His blood was different. I noticed it the first time I drank from him. Maybe it had to do with the fact that he was a Lycan; that explains the richness to the taste of his blood. I pulled away. "Well, that didn't go very bad." Axel commented with a smile. I wiped my lips. "Nick was right, I do have some control over the bloodlust." “At least that counts as the single truth he told.” Thane agreed, flexing his wrist, I watched as the puncture marks disappeared. “I need to go; you've got her?" Axel questioned, referring to me, and Thane gave a nod. Axel left, leaving the both of us alone. "Thank you." "For what?" Thane asked. "I had behaved so foolishly; I wonder why in the world I thought to protect that 'thing'." "It is not exactly your fault; you seem to really want a child," he says, as if he had just noticed that. "Thane, I think we should... forget everything that happened in the past and move on. I just don't want to waste the time I have with you, because I k
"What?" I questioned. "Where is she?""She had been waiting for a while, but you needed your rest."I knew exactly why she was here, and I wasn't ready for that yet. I wasn't ready to speak to her, yet I knew she had come all this way..."You could send her in.""Are you sure?" Axel asked, and I nodded."But could you do me a favour? Don't leave me alone with her.""Sure."I wasn't afraid of my mother, but I already knew how disappointed she would be. I just needed someone by my side..My mother walked into our room, a tight smile on her face. Axel followed next."Mom!" I called, walking towards her. I embraced her. I couldn't help but feel like the excitement was a little… forced. I was happy to see her, but her arrival made me feel a bit nervous, and now more than ever, she had every right to be disappointed in me."I've been so worried about you," she said, her eyes trailing down my body — maybe in search of injuries. "But I can see you are completely fine."Of course I was, the
I stared at my mother, surprised by her words. She knew about my split up with Nick and she thought it was ‘fine’?"So you aren't going to say anything... at all?" I questioned with a furrowed brow."Riley, what do you want me to say? It's your choice, and you've made it; nothing I say would change that.""Okay then." I said, rising to my feet; I couldn't shake this feeling of disappointment I felt at her response. "I'll escort you." "There won't be any need for that. I know my way around.""I know that, mother, wasn't it clear that I just needed to spend a few more minutes with you?""Like you care." She said bitterly. "I know what you want to hear; you want me to get angry at you for breaking off the marriage—the one good thing life has ever offered you; you want me to scream at you for going back to ‘him’ after everything, but I won't do that, and you know why?—because I am tired." Tears that she seemed to have held back streamed down her face. "I am so sick and tired of you, and
Axel had left after taking off my stitches. "You are healing up really nice," he commented with a smile. "Thank you, and I already feel perfectly fine."It was late in the night; Axel had already informed me that Thane would be back a bit late. There had been another attack, and many still believed the attacks were from this pack.I rose, putting on a robe, and headed to the balcony, enjoying the fresh air.My mother was the only family I had left. I wish I could tell her about Nick; he wasn't exactly a villain, but my mother had referred to him as the only 'good thing life offered me,' and she was wrong; if she knew the truth about him, she wouldn't think that. I wish I could open up and tell her everything; I wish I didn't have to lie, but now more than ever she didn't need to know the truth; she wanted to make a life for herself, and I was happy for her, but a part of me wasn't ready for all these. I needed someone there to shout at me when I was making the wrong step, and she wa
THANE."Alpha Trent, it is nice to meet you again." I say with a smile that I hoped looked welcoming enough. Usually I don't really bother with all the acts, but now... now I needed support. Most of the packs hated me. They believed in this crap about the 'new era'; it was only a matter of time before they chose to gang up against this pack —something I plan on avoiding, and if this 'act' would help, then I would go on with it."I came as soon as you called. See, I know the attacks aren't from this pack.""One person who finally has some common sense." He chuckled at that. I poured him a glass of wine, passing it to him."We are neighboring packs. If your soldiers had left for war, they would be spotted, and so I know those soldiers aren't from this pack. But I believe many know that too.""They do?" I asked, as if I didn't already know that."Yes, but clearly they see a way to unseat you from the throne, and so they are willing to do anything. Though there are others who believe str
"Pricilla Why are you here?" I asked her."You know why I am here; I just need... your support.""My support? Do you mean money?""I know you might hate me for everything I've done to Axel, but please, I really need your help.""It's not just a possibility, I do hate you. I wonder why you always come to me for financial aid when you could just ask your son/lover Adrain for help. I heard he's now a person of importance over there, the pack should be able to lend him a helping hand, right?""The pack is facing major issues." As always."Meaning they are going broke?""You can call it that; we really need your support.""Too bad, the only person who could help you this time is your son Axel — my beta, so you should go meet him.""No. Axel cannot know about my visits.""Don't worry, I've kept that away from him, simply because you are too much of a disgrace for him to feel bad over.""Please, Alpha. I really need this; I promise this will be the last time."She said that the first time,
This had been what I was trying to avoid when I kept his mother's visit from him— Of course it hadn't been because she nicely requested. I knew Axel would be heartbroken at the fact she visited and yet wanted nothing to do with her own son. For some reason I just can't understand why he still cared about the bitch."I'll inform the patrollers to never let her in; she is no longer a part of this pack." I assured him."You know what confuses me the most?" Axel questioned. "That she had been visiting all these years, and you never told me anything about it. I thought we were closer than that.""Don't throw that at me. I was trying to protect you; the woman didn't want anything to do with you.""And yet, you could have told me, just so I would know she is still alive and breathing.""You were worried about her?""I was worried the previous attacks on their pack claimed her life, but I wasn't willing to go find out if she survived, not after the previous confrontation.""Axel, why do you e
RILEYI had never seen Pricilla, Axel's mother. I was pretty sure I hated her, but Axel still cared about this lunatic.I knocked once at his door; there was no response. The door was unlocked, so I pushed the door open and walked in.Axel was shirtless, A bottle of whiskey in his hands and many other empty ones on the table. His eyes were red; he was drunk.I grabbed the bottle from his hands."I didn't recall letting you in," he says with a small frown."Well, I let myself in.""Riley, I think you should leave. I don't want you to see me like this." He says, pulling another bottle from the fridge."Please stop drinking." I pleaded."She hates me, Riley, and I don't even understand what I did so wrong; I was my father's favorite, so what?, how is that my fault, and all these years, she just keeps on punishing me for that.""She has no right to, not after what she did. Axel, she isn't worth this." I say taking the other bottle from his hand and placing it back in the fridge."I'm sorr
KADIA’S POVI woke up in the healing room.A pair of blue eyes watched me — Daemon. He looked… different, and it wasn’t just the new haircut. There was something about him that made him seem more human."Daemon," I called; my throat felt so dry.He seemed to have already prepared for that. He passed me a glass of water, which I quickly emptied.Everything came flooding back — the news about the plane crash. It became harder to breathe.“Kaida. Calm down.”"He's gone — he was in the plane when it crashed."I yanked out the tubes attached to my arm and rose to my feet. The movement had been too abrupt; the room seemed to spin.I felt hands guiding me back to the bed. I couldn’t hold in the tears.“He shouldn’t have been there. I made him go, and now…”“Stop.” Daemon said, cutting me off. “He is not dead. I visited the site; I didn’t find anything that indicated he was among the ones that died.”“You were at the site?” I asked, my heart speeding up with renewed hope.“Yes. The moment I h
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