I was heading toward the huge gates when a voice stopped me.“Who are you, Miss?” the uniformed man asked. A guard. I realized.“I came to see Alexander Blackwood," I said. Of course, I wasn’t even sure if he lived here. Austin had given me the address, but what if it was wrong? What if this house belonged to some stranger?“Do you have an appointment with him?” the guard asked.My heart lurched. That meant he was here—the man had recognized the name."I need to see him right now," I said urgently. The only other way in was to climb over the high gates—not a difficult task for me—but something told me more guards were waiting inside.“Are you a relative?” the guard asked. I had no time for his questions.“No. I am his mate.”A moment of silence passed, and only then did I realize I was speaking to a human, who also thought I was human.“I’m sorry, miss, I can’t let you in unless you have an appointment with him.”“I am his wife!” I bet he would understand that term.“Mr. Alexander didn
One after another, I seemed to be discovering my greatest fears. I wasn’t as fearless as I had believed. When I thought I would die in the woods, I had been afraid. And now, as I stood before the love of my life, watching the naked women crowd around him, I realized this was another of my fears.Strangely, in the six hours it took me to get here, I had imagined countless scenarios—but not this. I had always known Alexander’s love for women, but he had changed for me. And now… he was back to the man he used to be.I couldn’t say another word—I just stared at him. And then, suddenly, anger surged through me.“I want to speak to you, alone.”“Well I don’t, and you cannot make demands here.”What did that even mean?“Alexander, I don’t know what the hell is going on with you, but we need to talk.”“Then talk.”The women, sensing the tension, drew back.“So this is what you’ve been up to? Drinking and having your ‘fun’ while I was back at the pack, waiting for you—wondering what I did wrong
He hadn’t cared. Not even when he found out I had almost been killed. He still didn’t care.He didn’t love me anymore. He wasn’t just saying it—he meant it, and I could see it in his eyes. The bottle of alcohol seemed to interest him more than I did. I should have realized it the moment I stepped into this room; he had been at ease—until he saw me. Then, everything changed.All those days, I had been in pain, but part of me still believed Alexander wasn’t truly gone. I held onto the hope that we still had a future. But I was wrong—so very wrong.I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry. But instead, I laughed, the sound foreign to my ears. I sounded crazy. Maybe I was. And then, I was crying.“I did it to help you! She gave me no choice—she compelled me, and I couldn’t say a word to you. But everything I did was for you! I took the risk so you wouldn’t have to suffer anymore. I couldn’t bear watching you in pain. You act like I took something from you, but all I ever wanted was to help!”I
ALEXANDER’S POVThe bottle was empty.I sighed, setting it aside as I pushed myself off the couch. Another bottle. Another drink. I poured a generous amount into the glass, I lifted it to my lips and drank, not bothering to pace myself. The burn was familiar, settling deep in my chest.Why couldn’t I stop thinking about her?I lit another cigarette. At this point, my liver was probably fried, and my lungs were most likely black. As a werewolf, I could heal easily, but now, this stuff was dangerous—and yet, I didn’t really care. I took a slow drag, letting the smoke curl around me. One puff, then another. Too soon, the stick burned down to nothing.I reached out for another cigarette; the packet was empty."Fuck!" I cursed—and then I saw the figure. Kaida. “Why are you still here?” I asked, but my question didn’t carry enough venom; in fact, I felt a bit… relieved to see her, and then she got closer, and I realized it wasn’t her, it was just another whore with the same hair color. She
Riley’s blue eyes were just like mine—that was the only thing I’d gotten from her. The rest was all my father.Her skin was pale—paler than snow, the kind of ghostly pale I’d only imagined. Her white dress clung to her body as if it were wet. I couldn’t speak. I was frozen."Ethan, you need to return to your pack. There's a war—"I let out a bitter laugh, the shock finally wearing off. "You can’t be serious, Mother. You finally show up after all these years, and that’s the first thing you say? No ‘How are you?’ No ‘How did you manage to stay alive?’ You know, those kinds of basic questions?"“I don’t have time.”“I get it; you are indeed very busy. Perhaps we should start with, ‘Where the hell have you been all these years?”She gave me a sad smile. "I never wanted to leave, but I was a danger to the pack—to everyone around me. I was a threat to you. I couldn’t let that happen. I was trying to protect you.""Protect." I repeated the word, "Seems like everyone is either trying to help
The scene shifted.We were no longer in the cave but standing in an open expanse of valleys and hills. The air itself felt different—charged, ancient. There was something unique about this place—something magical.“Where are we?”"The Azure Hollows. This is where my story ended," she said.Thane was here too, holding a younger version of my mother—Riley. She was unmoving."I had died," Riley said, "But Thane was ready to do anything to bring me back. The woman beside him is a sorceress. Her name is Jade.""Who is that?" I asked, motioning to the man with deep black hair and blue eyes standing before an unnaturally sparkling pool of water. There was something about him—something familiar, it was as though I had seen him before.“Your half-brother. Daemon.”I watched as Daemon stepped into the pool of water, the sorceresses' chants echoing around us. The water began to glow, and invisible hands dragged him beneath the surface. At that very moment, the younger version of Riley jolted awa
ALIYA’S POVI spent most of my time on the laptop Daemon had gifted me. Sometimes, I watched movies; other times, I looked up information about magical creatures. Turns out humans did suspect that non-human beings roamed the earth, but out of fear for the unknown they dismissed these theories as ‘fairy tales’ or ‘myths.’_Daemon had been distant lately, and it troubled me. Speaking about the devil. I spotted a note on the table. I picked it up, a small smile curving on my face.‘Meet me at the yard.’ the note read.For some reason, I had imagined that Daemon’s handwriting would be perfect—just like everything else about him—but the words looked as if they were written by a seven-year-old. I found it both funny and cute.I headed to the yard and spotted him standing with his back to me. I stopped halfway. The man waiting was a bit shorter and thinner than Daemon, with dirty blonde hair.As if sensing my presence, he turned to me. That was definitely not Daemon. I should have taken adva
I had been a fool. They had played me for one.All those years, I had waited. I had believed them, but they were the true villains, hiding behind a façade of false ‘holiness.’“When you discovered this, why didn’t you try to save me from them? Why didn’t you do anything?”"I did. I sought out a powerful warlock to cast a spell on me. I knew the only way I could be with you was to take another form. So, I became a wolf and listened to every single thing you said. You cried a lot, and I blamed myself even more.But the warlock had warned me—the longer I stayed in that form, the more likely I’d remain that way. At some point, I lost all my human sense and truly believed I was one of the other wolves.I came to you as soon as I could, Aliya."I stared at the man—he could be a complete stranger or someone I had known all my life. Yet, for some reason, I trusted him. I believed him."How could you subject yourself to that for all those years just to watch over me?" I asked, completely awed
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