"How did you get in here?" I questioned him."Let's skip that part. I was hoping you would ask why I was here.""Well then, why are you here?" I asked him."I needed to apologize.""It doesn't work that way, and I don't appreciate you showing up in my home, Bruce.""I know, and if I will try not to do that next time —if there ever has to be a next time. I didn't handle things well when you came to visit; I had been too brash and... cold. For this reason, I ask for your forgiveness.""Got it. You can leave now.""I know you wanted an explanation, but I didn't give you one...""Bruce, I don't really care, not anymore; all I need is some time alone.""I would leave, but I went through a lot to be here, and so I need you to hear me out.""You have one minute, and your time starts now.""I do have an explanation; there is a reason I had to stay away from you, but the problem is I cannot tell it to you.""If I may ask, why?""I just can't. But I want you to know that I did care for your mo
“I didn’t tell my mother about... you.” I said to him, “I didn’t do it for you though, but for her. She has moved on, Bruce; she’s in love now, and she is happy, it will remain that way.” “You did the right thing. It has been so many years; she deserves to be happy.”“She does.”“I don’t expect your forgiveness...”“I don’t plan on giving you that. What I am interested in knowing is what exactly you are. I know you aren’t a werewolf.”“You are right; I am not. I am a warlock.“A warlock?” I repeated.“Yes, similar to a sorcerer but also... different in some way. A sorcerer is born with magic flowing through their veins, but a warlock isn’t born with magic; we earn it, and for this reason, we operate on a different level.”“That’s how you were able to make Mom forget about you.”“Yes. It was a simple spell.”“When you made her forget about you, why did you compel her to believe Slade was my father?”“Because I knew it would make her hate him even more, and hate is one strong emotion;
THANEI remained in the garden. Maybe this hadn't been the right time to tell her about Bella.She was right.While I didn't love Bella anymore, I still cared, and it felt wrong.At that moment, I felt like something was wrong. It had been pure instincts but I felt the need to check up on Riley so I hurried back to the room we shared.She might need her space, but she was pregnant, and she needed company, just in case anything happened...She wasn't in the room.I moved to the bathroom, and there I saw the blood on the tile.Damn.I had been heading to the healers when I met Daisy halfway there. "What's wrong?""The Luna is in labor."That's all it took, and I was sprinting to the healing room.Riley had been placed on the bed; sweat coated her face — maybe it was tears. I walked to her holding her hands in mine."You are going to be fine." I assured her."It's not yet time; I don't know why this is happening to me.""We will get through this together, okay." I said to her, and she n
RILEYThane never left; not once in the next three days. He used the bathroom in the healing room instead.I felt so weak and tired; Daisy said I should be getting better, but I most definitely wasn't. At least the child survived, even if it would take a few more months for me to see him again. I tried lifting my hand, and it did take some effort for such a petty task."Thane, you know you could go to work...""No, nothing is more important than you and right now you need me here.""But I am fine Thane, the pack needs you too." I said to him, I did notice Regnux visits; there was work to be done, but Thane didn't want to leave me alone, I could handle myself for a few hours — maybe I'll try not to trip on my own foot while I lay on the bed."I'll only be gone for a few hours, and I'll be right back," he promised."It's alright."..Exactly an hour after Thane was gone, the door was pulled open. I had thought it was Daisy, and so I didn't bother, but then the figure got close enough.
Daisy walked into the healing room; I could see the instant alarm in her eyes the moment she spotted Gloria's corpse."Daisy." I called silently, but her eyes wouldn't leave the corpse."Let me take care of this." Daemon said to me. I feared for a moment that he would kill her, but he doesn't; instead he... kisses her. To my surprise, she kisses him back. "You won't tell anyone about this, would you, Daisy?" "I won't, if you don't want me to.""Good girl. Now go get the Alpha, make no mention of this to anyone."She nodded before walking away and shutting the door behind her. "What did you do to her?""Nothing, at all.""She… likes you?""Obsessed is a better word.""You shouldn't use her that way.""Riley, she wants to be used.".Just like Daisy, Thane paused the moment he saw Gloria, dead; of course, he knew how exactly this happened, the puncture marks marring her skin was all the explanation he needed."I'm sorry." I said to him, and those amber eyes trailed down on me."Did yo
**DAISY'S POVI had never been in love before; no, it didn't bother me when my fellow friends found their mates and I didn't; I never believed I needed a man to make me feel complete.That changed the moment I met Daemon.He wasn't like the other men; he was different. That was the best way to describe him: 'Different.' It had taken a single glance at him, one look at him, and I fell; this was more than love, I knew that; it was admiration, it was want, it was desire, it was so much more.He read me; just with a single look, he knew every single thought on my mind, and he came to me that night. He visited two more times after that, but every time I awoke, I was alone; he didn't leave notes, messages, or anything. I was jealous that Riley got to see him almost every day; he said they were family friends. That's all he was willing to tell; he said nothing more. He rarely spoke to me; it was sex, and that's it, but to me it meant... everything, and even when he was gone, I couldn't stop
RILEY’S POV I was finally discharged and free to go home, Daisy recommended that I get some quality rest—as usual. “You know, you would heal completely if you took some more blood.” Damon advised. “No! I don’t want any other person dead.” “You don’t have to kill to feed, and as for the pain, you can make it pleasurable if you wish—no harm done.” “I don’t need to drink from others; we could do without it.” Daemon didn’t seem to believe that, but he said no more. “Back there... with Daisy, what really is going on between the both of you? – I mean, it's okay if you don’t want to tell me.” He turned to me. “I don't feel anything for her, but she does for me; there’s nothing between us but sex.” “Oh.” I muttered; I felt like he told too much, but he didn’t seem to mind. “I think she was a bit jealous when I told her you visited me regularly; she wanted that.” “She shouldn’t be jealous.” Was his only response. “Who knows, maybe you'll grow to feel something for her.” “I love some
I told Thane everything my father had said to me that night, and all the while he listened, completely silent.“Do you think I should drink this? I mean, I don’t think he had any ulterior motives, but...”“If you think it’s safe, then try it.” Thane encouraged me. He pulled open the bottle before returning it back to me. I stared at the liquid, a bit hesitant, I lifted the bottle to my lips and I drank it all. It had a bitter-sweat taste.“How do you feel?” he asked, and I shrugged.“I don’t really feel anything.” I say, placing the bottle back on the table. “I expected… something.”“Try taking out your wings.”For the past few months, summoning my wings had become extremely painful; but I was willing to give it a shot. I rose to my feet, getting ready for the pain that accompanied it, but the wings sprouted out of my back just as easily as they once did.That was fast.“I guess it worked.” I said to Thane, and he nodded with a smile.***The pack had gathered in the hall, where the c
Right before we reached the front yard, a man who looked to be in his late forties stepped outside, a hunter’s rifle in his hand, aimed directly at us.Ash instinctively placed his body right in front of mine to shield me.“Bruce. It’s me.”The man didn’t lower the weapon for a long while, and I worried he might shoot. Just then, another woman stepped out. She seemed a few years older."Bruce, put the gun down," she said, her tone affectionate. It was clear that they shared some kind of bond—either siblings or a couple.The man whose name I just realized was Bruce finally put down his weapon. He walked towards us.“What are you doing here?” he asked, fury laced with his words.“I knew you told me not to return here, but I had to. This is the only place she can be safe.”Ash stepped aside to reveal me, and the man’s eyes met mine. But unlike the many lustful stares that usually fixated on my cleavage, he simply looked away. I wondered if the spell Agatha had put on me was still lingeri
I couldn’t leave him behind, so I stood beside him. “I’m not leaving you here.”He seemed about to argue but thought better of it. From the woods emerged five figures. Not people—I'd seen them before. The undead. Hellish, blind creatures, dead but somehow still alive.Without hesitation, Ash drew a gun I hadn’t realized he was carrying and fired. I pressed my hands to my ears in an attempt to block out the deafening sound, but it did no good. Soon, the five creatures were on the ground. They weren’t dead—the bullet in their heads didn’t kill them, but it was enough to buy us some time to escape.Ash was fast, but he had to slow down for my sake. I could hear the creatures pursuing us, closing in with each passing second. Of course, this was the moment I had to trip over a rock. I fell to the ground. One of the creatures grabbed hold of my leg, and I let out a scream. Ash pried it off me and somehow managed to toss the creature—roughly the size of a full-grown man—away.Soon, I spotted
We drove in complete silence. I didn’t know where he was taking me to, but I didn’t care to ask.“Aliyah, I’m sorry,” Ash says, sparing a glance at me. “It was dangerous of me to tell the Empress your location. They could have killed you, and it would’ve been entirely my fault. But I couldn’t bear to do nothing—not when I knew what he does to you.”I couldn’t look at him.“I’m really sorry, okay? I know I had no right to force all this on you.” He tried again, but when I remained silent, he gave up.A few minutes passed in silence before I finally said, “You were right.”His eyes snapped to mine.“I shouldn’t have let him… feed from me. It was stupid. But after being locked in a castle and controlled for most of my life, I guess I craved something reckless—something fun. And maybe that’s what draws me to him.” I looked away. “I know he’s dangerous, but I’ve spent my whole life being kept away from danger. I want to know what it feels like to abandon caution. I miss him… And I miss him
“It’s not much, but it should do,” Ash said, referring to the worn-out dark red car. I didn’t care what vehicle we used, as long as it got us out of the city. I opened the door and slid into the shotgun seat. Ash walked around the car and took the driver’s seat. The car was big enough to comfortably fit five people. Ash reversed and then drove through the busy city streets. I couldn’t help but worry—what if the spell had worn off? By the time we reached the city gates, I was beside myself with anxiety.“Aliyah, the only reason we’d get caught is if you make it look too suspicious,” he warned, and I tried to calm him.We stopped in front of the soldiers. There hadn’t been this many the last time Daemon and I left this place. Perhaps security had been tightened since then—it made sense, but as of now, it wasn’t exactly working in our favor.A single soldier stepped forward and peered into the car. I kept my hair down, hoping it helped with the disguise.“I’m on an errand for the Empr
Still in shock, I didn’t realize there was another person in the hut until he spoke.“Aliyah,” Ash called as he walked toward me, his eyes scanning me as if checking for injuries. I was in a robe, my hair still wet, but the only visible scars were the healing bite marks on my neck. I quickly hid them with my hair, but of course, he had already seen them.“I’m sorry I couldn’t come sooner,” he said genuinely.“There’s nothing to be sorry about; at least you came,” I said, relieved to be away from the castle. My gaze returned to the old woman, who stood there watching us. I couldn’t help but find her a little creepy. Today, she had black tribal markings painted on her face, “She’s a witch,” Ash said.“I thought she was just a fortune teller.”“Thankfully, she’s not.”“How do you know her?” I questioned.“Well, it’s a long story, but I’ve known Agatha for a while.”He knew her name?“Just keep in mind, I won’t be doing you any more favors, wolf boy.”Wolf boy?“Understood and thank you.
ALIYAH’S POVWith each passing day, I began to doubt everything I had once believed. I knew what the Empresses wanted—at least that was clear—but Daemon? I wasn’t sure about anything anymore. Had everything he’d done for me been part of some manipulation scheme? Had he been trying to deceive me all over again?If he’d really loved me, he should have taken me away from this place by now. But he was nowhere to be found. And as the days dragged on, I felt myself breaking apart—losing faith in him. Had he ever truly loved me?And then there was the urge. I think about it every second that passes—the feeling of being bitten. I had been warned; I knew the consequences. I’d seen what happened to Tasha, how she’d gone mad, willing to do anything for a single bite. And yet, I let it happen. Now, I might have to face the consequences.The door to my room creaks open, snapping me out of my thoughts. Julia walks in—and of course, still no food."You stink," she said, nose scrunched up in what I a
KAIDA’S POVI walked into Alexander’s office.“On a scale of one to ten, how busy are you?” I asked.“I’ll always have time for you, Kaida,” he said, shutting the file and setting it aside, giving me his full attention. I couldn’t help but smile at that.“I wanted to ask about Austin.”“Seriously, Kaida? Here I was thinking this was your way of inviting me to sex.”I stared at him. “We just did that a few minutes ago!”He shrugged. “That was in the bedroom. Heard office sex hits different.”I stared at his table. It would be sexy to watch him clear off that table and place me right…Austin. I was here to talk about Austin.“So. What about Austin?” “I want to know more about him.”Alexander cocked his brow at me, surprise flickering in his gaze. “You want to know more about him?” he repeated.I realized I hadn’t exactly phrased that the best way. “I just feel like I don’t know enough about the people around me. Like I never knew Phil didn’t have a mate until he told me he found his
“You look younger,” I remarked.“I get that a lot.” She responded.I glanced around the house, taking in the pictures. It seemed Selene was an only child—just like I was. In one of the photos, her mother had her arms around a man with curly blonde hair. I assumed he was Selene’s father.Older photographs crowded the walls. Her voice drew my attention away from my inspection.“I’m sorry about… last time.”“What?”“The rings and all black must have scared you off.”While I thought she looked better without all those, that hadn’t been the reason I walked away.“No, it’s not that. I just hadn’t expected you to be so … young.”“Oh.” She said, and at that moment, Rebecca Ashford walked in.“If you need anything else, all you have to do is say,” she said with a smile.“Actually, I’d like to speak to you. Alone,” I replied. I didn’t miss the brief flicker of disappointment that crossed Selene’s face. “It’ll just be a few minutes,” I added.“Of course.” Rebecca said and nodded to Selene, who r
**BETA PHIL’S POV**EARLIER… (MATE BALL)I wasn’t born into any of the ‘noble’ bloodlines. None of my ancestors had ever been part of the Alpha, Beta, or Gamma clans, so I never thought I could ascend to such a position. But if my mother were alive today, she would wear that same warm smile—the one that said, ‘I told you so.’ She had believed in me, even in times when I didn’t share that belief. Pack members stepped forward to congratulate me. I couldn’t recall the last time I had felt this happy.Then, I caught the scent.Many years ago, I would have been overjoyed; many years ago, the thought of finding my mate—my other half—consumed me. But those prime years were gone, and now I saw how people were overly obsessed with the ideology of having mates. We didn’t need mates to be complete; it was all a matter of the mind. I never needed one.So why now?Why now when everything was finally falling into place?Abandoning my half-drunk glass of champagne, I rose and followed the scent. Th