Chapter 14 — Aria's POV“Well, well, well,” a silky voice drifted through the window. “Little Aria. All grown up and playing with wolves.” He muttered.That voice sounded familiar, like I've heard it before.Before I could say anything, the pack courtyard erupted into chaos. The wolves formed a protective circle around me, their muscles flexed and ready for battle. Kane and Zane moved in perfect sync, positioning themselves at my sides like the world's hottest bodyguards. Which, technically they were.Through the gaps between bristling wolves, I caught my first glimpse of the vampire. He was… not what I expected. No black cape or slicked-back hair like some cheesy movie villain. Instead, he looked as if he'd just stepped out of some fancy painting – all perfectly tailored dark clothes with subtle gold embroidery and an actual pocket watch chain glinting at his waist. His face was ageless in that creepy vampire way, but something about his slight smile seemed almost… kind?“Now, now,”
Chapter 15 — Kane's POVSomething was wrong.My wolf woke me with a sharp mental nudge, every instinct screaming danger. The bed felt wrong. Too cold. Too empty. My hand reached for Aria before my eyes even opened, finding nothing but cold sheets and—My fingers closed around something metal. The pendant. That damn vampire's pendant.“Zane!” I was already moving, my panic hitting our twin bond hard enough to jolt my brother awake. “She's gone.”The note crinkled in my grip. Four lines that felt like silver bullets to the chest:“I have to know the truth. Please trust me. Also decide if you want me as your mate or not, I will be back soon.”“What the hell?” Zane snatched the note from my hands, reading it once, twice, three times like the words might change. “Want her as our mate? How could she even—?” He broke off, running a hand through his hair in frustration.I couldn't stop pacing. My wolf was going crazy, wanting to chase, to track, to find our mate right now. But underneath the
Chapter 16 — Zane's POVThe moon hung low and heavy in the sky as Kane and I tracked Aria's scent through the forest. My wolf was going crazy, picking up traces of her vanilla-and-sunshine smell mixed with something… darker, like midnight and magic.“Something's wrong,” Kane's thoughts pushed through our twin bond. “The scent's changing.”He was right. With each step closer, Aria's familiar scent grew more complex, more dangerous. Like lightning before a storm.Then we saw it – an ancient clearing where massive standing stones formed a perfect circle. Moonlight caught the carved symbols covering their surfaces, making them glow with an eerie blue light. And there, standing at the edge like some creepy supernatural doorman, was Victor.My wolf wanted to tear his throat out. I held back, barely.“Don't interfere,” Victor said softly, not even looking at us. “She needs to do this.”That's when I saw her. Aria – our beautiful, gentle mate – floating several inches off the ground in the ce
Chapter 17 — Aria's POVThe first thing that filtered through the darkness was their scent.The smell of Kane, all woodsy pine and rain-soaked earth, mingled perfectly with the spicy warmth of Zane, always reminding me of cinnamon and burning embers. That familiar combination wrapped itself around me, like a security blanket, while seducing me slowly out of consciousness. Ugh. My eyelids were heavy, but I forced them open just enough to see two slumped figures, beside my bed.The Twins.My heart did a little flip at the sight of them, even as concern squeezed my chest. They both looked absolutely wrecked — designer clothes wrinkled from sleeping in chairs, dark circles under their eyes, and several days' worth of stubble shadowing their usually clean-shaven jaws.But they were here. With me.A small whimper must have escaped me because Kane's eyes suddenly snapped open, his hunter's instincts clearly still sharp even in his exhausted state. When his gorgeous eyes met mine, the pure r
Chapter 19 — Kane's POVUgh, Well, that was a night. I mean, don't get me wrong — I'm over the moon that the pack accepted Aria as our mate. But the political fallout? Oof, that's a whole other story.Standing in the middle of that main hall, peering into the faces of my pack-I could have sworn the tension in the air crackled like a storm dying to break. Some were hopeful, others wary, and then there was Vivian's little crew-they looked quite murderous.I caught Elder Morrison's eye and beckoned him over. That old wolf has been around since the dawn of time, it feels like. If anyone knew how to navigate these treacherous pack politics, it would be him."Kane, my boy," he rasped, leaning heavily on his cane. "I see the winds of change are blowing through our humble pack."I nodded grimly. "That's an understatement. I need your advice. How do I make sure this transition goes as smoothly as possible?"He hummed thoughtfully, those ancient eyes boring into me. "Your ancestors faced simila
Chapter 18 — Aria's POV Waking up alone was definitely not what I expected. The moonlight streaming through my window cast everything in a silvery glow, but the room felt different somehow. Like the air before a storm, crackling with leftover energy from my earlier power surge.I reached through our mate bond, instantly sensing Kane and Zane's presence somewhere below. They were… worried? Angry? The emotions coming through were a tangled mess.“Be careful,” Nyx's voice rumbled in my mind. “We need better control this time.”“Indeed,” Astra agreed, her ethereal presence shimmering at the edges of my consciousness. “Let's test each power individually.”I closed my eyes, carefully reaching for each aspect's gifts. Nyx's enhanced senses came first — suddenly I could hear multiple heartbeats and voices from downstairs. Fragments of heated conversation drifted up:“…can't just ignore the danger…”“…our Alphas' mate…”“…never had a hybrid in the pack…”Well, that was just great. Apparently
Chapter 20 — Aria's POV Those images from yesterday would not get out of my mind, like some kind of horror movie: Jaxon's icy stare, his menacing threats, the way he looked at me as if I belonged to him. Even though Kane and Zane had stood up to him, something in my gut told me this wasn't over.Rolling over in our massive bed, I reached out, seeking the comfort of my mates, but found only cold sheets. They must be handling pack business already. Great. Exactly what I needed—more time alone with my anxious thoughts.I pulled myself out of bed, caught my reflection in the mirror, and cringed. I looked just as bad as I felt-which was saying a lot, really. Dark circles under my eyes, hair a mess, and was that actually a leaf stuck in there? Goddess, being a mate to two alphas was seriously doing a number on me. “Get it together, Aria,” I muttered to myself, trying to smooth down my wild hair. “You're supposed to be some powerful mate or whatever, not looking like something the cat drag
Chapter 21 Zane's — POV I honestly thought my heart had stopped the second Aria collapsed. She was so full of life just that one instant, an avenging angel glowing with eyes and power from who knew what other place, and then she was crumpling like a puppet whose strings had been cut.Kane and I moved as one, catching her before she hit the ground. Her skin was burning, almost painful to touch, but there was no way in hell I was letting go.“We need to get her inside,” Kane said, his voice tight with worry. I could feel his fear through our bond, matching my own. “NOW.”I swept her up in my arms, clutching her close to my chest as though she might shatter like glass. The pack members parted before us like water, their faces mingling awe and fear. I couldn't blame them-what we'd just witnessed was beyond anything I'd ever seen in all my years as a wolf.“Someone get the healers!” I barked as we jogged hurriedly through the pack house. “Tell them to meet us in our quarters!”Kane was r
Chapter 61 — Aria's POV Everything stopped.The chaos of battle, the screams, the explosions — it all faded to white noise as I stared at Kane's broken body. Black energy pulsed from the wound in his chest, eating through him like acid. Each tendril of darkness left decay in its wake, turning his skin ashen gray.“No, no, no,” I chanted, my hands hovering over him uselessly. Power surged beneath my skin, all four of my supernatural sides responding to my distress.“Let us help,” Nyx materialized beside me, my vampire side's presence cold and deadly. Her usually controlled demeanor cracked with desperation. “Our blood can heal.”“The pack's defenses are failing,” Vesper growled, my wolf pacing in agitated circles around us. Through her eyes, I saw Azrael's forces pressing harder against our weakening barriers. “But he comes first. Always first.”“His soul is slipping between realms,” Astra's voice shook, my witch's power reaching for Kane with spectral hands. “The weapon was designed
Chapter 60 — Zane's POV Silver light erupted from her position, expanding into a massive dome shield over the entire pack territory. All four of her supernatural aspects manifested simultaneously, feeding power into the barrier. The sight was both beautiful and terrifying — a physical manifestation of just how unique our mate truly was.But something was wrong with Kane.Dark energy gathered around him during the most intense fighting, almost like…like Selene's curse marks. The realization hit me like a physical blow. Whatever she'd shown him in that prophecy chamber was affecting him on a fundamental level.No time to process that. Because there, in the shadows — Azrael.The hunter commander stood back from the main battle, directing his forces with cold precision. His scarred face showed no emotion as he observed the carnage. Kane caught my eye again. Together, then.“Hold the core!” I called to Aria through our bond. Her acknowledgment came with a pulse of power that made the air
Chapter 59 — Aria's POV “How do they even know about the prophecy?” I demanded, but the answer hit me before anyone could respond. “Azrael.”“The hunters have been watching our bloodline for generations,” Selene confirmed. “Waiting for the right moment. When you bonded with my brothers…” She shook her head. “It was like lighting a beacon.”Another explosion rocked the building. On the screens, more red dots appeared.“Enough theory,” Zane growled. “We need action. Aria, can you-”Power surged through me before he could finish. All four of my supernatural aspects responded at once, their combined strength making the air crackle.“I can hold them back,” I said, letting Vesper's vampire speed mix with Nyx's wolf strength while Astra's magic twined through Raze's demon fire. “But I need to know everything. Now.”Selene moved further into the room, her curse marks casting purple shadows on the walls. “The full prophecy speaks of three paths. One ends in darkness consuming everything. One
Chapter 58 — Aria's POV Something was wrong with Kane.The thought hit me the moment I woke up, the mate bond between us pulsing with the darkness he was trying desperately to hide. My hand instinctively reached for the space beside me, still warm from where he'd slipped away before dawn. Again.Three days since his meeting with Selene. Three days of forced smiles and careful distances. Three days of secrets burning through our bond like acid.“He's protecting you,” Vesper, my wolf side, murmured in my mind.“Or protecting himself,” Nyx countered, my vampire aspect's thoughts cool and calculating as always.“The magic knows,” Astra, my witch side, whispered. *It always knows.*“Then let's make him tell us,” Raze growled, demon fire crackling through my veins.I pushed back the covers, frost spreading where my feet touched the floor. My power had been unstable lately, responding to the emotional turmoil churning through the mate bond. The room's temperature dropped another few degrees
Chapter 57 — Kane's POV The sacred grove thrummed with ancient magic as I cornered Selene beneath the eldest oak. Lightning crackled between us, moon magic making the air taste like metal and memories. My sister's curse marks writhed across her skin like living shadows, darker than I'd ever seen them.“Start talking,” I growled, letting my Alpha power leak into my voice. The trees around us shuddered. “What did you mean about sacrifice?”Selene's laugh was bitter, hollow. “Still trying to intimidate your sister, Kane? Some things never change.” She traced one of her curse marks absently. “Though everything else is about to.”Thunder rolled overhead despite the clear sky. Through my bond with Zane, I felt his growing unease back at the pack house. Through my mate bond with Aria, an echo of power that made my own curse marks burn beneath my skin.“No more games, Selene.”“Games?” Her eyes flashed purple-black. “You think this is a game? Our family has paid in blood for generations. I'v
Chapter 56 — Zane's POV My boots echoed against the stone steps as I raced down to the ritual chamber. The magic in the air was wrong – electric and ancient and dangerous all at once. My Alpha senses screamed warnings with each step.Something had changed. Not just in the air or the magic, but in the very fabric of reality itself.The massive wooden doors were already open, torchlight spilling into the corridor. The scent of ozone and power hit me like a physical wall. And beneath it all, the unmistakable combination of Kane and Aria's scents, twisted with something else. Something otherworldly.I burst into the chamber and froze.Kane knelt down and cradling Aria's trembling form. But this wasn't just the aftermath of the ritual. Aria's skin literally glowed, as if she'd swallowed starlight. Silver patterns crawled across her exposed skin like living tattoos, shifting and changing with each shaky breath she took.“What happened?” I demanded, dropping to my knees beside them. The sto
Chapter 55 — Aria's POV “You can have everything,” Dark-Aria whispered, her words echoing through the supernatural void. “Ultimate power. No more doubts. No more human weaknesses or more pain.”I stared at my darker self — perfect, powerful, and absolutely terrifying. She was everything I could become if I just let go. The raw energy radiating from her made my supernatural core ache with want. Her eyes, darker versions of my own, held centuries of potential power.“And what's the price?” I asked, though I already knew. There was always a price.Dark-Aria's smile was beautiful and cruel. “Only everything that makes you weak. Your messy human emotions, your limitations, and attachments.” She said the last word like it was poison on her tongue.The void around us shifted, showing memories like movie scenes. Every moment I felt weak. Every time, my human side had held me back. Every failure that had ever haunted me.“Look at yourself,” Dark-Aria circled me, her movements liquid grace. “T
Chapter 54 — Kane's POV I couldn't stand still.Every step I took around Aria's motionless body felt like torture. The ritual circle pulsed with otherworldly energy, keeping her suspended between realities while she faced her trial. But I was stuck out here, useless. The purple-tinged barrier around her shimmered mockingly, keeping me from reaching her when she needed me most.My hands clenched into fists as another wave of magical energy rippled through the chamber. The ancient stones in the walls seemed to pulse in response, their crystalline structures amplifying whatever was happening in the trial realm.“Kane, wearing a hole in the floor won't help her,” Victor said from his monitoring station, fingers flying over his tablets and sensors. The tech-savvy supernatural had surrounded himself with enough equipment to stock a small laboratory.Easy for him to say. He had his scientific equipment to focus on. All those beeping machines tracking magical frequencies and supernatural ene
Chapter 53 — Aria's POV Darkness.But not the kind of darkness you get when you close your eyes or turn off the lights.This was different.Supernaturally different.One moment, I was preparing for the final trial with Kane, and the next, I was… here. Wherever “here” was?A mystical realm that wasn't quite reality. Wasn't quite a dream. Something in between. A supernatural limbo that existed somewhere between my consciousness and… something else.The environment around me wasn't static. It shifted. Morphed. Reflected something deeper than physical space.My memories.My fears.My insecurities.They weren't just memories anymore. They were living, breathing supernatural entities.First, I noticed the silence. Not an absence of sound. But a presence of something more profound. A supernatural quiet that was somehow louder than any noise I'd ever heard.Then, movement.A shadow. No, not just a shadow.A version of myself.Dark. Twisted. Powerful.My dark supernatural doppelgänger smiled.