Xenia opened her eyes and immediately tensed up when she felt a presence near her. She thought she saw him staring down at her, so she quickly sat up in bed, and the image disappeared. But, unfortunately, it did scare poor Jane, who was standing at her bedside. "Sorry, Luna. I was only trying to wake you." She walked to the front of the bed with her head hung low while Xenia climbed out. "I brought these clothes for you to wear. We are still working on getting some that fit better but-" A knock on the door interrupted Jane as she walked over to it and opened it. Xenia walked around the bed to see who she was talking to. Someone whispered something before Jane opened the door to let them in. "Luna." The woman bowed slightly before flocking over to Xenia with a tape measure. She quickly measured her before Xenia could get a word out. She wrote down everything in a little book before turning Xenia around to size her up. She stepped back to give Xenia one more look. "Hmm, more fabric,
Xenia remembered Lottie telling her about her mate, Spencer. There was something between them she couldn't explain, but she knew she wanted to be with him. Xenia thought it was love at first sight, but maybe it was this bond. It would explain the connection she had with Mason on their first encounter. How he takes over her mind when he enters a room, how her skin feels when he touches her, and the intensity in his eyes like he wants to… "No," Xenia yelled. "I'm not his mate!" She didn't care that all the women looked at her with shocked expressions. "And I'm not staying here to become one either." The women looked at each other before laughing, which made Xenia angry, ruining a few eggs. Lacey grabbed Xenia's chin and angled it at a diagonal. "Well, I don't see a mark, so that's good news. For now." "Mark? I don't understand." "Humans," Lacey said, rolling her eyes. "When a werewolf finds their mate, they mark them right here," Lacey said, touching her neck. "It's to let others k
The next few days were the same routine for Xenia. She would wake up and work with the girls in the kitchen. They were talkative, and every day she would learn something new about them. However, they were still cautious about telling her where they were exactly. While helping the girls clean the tables after breakfast, Xenia noticed Mason's seat was empty the entire time. She looked around to see if she could find him. Instead, she saw Lillian walking her way and didn't have time to turn away. "Looking for someone in particular?" Xenia didn't respond and moved away, but Lillian grabbed her arm and pulled her close. She could feel Lillian's breath on her ear as Lillian whispered, "Remember what I told you, little cockroach." "Leave it up to you to not let me forget," Xenia muttered while yanking her arm away from Lillian. The two women stood a few feet apart, face to face, neither wanting to back down. The smile on Lillian's face made Xenia feel uneasy. There was no way she
It took her a moment to look at Lacey, whose smiling face was only a few inches away from hers. Lacey's mouth was moving, but Xenia wasn't paying attention. The only thing Xenia could picture was Mason forcing himself on her. Would he drug me like Barrick so I wouldn't fight? She wondered before another thought even worse than that came to her. Would he…OH GOD…would he shift? "I think you broke her," Lacey said to Frieda, trying to shake Xenia out of her mini coma. "Hey, girl. Did we break you or something?" "I…I have to get out of here," Xenia managed to say through her shaky breath. "Hey, hey, hey. It's gonna be okay," Lacey laughed a bit. "We're just kidding." Xenia looked at her again, searching her eyes for the truth. "Right?" Lacey looked at the other girls, who smiled and nodded. "I didn't mean to scare ya white, hon," Frieda said while laying a comforting hand on Xenia's shoulder. "Sex can be scary for the first time." "Frieda!" Celia playfully tapped Frieda on the
So is this what I am looking forward to? Xenia wondered. She didn't have an answer to that either, but she wasn't planning on staying long enough to find out. She had to get out, and she had to do it now. Later that day, Xenia was sitting in her room, lost in thought, until someone touched her arm. It was Celia who offered her a warm smile. Apparently, she was taking over for Jane, who had something more important to do. "Don't think too much about Lillian's threats. I don't think she would do anything to hurt you. Not while the Alpha is here, at least." Celia gave Xenia a slight squeeze on her arm. She started to leave when Xenia stopped her. "Hey, about before, I'm sorry if I brought up bad memories for you two." "Oh, it's no trouble, Luna. I learned to live in the present and let the past be the past." "Has an incident like that happened before?" Celia's eyes went wide before she returned them to the floor. "I'm sorry, Luna. I…I don't think I should talk about that anym
Surprisingly, it was very easy to run down the four flights of stairs and use the second door down the hall on the right to get to the back of the house, at least according to the map on the napkin. Xenia opened the door to freedom and momentarily hesitated to walk over the threshold. She looked towards the woods before her, only a few feet away. What if this was a trap? She wondered while looking around to see if someone was waiting for her. She waited for only a minute before taking that first step. Nothing happened. No alarms, no wandering werewolves. This was actually it. She held the knife from the tray and the napkin, telling her where to go. Behind the cabin to the right, there was a bridge that could help her cross over. Xenia ran towards the woods, ignoring the twigs and sticks pricking at her face and feet. A gnawing feeling in her stomach made her nervous about how easy this was, but she couldn't think of that now. Instead, she had to think of her family and return to the
The werewolf lunged at Xenia again, but she stood her ground, waiting for the right time to attack. This moment brought her back to when she was a child. A werewolf similar to this one lunged at her when a black werewolf came to their rescue, and now… A giant black werewolf intercepted the brown wolf, knocking it far away from Xenia. Deja vu. Xenia knew it was him. Rodin. He moved to stand in front of Xenia while the brown werewolf stood on shaking legs. Then, without waiting another second, Rodin lunged for the brown werewolf, missing it by a hair as it dodged out of the way. Rodin could easily kill the little werewolf, but it had been a while since his last hunt, and this was actually exciting. Xenia watched from afar momentarily before looking toward her escape. She managed to get to her feet and slowly made her way until, yet again, it became blocked by two werewolves. "Are you fucking serious," she groaned, holding her shoulder to alleviate some pain. The honey-colored werew
The people, mostly men, just stared at Xenia while others ignored her pleas and continued their business. Some of the women looked away while others stared at her with pity in their eyes. What kind of creepy cultist bullshit was this, Xenia pondered. With Mason's tight grip around her, they quickly returned to Xenia's room. When he opened the door, he threw her on the bed, and his body quickly covered her. His hand went around her neck, giving it a little squeeze. "Don't ever embarrass me like that again," he growled. "Do you understand?" Xenia didn't say anything as she glared at him. He brought his face closer to hers. His lips hovered only an inch over mine. "Do you understand," he asked again. Xenia would've spoken if his hand hadn't been around her throat, so she nodded slowly. He stared at her a little bit longer. His eyes flashed red as they moved down to her lips. She prayed he would just leave her be. His body was pressed too close for comfort, and the heat coming from him
As the morning sun filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow over the room, Xenia slowly opened her eyes to find herself lying in her room. She quickly sat up in bed, looking around. Was she dreaming? She had to be. That was the only explanation. She jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom to look in the mirror. She was the same as she was before. She pinched herself thinking she was dreaming but she felt pain.What the hell?She absentmindedly touched her face, arms, and hair. Unable to believe where she was. She tried remembering where she was before. Melania. The fight. Nova. She had to get back and…“Xeni?”Xenia’s inner thoughts stopped and she froze. She looked towards the doorway, willing herself to move but her body was shaking with emotions.“Mother?”As if on cue, Delilah appeared in the doorway with a smile on her face. “There you are? What is taking you so long? Put on some clothes and come to breakfast.”Delilah turned to leave but Xenia grabbed her and pulled
Delilah caught Jane before she fell to the floor. Jane gazed over Rick’s lifeless body, her body trembling of what had just happened before. before letting out a heavy sigh.“I knew this was going to hurt, but damn,” Jane laughed. “You would think I would be used to pain.”“Jane, what’s going on?” Delilah asked.“Later,”Jane said with one last look at Rick before shaking her head. “We have to get to the others.”“Agreed,” Archie said, gripping the hilt of his sword. “No delays. Where are the others?”Jane pointed in the direction of the dungeon cells. “Cells are down that way, but we’re not the only ones down here.”On cue, a loud crash could be heard through the tunnels. The group raced forward, coming to a scene of pure chaos. Lacey, Friend, and Danny were in the middle of an all-out brawl against several guards. Lacey was throwing punches like a rabid beast, while Frieda and Danny–both laughing wildly–used each other to break through. Danny swung Frieda around like a rag doll while
The saturated color of the surrounding trees and landscape looked all too familiar when Xenia woke up in the spirit realm. Yet, something felt off. The hues were darker and the shadow loomed over the entire space. Mist swirled around her ankles, and the air carried an otherworldly hum that seemed to resonate in her chest. For a brief moment, the feeling frightened her.“You are finally awake,” a voice called out.Xenia turned to see Nova, moving towards her. Nova’s white fur shimmered like freshly fallen snow under the moonlight and darkness.“Nova,” Xenia breathed, relief washing over her. “I forgot how this felt. Though, it looks different.”“Dark forces are involved here, Xenia,” Nova said, lowering her head slightly, her ears twitching in agitation. “Melania’s presence is growing stronger.”Xenia’s stomach tightened. The name alone sent a chill through her body. Her hands curled into fists, looking around the area for a sign. “Where is she?”“Close,” Nova growled. “Be on guard.”“
The clash of metal against metal echoed through the kitchen as Jane ducked, barely dodging the swing of the spiked chain now wielded by Rick.Rick grinned as he twirled the chain like a predator with a toy. “You thought you were clever. Wielding this chain like you had a chance against me. Haven’t you had enough today?”Jane was breathing hard, her muscles aching from the fight, but still she laughed, shaking her head. “Obviously not, if I’m defying you again, but you know what Rick. I don't care what you do to me anymore. I will be free from you whether you like it or not.”“Don’t test me, Jane.”He swung the chain and Jane ducked as it hit the plates just above her. The glass sprayed everywhere causing a few cuts on her arms. She moved back against the counter, and her hand grazed the surface, feeling for anything useful. Her fingers brushed against something cold and metal–a pie tin. Her heart leaped as she remembered its contents. The silver and wolfsbane pie she’d baked earlier,
The path they took wasn’t going to the dungeons but through the Alpha’s secret hideaway in his office. The sudden change as they entered the small cave made Xenia’s stomach tighten. “Where are we going?” Xenia asked, her voice more high-pitched than she liked. The warriors remained silent, their faces unreadable as they waded through the icy water to reach the other side. Xenia’s heart raced, her pulse pounding in her ears. The dim, suffocating tunnel brought back the memories of her escape with her mother. Her breath hitched, and her legs faltered as the faint echoes of her mother’s screams mingled with the falling of debris.“Xenia,” Nova’s voice rumbled in the back of her mind, firm but soothing. “They did this on purpose. Fight through it. Breathe.”Xenia gritted her teeth, drawing strength from Nova’s presence as she struggled to keep moving. The warriors exchanged glances but said nothing, their grip tightening to keep her moving. Nova’s presence swirled protectively around he
Jane waited until all the warriors had left for the ritual before making her way through the halls of the packhouse. Her fist tightened around the key wrapped in a note she received from one of the guards–a man with a creepy obsession with Frieda. Jane thought it was a trap set by Lillian, but at the moment, she didn’t have any other option. “They locked Lacey and Frieda in the west wing, the room with the black doors. After the feast.”Jane cursed under her breath again. The west wing was desolate, but she knew there would be a guard or two stationed there. As she approached the main staircase, she slowed her pace, her ears catching the faint murmurs of voices below. She peeked over the railing and spotted two warriors stationed at the bottom of the steps. Sneaking past them was impossible. She needed a distraction. She looked around and noticed a small statue perched on a pedestal. Quietly, she slipped toward it, her heart pounding. With much more effort than she anticipated, she
This worked way better than expected. Lillian thought as she strode into the room where Mason lay, his muscular arms wrapped protectively around a trembling Xenia. She twirled the little pouch to break the spell, seeing the control Melania had over him was still in effect. Though if it was up to her, Lillian would let the effect last as long as she could. She approached the side of the bed where Xenia was looking straight ahead, her eyes wide with unshed tears. Lillian crouched down, her face level with Xenia’s. When Lillian’s hand reached out to brush a strand of Xenia’s hair back, Xenia flinched, but Mason’s grip kept her in place.“You brought this on yourself, you know,” Lillian mused. “All you had to do was cooperate.”“Fuck… you,” Xenia stuttered.Lillian laughed. “I think we both know who just got fuck. What? You can’t handle a bit of rough play?”Xenia wanted to reach out and claw Lillian’s face but Mason had her locked down. Lillian crouched, meeting Xenia’s angry gaze with
**TRIGGER: ASSAULT**Xenia’s fingers brushed the cold windowpane as she gazed out into the night, the Red Moon hung ominously in the sky. Its crimson glow bathed the landscape in an unsettling light, a reminder of the ritual to come. Tonight, everything will change. She could feel the weight of it pressing down on her. No matter how much Nova tried to reassure her that everything was going to be okay.“Do you feel that?” Nova asked. Xenia knew what she was talking about. There was power in the air. Something that seemed to call to the both of them. Or more like someone.“Mason?” Xenia asked.“No. Micah.”Xenia closed her eyes, searching in the darkness for something to hold on to. Was he really here? Was she really saved? A hand on her shoulder shook her from her thoughts as Tammy stood behind her with her dress.“Everything is safely tucked in, Luna,” Tammy said, laying the dress on the nook bench. Xenia exhaled slowly, gripping the towel wrapped around her as if she was cold, but
Mason stood in the dimly lit chamber, the flickering light from the torches casting shadows on the stone walls. In front of him, chained to opposite walls, were Micah, with bruises all over his body, and Cristobal, bound and barely conscious, yet still seething with defiance.Rick stood silently by the door, arms crossed, his eyes flicking between the three of them, awaiting orders.Mason tapped his fingers on the hilt of the knife he held, lazily spinning it in his grip as if it were a mere toy. He paced back and forth in front of his captives, stopping occasionally to inspect them with a twisted sense of amusement. "So, plans, dear brother. Let's discuss those. I’m sure you didn’t crash my little party just for a scenic tour of the dungeon." He stopped abruptly, crouching in front of Micah, his smirk twisting into something crueler. “Or are you going to let our brave soldier boy here spill his guts for you?”Micah didn’t respond. His breathing was labored, but his eyes—those damn e