“How dare you disrespect me?” Slade roars, “I put a roof over your head and food in your fucking mouth. I bought you all you need, and this is how you repay me, bitch! You disrespect me!”Slade lifted the whip again, but this time I dove before Freya. He had seen me; he knew I walked in; he could have stopped the whip from hitting me, but there was a curve on his lips as the whip landed against my waist, circling itself up my ribs, very close to my cleavage. The pain was unlike any I had ever seen, and I fell to the ground, letting out a loud cry, my hands wrapping around my abdomen.Just then, he walked in.I could tell it was Thane even before the deep ear-splitting roar escaped his lips.I looked up just in time to see Thane collide against his father. Slade hadn’t been expecting the attack. Thane’s claw slashed into his father’s neck.He was vibrating, almost like he couldn’t stand on his feet, and then he switched into his wolf form. Slade was quick to switch, too. But I could te
“What do you mean?” I cried out.“Slade is not just his father; he is the Alpha King. Thane had just done the forbidden, all for you. He would have to suffer the consequences.”My breath came out fast. I shouldn’t have stepped in. Why did I always make matters worse?"Riley,” Freya called, and I looked at her with teary eyes. “Thank you,” she said, and for a moment her features softened. “But sometimes doing the right thing is not always right. Being naive would only bring you to an end.”“I couldn’t just close my ears to that; what kind of person would that make me?”“A person that survives and stays alive. Do you think a few others hadn’t at some point witnessed my punishment?” She questioned me, and I had no answer to that. If she had people who really loved her, then why did they do nothing? How could they allow this? But again, I had to remind myself that Thane never did step in.“I’m sorry, I...” I sobbed silently. I had made a very big mistake, and I knew it. I didn’t miss the f
It was late at night. I lay on the bed with Thane beside me, but he hadn’t said a single word to me. I had expected to be punished; maybe he was only devising some suitable punishments to administer, that would explain why he had been so silent. I didn’t think he was sleeping.“Thane...”“Go back to sleep, Riley,” he says, but the last thing I could do now was sleep.“Would you punish me for what I did earlier?” That was a stupid question. Of course I would be punished; maybe I would bear some scars like Freya. No, I wouldn’t allow that. But then what will I do to stop it?, fight him?, run?, scream?I could do nothing.“Is this what is keeping you awake?” He asks, and though I wasn’t looking at him, from his tone, I knew there must be a smirk on his face.“There are many other questions.”“Like?” he asked.“Your mother talked about you being punished for doing the forbidden.”“You shouldn’t be worried about that.”“You are the Alpha...”“And he is the Alpha King. There are these ancie
I didn’t think sleeping would be possible, not with the news Thane had shared that the Elders were already in the pack and he would be punished by the early hours of dawn. He had told me not to worry about him; he didn’t seem unsettled in any way. To him, it was just another night, but I, on the other hand, couldn’t sleep. Also, why would Freya warn me about falling in love with Thane? He was her son; isn’t she supposed to protect him?.I knew better than to fall in love with Thane, that was for sure, but I could not deny that he was a very alluring man, and Axel...I felt like my life had become nothing but a mirage that could only exist in a girl’s fantasies. I wouldn’t say I was free with Thane now; knots still formed in my stomach when he was close. Axel was safe, but I had seen a new part of him; he wasn’t as innocent as I thought he was; he had some darkness too, and maybe it was worst in his case, because I never knew what to expect from him.“Riley”, Thane called and that star
I woke up only to discover that I was alone. It was few hours to dawn.Where was Thane?, I sat up from the bed.“You need more sleep." Axel – who I hadn’t realized was in the room, said to me. How did they always go in and out without me noticing?, was I really that deep a sleeper?“Where is Thane?” I asked.“Gone”“Gone, where?”“You don’t need to worry; he’ll be back in a while, and I’ll be here with you,” Axel said.I put on a coat over my nightgown and headed for the door.“Where are you going?” Axel asked“I know he is about to be punished; I need to be there.”“He doesn’t want you there,” Axel answered.“I don’t fucking care what he wants,” I said. The movement was fast. Axel had been over there a while ago, and now he was standing right before the door, startling me. With his intense gaze on me, I swallowed. I always had to remind myself that Axel was just as dangerous and scary as Thane. “I’m sorry. Could you just take me there, please?” I begged, force couldn’t exactly do it.
...‘Just some regular whipping’, Thane had said, but he had lied. The metallic steel-coloured whip was very much unusual. I couldn’t help but wonder how someone could create an object like this with the sole purpose of using it on people. The whip was a dark, shining metal, and the tip had been split into five. The elders passed the whip to the guards, the same ones that had too many piercings. They dipped the metal whip into the contents of a basin.“What is that?” I askedAxel was silent for a while, and that alone was enough to tell me that whatever it was, I wouldn’t want to know. “Wolf’s bane in its liquid form. Leave it up to the elders to devise things like this,” Axel said, and I could sense the anger in his voice.Thane was right; I wouldn’t be able to bear watching this. How could I stay and watch such cruelty?I knew what wolf’s bane was; it was one of those many things I’ve heard about a lot of times but never actually seen; it was rare for a good reason; this was a werew
“Don’t touch me,” I warned, but of course they rather obeyed Thane’s command.The guard dragged me away, and the little distraction was easily forgotten. The executioner continued, and I lost count.Thane seemed mad at me. I had made not only him but also Axel suffer, all because I couldn’t walk past the damn room. I got what I deserved.I felt slightly awkward due to Thane’s impolite words – he hadn’t spoken to me like I was his Luna, more like I was some annoying, clingy and bothersome person who didn’t know when to react and when to refrain. Still, I couldn’t help the surge of guilt I felt.Maybe Thane was right; punishing me will make things easier to bear. Lost in thought, I realized the soldiers had stopped before a room.I pulled away from them to walk in, only to get shoved into the room by one of the soldiers. I landed on my butt. I was mad at everything. I rushed for the exit again even if I knew I wouldn’t be able to escape them, only to have the door slammed in my face, a
Axel let my mother in.If only he knew that she was the last person I needed. “I would give you both some space,” Axel said.“Are you here to give me some more lectures, mom? There’s nothing you say that would change the decision I had already made, so maybe you could make this easy for the both of us and leave,” I said to her even before she could say a thing. Maybe Axel hadn’t picked up on the info the last time; my mother had been a total... I couldn’t call her a bitch, but she had acted very much so, making me feel like I was a naive and ignorant child who couldn’t see that she was headed in the wrong direction. Yet she knew that all I did - I did for her and for us.“Will you at least hear me out?” My mother asked“Depends on what you have to say, mother, if it’s along the lines of ‘he is too dangerous for you’ or your very favourite, ‘a life of slavery back in the Windborne pack is better than a life here’, then I’m sorry—but not so sorry, I wouldn’t be interested in...” “I am
KAIDA’S POVThe flesh-eaters were all gone. Packs that had been destroyed were slowly rebuilding; the chaos had finally settled. But there were still many things to attend to—like the few humans who now knew that dangerous supernatural beings lived among them.The human president had reached out to us; He was ready to pay whatever sum was needed to keep creatures like the ‘flesh-eaters’ away, as they could cause civil unrest among the people. He was willing to pay even more so things could return to the way they were when humans and supernatural beings lived separately.Alexander sent a letter back, assuring him that the ‘creatures’ were gone and that things would continue as usual. What they didn’t realize was that many werewolves and supernatural beings already lived among humans. They owned major companies and enterprises worldwide. From popular clothing brands to tech products, much of it was secretly controlled by the werewolf community.One constant worry lingered on my mind —
JADE POVEarlierI had chosen to spend my final hours in the little underground lair just beneath the small house I owned.At the other side of the room, trapped behind a magical wall, was a flesh-eater. I had captured it and brought it back here. If Aliyah does go through with her words, then the creature wouldn’t last until the next day.Hours passed, and the beast remained caged—still alive, still stupidly trying to push through the magical barrier I had created to contain it, no matter how many times it got scarred from trying.I wouldn’t blame the girl if she backed out; she had every right to make that decision. She was young and in love—it wasn’t easy to let go of everything for people who were mostly strangers.Beside me was a picture of Ralph. The only one I had, and the only thing that had accompanied me through the years. Many would say I lived a lonely life, but that was the only way I knew how to live—though it hadn’t always been that way.I thought back to when Ralph wa
DAEMONAliya was in the same silk white nightgown she’d slept in. A soft breeze blew through her silver hair. She looked surreal, like an angel. “I have to do this.” She said, and I could see the determination in her eyes.“No, you don’t have to do this. I told you I would find a way…”“There is no other way.” she said, cutting me off. “This is the only way. I can end the war, and this is what I have to do to end it.”I’d remember those words in the dream I had. She’d told me how she could “end the war.”Those eyes stared at me like she could read exactly what I was thinking.“Do you love me enough to let me go?” she whispered—and that’s when it hit me: it was never a dream. “The undead would be gone if Solene died. The war would end if I took my life—with this dagger.”“Tell me one thing, Aliyah. If you were in my place, would you let me go?” I asked. Tears spilled down her cheeks. She didn’t answer, maybe because we both knew what that answer was. “Why in the hell do you think
ALIYAHI stood watching the lake.The memory of what had happened here resurfaced, and I smiled. There were still so many things I had yet to do, so many adventures waiting out there.I looked down at the dazzling diamond on the engagement ring Daemon had given me. It must have cost a fortune, but that wasn’t why I thought it was beautiful. It would always be my most prized possession because of what it signified.Now I could see the truth—Daemon would have given up his title to be with me.I didn’t deserve his love. I didn’t deserve him. And yet, I wanted him.The best days of my life were the ones I spent with Daemon. Truly, he was the greatest gift life had given me, and I would always be grateful for that.But I had to make a decision.**FLASHBACK**“I need to speak to the girl alone,” Jade said, and I watched the others walk away, leaving me alone with the sorceress.“I remember it all,” I confessed. “I remember how many people died because of me… how many others I killed.”“That
“What did I taste like?” Aliyah asked.“Different… better.” If that was even possible.“That’s because I still have her powers. Even if she’s locked away, she’s still in there.”“You feel her?” I asked.“I hear her. She never stops reminding me that my time is ticking.” Aliyah said.“I will make her pay for what she did to you,” I promised.“She will pay.”…In moments like this, we truly see the vanities of life. Wealth, power, titles—none of them hold any true value. What truly matters are the small, fleeting moments shared with the people you love. Those are the things that endure.Time, too, is a precious thing. It belongs to no one, and no one can stop it. Aliyah walked out of the bathroom.“This is the best bath I’ve had in a really, really long time.”“Would have been better with me in there.”“Maybe, but I’m sore, and we both know you can’t keep your hands to yourself.”“You’re right about that. Now take a seat.”“Why?”"Or stand, if you prefer," I said, watching her raise an
DAEMON’S POVThis wasn’t a dream.It was real; Aliyah was back.All I wanted to do was apologize, over and over again, for every wrong I’d done to her. I wanted to beg for forgiveness, but we only had a single day, and I wasn’t going to waste a second of it. I just wanted to make her happy and give her something to hold onto.“Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?” I asked, and she smiled.“Yes, you have, but hearing it a few more times wouldn’t hurt.”I’d decided to take her away from this pack—to somewhere far from all the chaos and everything that had been happening these past few days.“How did it feel?” I asked, and I didn’t need to say more, she understood exactly what I meant.“Awful. I was there, and yet… not. I couldn’t see what was happening, couldn’t control anything—but I could hear. I heard everything.” She looked up at me. “I did hear when she tried seducing you. And I felt her embarrassment when you turned her down.”Her smile widened.“She might have your body, y
KADIA’S POVTwo packs had been attacked by the flesh-eaters; only a few survivors escaped.The other packs were strengthening their security to avoid being caught off guard. Humans weren’t exempted; many had reportedly gone ‘missing.’ Though their government was doing its best to cover things up, it wouldn’t be long before they could no longer dismiss it as a ‘serial killer attack,’ the work of ‘kidnappers,’ or even ‘wild animal attacks.’We continued to receive a flood of messages from packs allied with us, requesting aid and weapons. No matter how hard we tried, we couldn’t help them all. The Nightshade Pack was under curfew—only patrollers and soldiers were allowed outside after nightfall. It was a necessary safety measure, even though the flesh-eaters still lingered to the south.I watched as Alexander opened an envelope and pulled out a letter.“What’s that?” I asked.“A letter requesting aid. What’s the pack’s financial situation?” he asked, and I pulled out the file.“It’s the
DAEMON’S POVDemons didn’t need sleep to function. In fact, we only did it out of mimicry.I usually never had dreams; all that existed until I awoke was black emptiness. But this time, it was different.I was dreaming about her. Aliyah. I knew it was her with just one look.“Daemon!” she called, throwing herself into my arms, her smile so bright. I knew this was a dream, but a part of me wanted to stay in it forever. I hugged her tightly, breathing in the scent of her hair, her skin.“I’m sorry. None of this would’ve happened if I’d made the decision. This is all my fault, and that’s why I’ll fix it,” I said, even knowing it was only a dream.“This isn’t your fault. It’s mine. I should never have let you go, but I was about to correct that… when they took me.”For a moment, I wondered if this was more than just a dream—if it was something else. A vision maybe.“I knew I’d never love anyone the way I love you and so I went after you to let you know that. But I want you to stop blaming
*Anonymous Narrator POV*Marvin had seen a silver-haired girl taken into the warehouse. He knew the place was now considered off-limits—strictly restricted. Heavy chains bound the doors shut, but curiosity tugged at him. Why would they lock a woman away from the pack house? Was she really a threat… or was there something deeper, something they didn’t want anyone to know?Either way, he was going to find out tonight.He scanned the area for anyone approaching—there was no one. It was the middle of the night, and most of the pack members were asleep.He studied the locks. He was good with picking locks, but this one was even more complex.If he got caught in the process, he would be punished. Was his curiosity really worth the risk?He packed up his things and was about to walk away when he heard the sound. A song.The woman inside sang in the voice of an angel; it was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard. As she kept singing, something inside him shifted. He had to know who sh