Riley’s POV I knew it; I knew this wasn’t Thane. There had been something different about him, and despite the fact that he bore no attributes of a demon, I still had my doubts. Right before my eyes, the man who had taken Thane’s form shifted; of course, it was Daemon. “How is this possible? Your skin — it was warm, you walked under sunlight, and you shapeshifted…” “Earlier you told me you visited Jade; did you find her?” It finally sunk in. If he was here, free, then Jade must be in danger or —worse. “What did you do to her?” I sneered at him. “Me? No, I didn’t do anything; this is not on me but on her. After you gave me over to her to be tortured for her little ritual, a lot did happen. Did you know that the ritual did work, Vox—the Demon Overlord, He is very much alive. More to that, he killed Jade after she resurrected him.” “I don’t believe you. What did you do to Jade?” “And why do you think I would lie? To make you see me as a ‘better person?’ I don’t really ca
Daemon stroded towards the door; he paused only to shift back into an imitation of Thane.“Daemon.” I called, and he turned to me. “The Dawn pack, why did you want to go to war against them?”“No reason; it was Vox orders.”“And you just… obeyed.”“Yes. I just obey.” With that he was gone.…..I walked through the underground chambers; I’ve heard about a secret exit somewhere in here. I spotted a large rectangular metal container; I was sure it hadn’t been here before, so I ignored it.There was indeed an exit, the space so small it could barely fit my body. I managed to go through the space, and I headed to the pack borders where Trent was waiting. He had done just as I had asked, and now he was back. I only hope there was no bad news.“Luna.” He called. “I owe you my sincere gratitude. Whoever had led those armies, they would have caught us unaware; we wouldn’t have survived it. The Dawn pack owes you big time.”“This is good news, and I am glad to hear it.” He didn’t know the att
I returned to the pack as quickly as I could, using the underground entry to avoid getting spotted by Daemon. It felt off-putting that I had to sneak around in my own pack. I really couldn’t wait for the moment I got to kill him.I stopped before the rectangular metal container; I thought a stench was coming from it. I should keep moving, but I got curious. I pulled open the heavy lid, and the stench of the decomposed body filled my nose; I gagged, looking inside; it was a body, a dead body floating in a greenish-looking liquid. The body was unrecognizable, but I thought the clothes looked slightly familiar. I had seen this on someone. I racked my mind to know who, but I came up empty.Who could have done this?Finally I remembered; the outfit looked familiar because I had seen it on someone only a few days ago. Regnux. This was… Regnux.I leaned to the side of the container, puking everything I had eaten. Tears streamed down my eyes.Daemon had said he didn’t trust Regnux anymore, an
Daemon tossed me a blood bag. “What do I do with this?”“What else? Have a drink. It will help you heal faster.”“So now you are going to pretend like you care?”“No, I don’t, but for as long as I need you by my side, I need you alive and… healthy.”“Yet you go ahead and drink my blood.”“You were being stubborn; you left me with no choice.”“I’m not drinking this.” I said to him,“Oh, you are.” He snatched the blood bag from my hand and pulled the cap open; he was going to force me into drinking this.“Okay, you don’t have to feed me; I’ll take the damned blood.”I snatched the bag back and took a huge gulp. It tasted warm. “You will need to empty the bag, Riley.”“Where did you get this from?” I asked him.“From the healers. Where else?”I just needed to be sure.I emptied the bag, just as he said. All the while he watched me like a freak.“Wasn’t so hard now, was it?”“Daemon… I just want to know if Thane is safe—I want to see him; I need to see him…”“Shut up. Thane is gone, it’
I couldn’t believe it. Slade hadn’t died. The same man who had ruined I and my mother's life was still alive, and he was a part of all this.I didn’t agree with Daemon on many things, but there was one quote I did: ‘Justice is not real.’ A man like Slade deserves to die in the worst way possible, yet he still lives.“You seem a bit quiet. Still thinking about Slade?” Daemon asked as we headed to the meeting room.“He deserved to die.”“Yes, he does, but you don’t have to worry; he is useless without a body. The chances of things going as he planned is very low. The warlock Flynn might be powerful, but so is Logan.”...“Thank you all for joining us.” Daemon said to the Alphas gathered, some of them came along with their Beta. Daemon took a seat, and I had to sit beside him. I spotted Trent and immediately looked away; I couldn’t let Daemon have any suspicions. I knew very well how that had ended with Regnux.“There is a matter of importance I want to discuss with you all.” Damon bega
I rose to my feet. It didn’t make much of a difference. Vox had a very intimidating height. “Now you listen to me.” I said to Vox, “You are in my pack; I didn’t remember inviting you here. You captured my mate too. In his absence, I am the leader here, so you could go be the Lord over your little demons but not here.” “Shut up, Riley.” Damon warned. “You shut up. This is my pack, and I will sabotage every single plan you make.” Vox had a look of irritation on his face; suddenly I felt a burning sensation right in my chest, spreading through my whole body, and I fell down to my knees. “What... what are...” I couldn’t complete the word. I coughed out blood; the pain only got more unbearable. “I still need her alive. The pack needs their Luna for now; with her by my side, there would be fewer suspicions.” “Then put your woman on a leash.” The pain seized, and Vox was gone; he had just… disappeared. “He would have killed you.” Daemon said to me. “Isn’t that why you brou
I couldn’t bring myself to sleep; Thane clouded my thoughts.“Still thinking about him?” Daemon asked. We both knew who he was referring to.“No.” I lied. “I can tell when you are lying.”“What difference does it make? It's not like you will let me go to him.”“And what if I can?”“Vox wouldn’t let you.” I stated."You know, I have never truly been a 'free' creature. Every time I feel as though I’ve achieved it, I realize I am still in servitude."“It had been from Jade to Bruce and then… Vox.” I said to him, and he nodded in agreement.“I want to ask you a question, and I need a genuine answer from you. When I was gone with Jade, you knew what was going to happen to me. Did you at any moment regret your decision? Did you ever think about me?”I was silent for a long while. “Daemon, I…”“Just answer the question.”“You want an answer, then it’s ‘No:. I never regretted my decision; I never thought about you—at least not in the way you think.”“Do you hate me, Riley?”“I sometimes beli
Tears welled up in my eyes the moment I spotted Thane. For a moment I thought he was dead, but then I noticed the slight rise and fall of his chest. His facial hair was a bit more grown. I spotted the remains of food they must have kept for him, but knowing him, he would never eat anything from them; he would rather die, and that’s what was happening: Thane was dying. I fell to my knees beside him and managed to lift his body. He was cold, very cold. I immediately pulled off my jacket and wrapped it around him. “Thane!” I cried, but he didn’t seem to hear me. “Thane!” I cried louder, and finally he stared at me. “How… how…” “Don’t speak. I brought you food.” . Only when he was done eating did I speak up. “I’m sorry; I wish I could have done something.” “Are you alright?” He asked; I couldn’t believe him; I should be asking him that question. “I am going to get you out of here, Thane. I promise you.” “Riley, it’s better you stay put. You will get hurt if you make any rash dec
DAEMON’S POVMaybe it was just my mind preparing me for the worst scenario, but I couldn’t feel her presence.Staring at the castle, I sensed nothing—yet I hoped I was wrong. If she wasn’t inside, it could only mean one thing: I was too late.I hated being out here; it made me feel powerless. I needed to get in, find her, see what was happening.Seconds dragged on like minutes, and minutes felt like hours. Restlessness gnawed at me, drawing more unwanted attention, but I didn’t care. A soldier stepped forward, and I felt my patience thin. If he came any closer, I wasn’t sure I could hold back from ripping his head off.And then, I heard it. The sharp sound of breaking glass.Fragments rained down as people scattered, shielding themselves from the sharp shards. But I stood still.I watched the body hit the ground.Cynthia.The soldiers came forward, but I raised a hand, stopping them. I walked to her.If she had been human, a fall from that height would have meant instant death. But of
ALEXANDER’S POV“I have to say, you’re far better looking than I remember.” Empress Julia says, walking forward.Of course, it hadn’t taken long for me to realize that our arrival was no longer a secret.“You’ve gotten more wrinkled. Perhaps you need another dip in the Lake of Youth?”Her smile faltered. The Empresses were obsessed with remaining youthful, and that comment had hit its mark.“I know why you’re here.”“Good, because I won’t be leaving till I get what I came for.”“Brave as always. You don’t even mind the fact that you’ve just called an all-out war.”“We’ve been fighting wars ever since I took over from my father. If it comes to that, then so be it.”Julia chuckled. “You seem so confident in your pack.”“That, I am.”“You won’t find her here.” She said, I didn’t know if she was referring to the empress or…“Aliyah. You won’t find her here. She had escaped.”I studied her. Of course, it could be a lie, but something told me she was being truthful. Now, I could see the bag
The soldiers let us in without issue—they’d seen us arrive with the ‘High Regent.’ I kept my scarf on, and so did Alexander. Despite everything, I couldn’t help but marvel at how he made everything look good.“We’ll have to split up,” I told him. That had been the plan—he’d go find Cynthia, and I’d go for Aliyah. Daemon had detailed exactly where her room was, so I didn’t think it would be hard to find.“We don’t have to split. We could find the Empress together, then the girl,” Alexander said.I knew he was worried about me, but we both understood it wasn’t a practical decision. By the time we captured the Empress, the alarm—or whatever system they used here—would’ve alerted everyone in the castle, and the Chosen would be heavily guarded against the intruders: us.“We’d get caught easily if we stayed together,” I told him, then paused when I noticed him watching me. “I’ll be fine.”“Be careful,” he said, and I nodded.“You too.”“I’ll find you. Go.”I took off, tracing the path throu
Phil and Austin had been left in charge of the pack.Alexander had tried convincing me to stay behind, but if Cynthia was going down, it would be my blade that stopped her heart. No one would take that away from me.“Hold on to me,” Daemon said. Alexander hesitated, then moved closer, pulling me to his side. His hands wrapped around me, keeping some distance between me and the Demon Overlord. In the blink of an eye, we were no longer in the room.Darkness engulfed us—so thick I couldn’t even see my own hand. The only thing keeping me from panicking was Alexander’s hold on me. And then, it was over. We stood in a wide, vast land. There wasn’t a single soul in sight, not even meters away.“Where are we?” I asked.“A short distance from Aureonna City. We’ll have to travel the rest of the way,” Daemon responded.“You couldn’t just spirit us into the city?” Alexander asked his half-brother.“I would have, if I hadn’t been given rodents to feed on. As you must have guessed, their blood isn’
KADIA’S POVAlexander walked in with Daemon, and I had to push aside the fact that he was in our room, invading our personal space. Daemon made himself comfortable on our bed.I'd never seen two people who looked so alike and yet so different. I remembered how the Demon Overlord had stood there, imposing, wings sprouting from his back—something I'd never seen before. They shared the same piercing blue eyes. Looking at Daemon felt like looking at a darker version of Alexander. Both were dangerous and powerful, but while Alexander had been born a leader, Daemon had made himself one. There was a glint of madness in Daemon’s eyes, reminding me to stay alert whenever he was near.As if sensing my gaze, Daemon turned to me and threw a wink—clearly aimed at irritating Alexander.“How did it go?” I asked Alexander.“He picked up quite a lot,” Daemon replied, then turned to his half-brother. “You should try getting into her mind,” he suggested.“No,” Alexander growled.“I don’t mind,” I added.
ALEXANDER’S POVI watched Daemon as he walked around the hall, spacious enough to contain at least a hundred people.“It’s soundproof, so this should do.”Daemon turned to me. “I’m sure Thane and Riley would be proud of you and what you’ve done with the pack. You know, I did rule for a short while—back when I pretended to be your father, Thane,” he said, a smirk spreading across his face. “It wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be.”I had forgotten that—Daemon had the ability to take on different forms. My first instinct was to demand what had happened, but something told me Daemon had brought it up hoping I’d take the bait. So I held back my curiosity.“I find it strange. Most of the abilities the Empress possesses are similar to those of a demon. They can shift—move from one place to another in matter of minutes. They can take on different forms, like Cynthia did… control minds, wield fire…”“Come to think of it, that’s true,” Daemon replied. “Maybe their so-called ‘god of light
PRESENT.I pulled my wings back, making them vanish as I stepped out of the circle."Hello, Brother," I said to the Alpha King, my half-brother.He saw me as a threat, of course, and he was right to. My gaze shifted to the second figure in the room—Jade."An old bat who just refuses to die. You're tough, I'll give you that."Jade's eyes shot daggers at him. “I haven’t forgotten you stole from me.”“It was never yours to keep.” I responded. Many years ago, I had taken the amulet from her possession, cementing my place as the Demon Overlord."This is not over," she said, pointing a crooked hand at me before turning to Ethan—or as he preferred to be called, Alexander."I've done as you asked. Just so you know, I might not be available if you reach out again," she added, then turned and walked toward the balcony. She pushed open the windows and leaped down.The werewolf queen gasped, walking to the railing to look below, and a bird flew up, its eyes the same color as Jade’s. It was no su
DAEMON’S POVEarlier…I stood before the house I had set ablaze, watching as it burned to the ground.I was a fool to believe I could ever have a silent life. Part of me had craved that kind of peace, while another part longed for more—wanting to rule and, at the same time, have the girl I loved by my side. I wanted both, and that was the problem: I could only choose one.I picked wrong.I stared at the amulet, the only thing I had retrieved from the house I had set on fire.I had promised to protect her; I had promised to keep her safe and away from harm’s way, and I failed. The moment she was taken, I returned to the castle to find her, but the empresses weren’t as unwise as they had been before. They had found the strongest witches and sorceresses to cast a spell on the castle, preventing my entry. The spell was strong enough to serve its purpose, but it must’ve drained those who had cast it. They would need months to recover.But like every spell, it would fade eventually, and tha
KADIA’S POVIt was already late at night. I’d spent the hours patrolling alongside Alexander. Well, we’d done a little more than just patrolling.A slow smile curled my lips at the memory of Alexander taking me right there on the hard forest ground."We’re supposed to be watching over the pack borders," I’d reminded him as he kissed me."I’m still very much alert. I think I can do both at a time," he’d replied.I now had dirt, crumpled leaves, and a few stubborn twigs tangled in my hair. Alexander didn’t look much better, but he still managed to pull off that rough, roguish charm that made my stomach flutter.We walked to our apartment together, stopping in front of the door.“Keep looking at me like that,” he said with a grin, “and we won’t be sleeping much tonight.”“I’m not staring,” I lied, immediately looking away with a blush creeping on my cheeks.He smiled. “You can stare all you want, baby. I’m all yours.”His words stirred butterflies in my stomach. Maybe it really was going