"So I guess you didn't exactly mean your words when you said ‘you hope I died?" she questions"I thought I did; maybe I was wrong?""Do you know what I would have done if I were in your place?" She questioned, and I shook my head, indicating a 'no'. "I would have laughed right in your face before I stabbed you in the chest. Then I notify the others only when I was sure you were dead. I would tell them that I found a dead body in the middle of the woods. Of course they have no reason to doubt me. If you had been expecting a thank you from me, then I am sorry to disappoint you. Shut the door on your way out," she said before resting back on the bed."Do you think I came here for the sole purpose of checking on you?" I questioned her, keeping the emotion off my voice. I did come to check up on her, but she didn't have to know this."Then why are you here?""I know there is more—something you are hiding, and I thought if I talked things out with you, you would be willing to spill the bea
I tried pulling away from his hold, but Thane was really strong—maybe even stronger now.Thane pulled me closer to him, close enough that his breath fanned my neck, close enough that I could see how pained those completely black eyes looked. There was something different with the way he stared at me.I should be scared; I should have struggled harder, but I didn't, and at some point I gave up. I would never be able to fight him off; there was no use trying, and finally he let me go, his eyes returning to their original color. "Riley... what happened?" He asked, seeming lost."You are burning up; I need to go get Axel," I said to him, and before he could ask anymore questions, I darted out of the room.He couldn't remember what he did. I knew how guilty he would feel if he knew what he had done, and so I made a decision. He was not going to know.I pounded on the door to Axel's apartment; it was late and very rude to wake a person up this way, but I was panicking. Axel pushed open the
"How is that healing up?" Axel asked as he shrugged off his jacket."It's only a bruise now; that ointment must be really good," I responded.I had informed him earlier that I needed to speak to him, so I waited for him in his room. "So what do you want to talk about?" he asked radiantly. He was doing this purposely; he was acting like nothing had happened last night."I want to talk about last night.""What about last night?" he questions."You know what happened last night; why are you pretending like nothing happened?""Am I?""Yes, you are.""So, would you prefer I go announcing last night's incident to the whole pack to prove that something did happen?""No, the problem is you don't even seem worried about it."Axel turned to me. "Not everyone shows emotions like you do. I am worried about him, and I spent the whole day researching to find out what must have gone wrong with him, and I came up empty. Thane feels guilty about last night, I am supposed to help you take your mind of
Thane walked past me, and I followed after him, "Are you drunk?" I questioned again."No," he finally answers, "It would take more than a few bottles to get me drunk." "You are late and I was worried.""I'm sorry, I just..." he broke off his sentence, saying no more.“For fuck's sake it was only a scratch, it's no big deal!""It could have been more Riley, and you know that; what would I have done to myself then?"'"It wasn't your fault?""Then who's fault was it?""Whatever hellish thing that possessed you that night, that's what we should be worrying about." "Axel told me about your... theories, so you do think I'm different?" he questioned."Different in a good way, yeah," I added quickly."Maybe I've noticed a few changes myself; I wanted to believe it was all as a result of the crowing," Thane explains, and I nod. That makes sense; with the crown comes power. "But maybe I was wrong; maybe there is something more; I would have to find out."I settled on the bed, waiting for Than
I turned around, trying to trace back the route to the pack house, but we had gone so deep into the woods I would never make it. Of course he caught up with me. I couldn't fight free of his hold."Thane let me go." I begged just as I did that dreadful night. But once again he wasn't listening; his hold on me was unbreakable. I struggled, harder than ever before, but that didn't deter him; he seem to know every of my moves even before I made them. I kicked him in the groin, and that only pissed him off. He tossed me into the air like I weighed nothing, and my back slammed against the hard trunk of the tree. I dropped to the ground, a wave of pain washed through me. I rose slowly to my feet, but he was no longer in sight."Thane!" I called out, but no one answered.I called out his name over and over, trying to find him, but all I succeeded in doing was getting myself lost. I had never come this far on my own; my back hurt, and there would be more bruises on my body, but that I didn't c
Bailey was the last person I wanted to see right now, but I knew I had to swallow my annoyance. She had been the first to pinpoint Thane's abnormalities; she told me earlier that being with him would be dangerous; she had tried explaining to me that things would only get worse and soon I wouldn't be safe with him, but I hadn't been willing to listen; I had believed that she said all those things to scare me into passing the title to her.She knew more about this than she was letting out.Bailey was still in the healing room, still injured, but at least she looked quite better."So you are back; I didn't think I would be seeing you at all anytime soon," she commented."Trust me, I do not want to be here either, but I needed to talk to you about Thane.""And why do you think I would care for such conversation?" she asks, her voice blank, just like her eyes."Maybe because I would have left you to die but I didn't, this one thing I ask of you, and I hope you would try to be less of a bit
Lycans.That should have been another myth, and yet I knew she was not lying.Thane was a Lycan; loving him was a risk and yet, I returned back to the room I shared with him; I needed to be reminded of his scent. Maybe I was indeed obsessed.I should stay away; all the warning signs were there; the bruise on my back proved how harmful he could be when he loses control, and yet... yet I was still craving him; yet I still craved his scent; my sole purpose of visiting our room was because I needed a reminder that the six months I spent here hadn't all been a dream.I walked into our room, and that's when I noticed something.The floor was littered with flowers—red roses—and the lights had been turned off, the room only illuminated by candles. This place felt so surreal, reminding me of the date Thane took me on—that day he had helped me switch into my wolf form for the first time.On the table was a bottle of wine and two glass cups.His scent... I could feel it, stronger now.There was
I could feel Thane's gaze burning against my skin. Then, he placed a gentle kiss on the bruise at the upper part of my back . We were both in bed together. Moments like these I would forever treasure.Some time late into the night, he edged back to the end of the bed, as if afraid he would hurt me if he came too close. I also didn't miss how tense he was; I doubt he let himself get a glimpse of sleep all through the night. I had wanted to say something to him, but nothing I said would make him less cautious when around me.I worried for him; perhaps if I were stronger, if I could fight him off, he wouldn't have to be so worried about hurting me.."How was your night?" Thane asks, and it hit me that he didn't realize that I knew he hadn't been sleeping. I was finally getting to know him better, better than he thought I did, and that was... something."It was refreshing because I had you by my side, but it would have been more refreshing if you were closer to me rather than laying on t
ALEXANDER’S POVMy blurred vision slowly cleared, and I realized I was in what looked like a small, empty room.The wall facing me was made of thick, transparent glass.I couldn’t tell how they managed to get me in here—there was no window or door, only a narrow slot likely meant for passing food and letting in just enough air to keep the ‘prisoner’ alive.I could only assume there was some kind of hidden entrance.My hands and ankles were bound with thick silver chains.The chains felt excessive—I could barely move a muscle.More wolfsbane than I’d ever consumed in my entire life had been pumped into my system, completely immobilizing me and filling me with this nauseating, sickly feeling. I hadn’t realized I was shivering until I noticed the tremble in my fingers.The room was chillingly cold, and with the wolfsbane suppressing my werewolf abilities, I was no exception to the cold. I tried to summon flames. Nothing.Maybe I was just too weak to summon the flames. The crushing feeli
1KADIA’S POVWhen I discovered the news of my pregnancy, I had been so happy. But I knew a lot would have to change.I had to be more cautious—for the baby. That meant I wouldn’t be able to keep training the pack soldiers for much longer. Of course, I’d have to give up that duty eventually and it had become a part of my life. I would have to watch my diet, too. And then there were other things. Like the fact that I would grow big, and I might not look the same. My toned stomach which I had spent years working on would be no more.This had been the type of life I once abhorred, but everything was different now—I wanted this. I could see a future with Alexander, filled with laughter and little kids running around, and the thought made me smile.Lara was the first person to find out I was pregnant.After I discovered the pregnancy test was unmistakably positive, I was as scared as I was excited.Lara happened to be visiting the pack, and we kind of bumped into each other. She was all s
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