrong?”“Can we talk about it here? They have enhanced… ““Okay. Come with me.”I led her out of the main hall, going down a hallway that led to an office. It was formerly the pack house, but the bigger we got, the less space there was, and to be honest, I preferred my privacy. I opened the door, shutting it behind us.“What happened this time around?”“There was a woman here. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her before. She didn’t look like she belonged here.”“Did she try to do anything?”“No. She just smiled and disappeared into the wall.”“Disappeared into the wall?”“I’m not crazy, Nathaniel.”“I didn’t say you were.”“Your eyes said so. I saw her. She was… shit.”She doubled over with a hiss. I’d already reached for her before the smell of her arousal hit the air. I looked out
NATHANIEL"It took a long while to find you, but here I am. Three long decades since we last saw each other," Knox said with a smile."Why are you looking for me?" I asked.His lips twisted into a smirk. "I'm hurt, Nate. And here I was thinking you'd welcome me to your little island with a feast.I sighed, scrubbing my hand down my face. "My bad. I've just had a lot on my table for a while.""I heard. You're fucking Zachary's sister." He leaned back in his seat, propping his feet on my desk. "Does he know?""I'm not fucking her. She's my mate."He shrugged. "Same difference."Supernaturals didn't age as quickly as humans did, so after ten years, Knox still looked the same with his honey-colored eyes and dirty blond hair. The only thing that changed about him was the length of his hair and the scar that ran from his temple to his jaw.I first met him when I was pack hopping with my brothers. He ran away from home to escape his controlling father - his words, not mine - and he somehow e
RYKER"What's your problem, Ry? It's so early in the morning. What do you want to talk about?" Samuel asked, rubbing his eyes as he trudged into the room where kept Draven's unconscious body.He was still dressed in his pajamas, and clearly didn't appreciate being woken up, but I had to make some things clear.Starting with our uncles being alive."What happened to the Brothers of Doom?" I asked, and the change in Samuel was abrupt.His stance straightened while his eyes glared daggers at me. "What the fuck is wrong with you? What lies did Ishmael fill your head with?""That's funny seeing as Ishmael wasn't conscious when Benjamin and I got there." I walked over to Draven. He was strapped to a bed pushed against the wall, and above his bed hung Eris's bloodstones."Why are you asking me this?""Because I never saw their bodies. Raises some questions in the air, don't you think?""Do you think I'd lie about their deaths? For fuck's sake, what type of fucked up person do you think I am?
NATHANIEL“Who is Zachary?” Ayra asked out of the blue.I looked away from the movie playing on the TV screen. “Hm?”She rolled her eyes at me. “You heard me, Nathaniel.”I did, but I didn’t know whether to answer her question or lie. I wanted her to meet with her family, but at the same time, I didn’t know if she was ready for that yet.“I already told you. He’s a friend. Is something bugging you?”She shook her head. “No, not at all. My mind just kind of roamed.”“You’re lying.”She refused to meet my eyes. “No, I’m not.”“Don’t lie to me, Ayra. Why are you asking about Zachary?”“I hear voices in my head. I think it’s my family, and I think they are lost.”“Lost?”“Yes. They’ve been whispering in my head for the last few days, and they keep telling me to go look for Zachary. They said our relationship is cursed. And I think Zachary is my brother.”Did she know already? That meant there was no need to hide who Zachary was from her.“Let’s first start with this. Why didn’t you tell me
AYRA“Rise and shine, mate,” I sang, pushing the curtains aside to let the sunlight stream into the room.“Shut up,” Nathaniel groaned, placing his forearm over his eyes to block the unwanted light in the room. “It’s too early in the morning to be this chirpy.”“Says the freak who goes for a run and to the gym every morning. Plus, it’s one in the afternoon.”His eyes snapped open. “No shit?” He frowned, sitting up on the bed. “I never sleep for that long.”“I know.” That showed just how burned out he was. He was usually as early as five in the morning, and he didn’t go to bed until it was late. “You needed the rest.”He slid off the bed, scrubbing his hand down his face. “I should go check on Kai and the rest.”I jumped in front of him, blocking his path. “No, you also need some rest. I already checked on them, and I informed them of your condition.”“What condition? Nothing is wrong with me. I’m fine.”“Mentally?” I asked, raising a knowing brow at him. I knew he blamed himself for t
NATHANIEL“Logan, stand the fuck up. We have to get out of here!” I heard Theo scream from inside the temple. “It’s going to fucking sink.”Shit.I snapped my wings up behind me as it took off into the air, heading straight for the building. I went in through the wall Benjamin and I had broken down during our scuffle.“Holy shit,” Theo gasped.Fuck. I had temporarily forgotten that none of them knew the truth. I had a feeling things would go downhill from here, but I had to save them first.“Holy fuck, Nathaniel, is that you?” Theo asked as he struggled to lean up against the wall.“Yes. Hold on. I’ll get Logan down and come for you.”I flew out of the temple with Logan on my shoulder, all the while mindful of the cracks spreading across the walls.I had to get back to Theo before the building crumbled, but I also had to make sure Logan was far away from the building to avoid getting crushed when the building collapsed.When I was sure he and Ishmael were far enough from the building,
NATHANIELI eyed Benjamin as he walked in through the doors, a triumphant grin on his lips. He had Ryker and three other demons behind him, but Samuel was nowhere to be seen.“I honestly never thought it’d be this easy, but it seems we’ve placed you on this unreachable and unrealistic pedestal that we’ve let trap our minds and abilities.”“All that speech and you can’t even handle shit on your own.”“Yeah? Explain to me why I’ve got over ten of your Enforcers tied down right now. If those aren’t your lap dogs handling their master’s dirty work, then I don’t know what to call that.” He dug his hand into his pocket, pulling out a key, which he tossed at Tiana. “Good work keeping them busy. We’ve got it covered from here.”She dove for the key like her existence depended on it, something akin to relief flashing through her eyes. Her gaze cut over to me, and she offered me a sad smile.“It’s nothing personal,” she mouthed before promptly disappearing.Nothing personal, my ass. If I got the
NATHANIELI studied the cracks on the stone walls, wondering just how long this temple dated back. I was also questioning the durability of the building. Who knew if it would crumble any minute from now?There were no decorations inside the temple save for a wooden statue, which looked like a couple of termites had gone down to work on it over the years.“What are we gonna do? Call Ozark out here, and ask him to translate the spell?” Theo asked, his voice echoing off the walls.“And ask for the bloodstone. Don’t forget that.”“I’m doubting you now. What do we do? Sit?”Ishmael shrugged, reaching into his satchel. “You might as well. The same goes for you. Summoning Ozark is going to take a while.”Dismissed, I moved over to the half-broken wooden window, pushing it all the way open. It fell off its hinges, hitting the ground below.“I’ll go scout the place to see if anyone’s here. The dead body out front didn’t get there itself,” Theo informed us before going down a narrow hallway.“Wh
AYRAI paced the halls of the hospital, fear and anxiety making me jittery. I was anxious because Reese was in the delivery room, and afraid because I did not know how and what Nathaniel was doing right now.He left first thing in the morning with Ishmael and all his Enforcers, including Sawyer, so he wasn’t here to support Reese during her delivery.I had no idea where Nikki was, and Kimberly was busy with work, so I was here alone. Kimberly wanted to be here, but Reese ordered her not to. She said Kimberly could see the baby when it was born.“Anxious much?”I sighed in relief, turning to face the Nighthowler. “Dalia.” I needed someone to vent to, and she appeared at the right time.“What’s going on?”I pointed at the door behind me. “A friend of mine is in the delivery room.”“I see. The one you were shopping for.”“Yes.”“Anything else on your mind? Where is Nathaniel? Shouldn’t he be here?”“Why should he be?”Dalia shrugged noncommittally, dropping onto a chair placed in the hal
AYRAI stood on a podium in front of an immense crowd, fear licking every inch of my spine. Their faces were blurred, but I could still make out their anger.Was the anger directed at me?I panicked, my palms turning clammy while my mouth dried up. I took steps backward, ready to flee the scene, when a hand clamped down on my shoulder.I immediately felt calm soar through me, and my racing heart slowed down. I turned my head to the side to look at the woman, but her face was also blurry.Frustration replaced that calm. Why couldn’t I see anyone?“What’s going on?” I asked, pointing at the crowd.“Come here, honey,” the smoky voice said, but there was no mistaking the femininity it held.I knew that voice.“Mom?” I asked, tears suddenly pooling at the bottom of my lids.I could make out the outline of her smile as she raised her hand to cup the side of my face. “Yes, honey. It’s me. You’re all grown up now.”“What do you mean?”“It’s been a long year. I’ve missed you.”“Me too. Where a