~YULIA“Issa, how nice of you to grace us with your presence,” A middle-aged, yet very attractive woman who possessed dirty blonde hair that was neatly styled– said as she approached us.“Hesta, this is Yulia,” Issa said as he took my waist possessively. Hesta was dressed in a dark pencil skirt that clung to her waist and legs as if it was a second skin. She wore a silk cream blouse that she tucked neatly into the skirt. She had on Chanel red bottom heels. She looked simple yet fabulous. And I knew at first glance that she was no ordinary woman. She was a witch.“Hello,” I said politely.“My oh my, she is a pretty one,” Hesta said as she washed her eyes over my body as if I was a merchandize. “You really know how to pick your women.” A mischievous smile played on her face and Issa had to clear his throat. “She is my niece, control your thoughts, Hesta.” “Please, Issa, you may be able to fool a lot of people but you can not fool me, the way you described her is how a lover would d
~YULIAAll eyes fell on us the moment we entered the old newly renovated Victorian era home of the Cravens. It was built in the middle of a very enormous acre of land surrounded by a massive forest of trees. The halls that connected with the entrance were filled with statues and marbles of ancient gods and medieval gothic knight suits of silver shining armour.I felt the envy of the women as they appraised my dress and the handsome man whose arm I clung to. I realized that this was no ordinary dinner. I could see that a lot of important people were present. A very well-suited butler came towards us with a tray of drinks. Issa took one and handed it to me, then he picked another one and held it without drinking. I figured that I was going to do the same thing. If Issa was not going to be drinking tonight, then so was I.I looked around at the faces of the invited people and realized that I did not know one person except for Deucalion and his daughters who were clad in dazzling dress
~ISSAI was not really worried about Leia’s threat because I knew that my Yulia could take her.I knew that Marianna had thoroughly trained her before she was killed. I was watching secretly. “Is it really your first time attending something like this?” Yulia asked me as we leisurely walked through the grand hall of the house. “Yes, I find gatherings like this boring,” I said as we passed by another guest who peered at us with awe and curiosity. I knew that Yulia’s custom made dress was attracting a lot of attention from everyone that we passed by. Hesta had really outdone herself.“I don’t want to sound paranoid but I think the eldest sister is following us,” Yulia whispered as we walked. I knew that she was talking about Iris.“She wants to talk to me alone,” I told Yulia. “She is waiting for you to wander off.”“Should I wander off so you two can talk?” She asked.“You are not leaving my sight, Yulia, whatever she wants to say, she can do so with you present or she can keep on f
~YULIAI looked at Issa with a bit of confusion at what he said. Why was he changing the plan? He squeezed my hand softly, which meant to tell me that he knew what he was doing.“Why are you changing your mind after all these years,” Davina asked him suspiciously. “What is your plan?”“Davina,” Albus admonished lightly. “He helped rebuild the school.” Yet it was not enough to make the headmistress back down. She still had her claws out for him.“It does not give him the right to choose when to enter into our folds anytime he feels like it,” Davina said with a cold glare.“Actually, it does. Without me, all your precious books and items would have been lost,” Issa said, shooting Davina his own cold glare. “Burnt down by the same witches that betrayed you when you let them into your boy scout club,” He added with venom.Davina could only glare because I could tell that she had no retort.“And the sanctum is forever grateful to you for helping us weed out the traitors,” Albus said grac
~YULIA I felt uneasy as I followed everyone to the large dining hall while Albus quietly walked beside me. What did he mean by expecting the unexpected? My life was full of the unexpected anyway so what was making me uneasy?The dining hall was large and spacious with chandeliers decorating the very high ceiling. The table was the strangest I had ever come across. I had no idea what material of wood it was made with.“Obsidian,” Albus said as if reading my mind. “Very fragile though,” He added as he took a seat. The obsidian table was very long and I was certain it would take a lot of people. How big was the Craven house?I sat beside Albus and before I could say a word, Davina appeared with a pissed off expression on her face and plopped down beside Albus. He was sitting between us.“It did not go well I presume?” Albus asked with humour in his voice.“With that Lycan, nothing ever goes as planned,” Davina replied in an angry huff.“What happened?
~ISSA“I know that you are up to something, Issa,” Davina said as we walked side by side. I could feel her cold hostility towards me. “You and that niece of yours.”She was right. “What gave you that idea?” I asked, indulging her.“You scorned my invitation the last time,” she replied. “It makes no sense that you would suddenly change your mind.” “You are right, Davina but things have changed and I realize that your secret sanctum holds the answers, and Yulia’s life is in grave danger.” I revealed it to her.She stopped and fully turned to me. “It is quite surprising to see you care about someone else besides yourself,” she said with a sad smile. I knew that she was thinking about what could have happened between us.“Why does everybody think I am selfish?” I mused.“Because you don’t hide it.”“Fair enough,” I said and. “Look, Davina, I know that something evil is about to rear its head and you can feel it too, even old Albus can feel it in his stubborn old bones, we need to stick
~ISSAThe bastard had planned this all along. Deucalion. Always the business man. He knew that the object in his possession was very valuable to me because it was connected to Yulia. When Marianna and I had rescued Yulia from the jaws of death, a mysterious box came into my possession. The content of the box had something to do with our moon goddess. The supernatural matron of the werewolves. I had no idea what was inside the box but I knew that it had something to do with Yulia’s parents and how they died.While the box was with me, the key to opening it was with Deucalion and that was the only reason I was working as the top back and front-end developer for his company. I created software and wrote codes to make his company number one in fintech and software development. He paid me very well but I was not interested in his money, I was only interested in getting the moon key. Deucalion knew that I was not interested in his company and was only keeping me hostage with the key in
~YULIA I was really enjoying the knowledge Albus was imparting me with before Issa showed up. I had never seen him as angry as this before. I hastily said goodbye to the chancellor of my school before I followed Issa outside.“The unexpected has happened,” Albus said to me with a wink as he walked away. His response gave me an odd feeling that he knew something was about to go down. Something I was not going to like.I almost began to run after Issa because he was stomping the ground as he walked.“Could you please slow down and tell me what is going on?” I asked him.Issa stopped walking and sighed. He ran a frustrated hand through his rough curly long hair.“Talk to me, what is the matter?” I asked in a soft tone.“I am guessing daddy proposed to him,” Andrea said as she appeared from wherever she came from with a long thin black cigarette in between her fingers.Confusion hit me as I looked at Issa. “What is she talking about?” “Let us leave here,” Issa said. “I will tell you
~YULIA“We should go,” I whispered to Issa as I pulled him towards the door. He was still gazing at Deucalion with eyes of steel and I had to pull him a bit before he reluctantly moved.As we reached the door, Deucalion called after us, his voice infuriating as he spoke. “Tell her who she really is, Issa, she deserves to know that much before we come for her.”I wanted us out of there before Issa unleashed his unstable wolf at everyone in the house. Simmering with rage, Issa literally stomped down stairs and I followed him.“Issa! Wait,” Iris called after us. But Issa did not stop and neither did I. “Please!” Iris persisted. “What?” Issa thundered as he turned around. Even I was a bit startled by his angry outburst. Andrea was beside her sister with an embarrassed look. “You know that we mean you no harm, right?” Iris said. “We had no idea he was hiding such a dark secret from us.”“Tell him to prepare himself, if he believes that I am just going to take this without a fight, he s
~YULIAI felt a bit light headed as those words left Deucalion's mouth. Helena Craven was the first child of light. But it still did not explain why she wanted me dead. Or what she needed my blood for.“I think I need a drink,” Andrea broke the silence and went to her father’s cabinet. Iris had a distracted look while Leia just kept quiet. “How did she lose her powers?” Issa asked.“She was born with those powers, Issa. And she could do amazing things with them. She could burn anything to a crisp just like Ms. Moonshadow here almost did to Iris,” Deucalion said. “And if we are going to continue this discussion, I think you should tell her what her real name is and her family.”He said this to Issa. I looked at Issa. “What is he talking about?” “That is between me and her, Deucalion, not in front of your daughters,” Issa replied curtly. ‘I will tell you everything when we get home, not here,’ he mentally told me. I understood his precaution. The less the craven sisters knew about
~ISSAIt was the first time I saw Deucalion actually look nervous as he poured himself a drink. We were all in his big study waiting for him to start talking. I realized that even his daughters had no idea that their mother was alive.“What is she talking about, Daddy?” Leia asked in a shaky voice. “You told us mom died.”Deaucalion sighed. “Clearly, I lied,” he replied as he walked to the large window overlooking the garden in his huge backyard.The room instantly went cold at this revelation. No one said a word for a while as we all took our time to process this information. His daughters glared at him with the feeling of utter betrayal in their eyes.“Why?” Iris demanded in a tight voice, as she was the first person to recover.. Deucalion shook his head. It was as if he was in a nightmare and wanted to wake up by all means.The doors to the study suddenly burst open with Andrea and a man passionately kissing and moaning. I did not think they noticed us as they grabbed and rubbed
~YULIA“He really wants your seed so bad; he is involving the council?” I asked Issa as he sped down the highway. “This is so ridiculous,” I added in annoyance.Issa sighed and made no reply. I could see that he was deeply thinking of what to do. “You can not refuse this can you?” I asked.“Unfortunately, no,” He replied. “There has to be law and order or else everyone will just do whatever they want. That was why the council was made. To keep everyone in line and it will speak badly of me if I do not follow it. Not that I care.”Clearly, he did care and he was just in denial. I understood that, Issa being who he was, hated being told what to do, especially by those that he knew were beneath him but he had to lead by example.“I find this suspicious though,” he said. “Petr could have made this move immediately I turned him away but he waited until we both found out about Helena.”“You think he is part of it?” I asked.“I know that he is part of it, I just need to make the connection.”
~ISSAI was not surprised that the dead don’t ever stay dead. I was surprised that the dead wanted what was mine. Helena Craven was alive and that only meant two things. Deucalion lied to me or he was unaware that his Luna had cheated death. Either way, I was going to get to the bottom of whatever the fuck was going on.What did Helena Craven want with Yulia? Why did she kill my sister? The Craven family had a deep dark secret and I would do anything in my power to find out what they were hiding.“Are you okay?” Yulia’s voice invaded my thoughts as I drove home. “You look sad.”I frowned at her, puzzled at what she said. “I have a sad face?” I asked in disbelief.“I think you forget that emotions are part of your being, Issa, even if you do not believe it.” She sounded genuine as she watched me.. “I feel betrayed,” I told her. “Helena is supposed to be dead but now that I am hearing she is behind all these, I do not know what to think.”I pulled into the driveway of the beach hous
~YULIAI could tell that Pete felt the change in the atmosphere as he glared at me and Issa. I understood how he felt. One moment he was this close to having his revenge and the next, he was disowned by his own father.“This was not how you imagined it would pan out, did you?” Issa asked mockingly as he put his phone back into his pocket. He looked at the men behind Pete. “And because you all blindly followed him, I am curious, what did he even offer you?” “Don’t tell him anything,” Pete ordered the men.“Why should we listen to you?” One of them asked. “Yeah, the way I see it, we have no reason to be here right now, we’re fucked because of you.”“I can get us out of this!” Pete thundered desperately.“I cannot wait to see how you do that,” Issa said as he watched. He was clearly entertained by Pete’s helplessness. I was curious myself as I watched on. I had some questions for him.“I know some things about you, Frostwood, some things you do not want to go public,” Pete said. “Ac
~YULIAIt was mesmerizing looking at the sea as it crashed on the sandy shores of Issa’s private beach house. The moon shone brightly as the waves rose and fell. “I had never seen Miles so angry before,” I told Issa as he joined me at the balcony overlooking the beach. It was different at night as the sands looked more like night ash while the water took on the colour of the sea.“He has every right to be, it was about time anyway,” Issa replied. I turned to him.“How long are we going to keep hiding everything about us, Issa?” I asked him. “Because at this point, I do not care who finds out what we are.”He sighed. “I have never felt fear in a while, Yulia,” He said. “But when it comes to you, that's all I feel. I am afraid of what might happen after everything we do comes to light and I still do. However, I am done hiding you from the world.”It was a bit refreshing to know that Issa could feel afraid and I admired the fact that he was willing to talk about it. I understood his p
~ISSAI did not need to guess who was behind this to know that it was Pete and his father. I could taste their disgusting scent on my tongue.“I guess Albus was right,” Jamal said. “The killings were just a distraction.”“So, Pete was in on it from the start?” Yulia asked, her voice tinged with rage. “That means his whole reason for befriending me back then was so he could deliver me to whoever wants me dead.”I felt vindicated. “I knew the son of the Swine was a piece of shit the moment I laid eyes on him.”“The Swine?” Jamal asked as he looked at me. He was probably pissed that I knew one more thing that he did not know.“A drug dealing werewolf mob,” I said with a shrug. “Pete is the son of their leader, Thaddeus.”People were already coming into the house to pack up the bodies into the ambulances.“Care to explain why a drug dealing werewolf mob just dumped ten dead bodies in your house?”“It is kind of complicated to explain,” I replied as I looked around the house. I knew that Y
~YULIABloodshed was becoming second nature to me as I watched the heart burn. It did nothing to change how I felt about Mom’s death but at least I was sated that the people behind her murder were dead. Yet it seemed like there was still one person to find.“Let’s get out of here,” Issa said and held out his clean palm. I took it and he led me out of the dead lawyer’s apartment. I felt like there was something I needed to do. We were a few feet from the house before I stopped and turned back to it.“What is it?” Issa asked as concern masked his face.“I need to do something,” I told him. “What?” He asked.“I need to burn this place to the ground,” I told him. “It is the only way that I can move forward with my life. This house was built on the kindness of my mother, I need to raze it to the ground.” I told him.He nodded. “The fireplace,” he said. “We can set something on fire, a pillow, anything and spread it all over the place.”I shook my head. “I have a much better idea,” I sai