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
Xenia sat up quickly and grabbed Jane's arm. "Don't say that!" Xenia didn't mean to yell, but something struck her nerves. "Don't let them define who you are. Being human is not a weakness, Jane. You are kind; sometimes, that can be just as powerful as a werewolf's strength." "Well," Jane said with a sad smile, "kindness didn't keep me from being knocked out, did it?" Xenia didn't know what to say to that. She wasn't even sure everything she said was just for Jane. At that moment, she felt weak and stupid for getting caught. She was lost in thought as Jane helped her back to a lying position. Xenia winced from the pain in her shoulders, but as soon as Jane massaged some cream, the pain was instantly replaced by a minor ache. "Your eye," Xenia asked. Jane absentmindedly touched the bruise. It didn't seem to bother her. "Rick overreacts sometimes. The Alpha yelled at him, so the most logical thing to do is blame me since I was the last person with you." "That is bullshit," Xenia y
Mason walked into his office, barely able to control his anger. She got away and almost got hurt. His best chances of getting Melania back were almost taken away just like that. He thought of Melania, but eventually, the image of Xenia clouded his mind. The ghost of her body felt imprinted in his. He sat in his chair but only wanted to return to her. Touch her. Feel the way her body melted to his. Never let her go. Then the image of her being attacked flashed in his mind. The way she looked when that rogue attacked. She was prepared to die. Frustratedly, he threw everything off the table in one angry swipe. "GET IN HERE!" Lillian, Kane, and Rick cautiously entered the room. They kept their distance, and Mason didn't blame them. They could probably feel the energy in the room like sparks of electricity pricking at their skin. Rodin's anger was rolling through them like waves. They needed to know how serious this situation was. "How did a fucking rogue get this close to my territor
Lillian stood in front of the mirror, waiting for Melania to show up. She held onto the box holding Melania's soul and closed her eyes, trying to calm her nerves. The Blue Moon wasn't far away, and she was no closer to finding a way for Xenia to accept Mason. So far, Rick hasn't been able to crack his little mate. Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted as the surrounding candles were set ablaze before an image appeared in the mirror. Lillian opened her eyes to see Melania sitting on a bench under a tree. "Ah, Lill. So nice to see your face," Melania said. Her voice was as sweet as candy. Lillian bowed before her as she felt a ghost of Melania's hand caressing her face. "How is my mate holding out? Keeping him satisfied, I hope." "Of course, Luna. Though…” Lillian hesitated to continue. The one thing she hated more than Mason's indifference was Melania's disapproval. "Lill, tell me now," Melania said as the air in the room seemed to drop in temperature, "before I get angry." "It
Xenia was healing slower than usual but enough for Mason to put her back to work. She couldn't move as much with her injuries and the bandages but was glad to leave the room. Instead of one of the girls coming to get her, Mason sent two warriors in their place. Probably thought it best to send someone she couldn't easily knock out. Though if given a chance, Xenia wouldn't pass it up. She walked in front of them as they shared a hushed conversation behind her. Luckily, they paid her no mind, and she listened well. "Can't believe they stuck us with this human," one of them sneered. "I have better things to do than babysitting." "Tell me about it. I wish I had joined them when they killed all those bandits. It would've been fun getting a few kills under my belt." "I don't know, Bran. Rick said they had magic bombs that made the air taste like blood and dirt. They confiscated them so the Alpha could study them. I saw it in his office, but it didn't look impressive." "That's becaus
Xenia had to remind herself not to cry as she stared at Jane in the doorway. She knew she looked bad but Jane… Jane's eyes were lowered to the ground as silence blanketed the room. Lacey walked over and pulled Jane into a hug. Xenia was frozen, looking over Jane's face, which was heavily made up. Still, the bruises were plain as day. Her eyes were a deep purple, her lip was busted, and a light ring appeared around her neck. Xenia was surprised her face wasn't swollen. As Frieda and Celia walked over to Lacey and Jane, Xenia gripped the island to help her breathe. "I swear that hot bastard needs to be caged like the animal he is," Frieda said. "Fuck that," Lacey yelled. "Someone needs to beat his ass. Give him a taste of his own medicine." "Please," Jane begged softly. "I'm fine. I'm already healing." Jane moved around them until she came to Xenia. "Luna, I'm glad to see you moving around." "Jane..." Xenia could barely speak as Jane bowed and went to her station to prepar
Xenia pulled away from Jane and walked through the door. Lucky for her, Fred and Bran were chatting with the group as she hid the knives behind her back. They hadn't noticed her yet, so the element of surprise was on her side. She could hear Rick speaking to them as they laughed. "Did you see what I did to shut her up?" Rick asked, holding his hand up to demonstrate. That's when the first knife sliced through it like it was butter. It took them a second to realize what had happened before Rick growled and turned towards her. Xenia didn't wait as she threw the second knife, and he blocked with his hand like a dummy. The knife went through like butter, lodging itself in his shoulder. Xenia heard a scream from behind her, and it sounded like Jane. She turned to head back to the kitchen when she felt someone's hands on her shoulder. "How dare you!" Lillian growled as her claws dug into Xenia's skin, causing Xenia to scream out in pain. Without a weapon, Xenia did the only thing she coul
Melania took on Nova, Roman, and Micah while Mason set his sights on Xenia.With a powerful swipe Melania threw Roman towards Nova, both crashing out of the way as she clashed with Micah.“I never thought in a million years you would want to hurt me like this,” Melania grimaced. “I am your mate, Micah. Me. Not that fragile little human!”Micah’s grip tightened on her wrists, and for a moment, their faces were inches apart as he held her gaze. “You lost me the moment you took away the only family I had left,” he snapped. “You used my grief like a leash. You made yourself a monster.”Melania’s lips trembled, fury twisting her features. “No,” she whispered, shaking her head. “No, no–you still love me. I know you do. I can fix this. I can fix us.”“There’s no us anymore, Melania,” Micah said. “There will never be an us.”The words hit harder than any blow. Melania shrieked–an animal sound, furious and guttural–and her body lit up with a violent surge of dark magic. She slammed both hands
Xenia blinked, struggling to steady herself as the dream faded, ripped from her mind like torn silk. Her body ached. Every breath felt like she was inhaling smoke. She sat up slowly–and froze.Melania lay sprawled on the ground, her elegant dress torn, blood staining her lip. Her eyes fluttered open, dazed but furious.A sound to her left made Xenia twist around. Mason. Stumbling into the area, just as beaten. His shirt was ripped, and blood dripped from various parts of his body. He spotted Melania on the floor. His expression snapped.“No,” he whispered, then louder, “What did you do?”Xenia barely had time to get to her feet before he lunged at her.“You ruined everything!” Mason bellowed, slamming into her and knocking her back. “She gave you everything! And you spat on it!”Xenia hit the floor hard, the impact stealing the breath from her lungs. Dazed, she barely registered Mason’s shadow looming above her, his fist coming down.But it never landed.A hand caught it mid-swing wit
Xenia woke up alone. The brothers were nowhere to be seen, so she decided to get ready for another perfect day. She got dressed, fixing her appearance in the mirror. The moment she looked away, the reflection turned to Melania, who smiled before disappearing. Xenia stared at her reflection before leaving.“Good,” Xenia said to herself. “Today’s going to be perfect.”Downstairs the brothers were in the kitchen with Delilah. Micah was unusually focused, slicing and arranging with the precision of a man on a mission. Mason was just as focused, carefully packing fruits and cheeses, and crusty bread into woven baskets. Delilah flitted about the kitchen like a hummingbird, humming a lullaby Xenia swore she hadn’t heard since childhood.They walked to the sea, just the four of them. The cliffs were painted with wildflowers, the ocean stretched endlessly, calm and blue. Xenia leaned into the breeze and tried not to think too hard.But something was wrong.She felt it when she reached for the
Melania kept her magic flowing into Xenia, but she felt herself losing strength. Micah stood before them, his presence blazing with power.Melania didn’t flinch. “Keep him away,” she said to Mason. “She’s so close to accepting her new reality. If he interrupts now, she might have the strength to fight back. I need time.”“He won’t understand,” Mason said.“Then make him,” she snapped. “I know you can.”“I won’t say it again,” Micah said, interrupting their conversation. “Get out of my way Mason.”“I can’t let you,” Mason said, his voice shaking with fury. “You took her away from me once. I won’t let it happen again!”Mason snarled, aura flaring to full strength as he launched forward. Micah’s wolf, Roman, collided with Mason in mid-air, the impact sending a shockwave through the spirit realm. Mason crashed to the ground, rolling once before skidding to a stop.“Damn you, Roman,” he spat, rising. “Do you have to interfere. This is between brothers.” Roman stood between him and Mason,
Xenia stood frozen as Mason held her waist, his touch gentle. This was the kind of moment a girl might fantasize about–the reformed villain pledging himself at her feet. But something about it soured in her gut. The air shimmered, just slightly, like heat rising off pavement. Mason’s skin was warm, too warm, feverish. And his voice… it wasn’t Mason’s. Not really.“I’m nothing without you,” he whispered, face pressed to her abdomen. “You saved me, Xenia. Don’t you remember?”“Mason, I…” Her throat constricted. It was suddenly hard to speak. Hard to think. But she could hear her mother and Micah returning–footsteps, laughter, too far and too close all at once. The sounds blurred, like a warped vinyl record.“I believe you,” she said quickly, trying to get him up but he tightened his arms around her.“You know I can tell when you’re lying,” he said, eyes flicking up to hers. There was a flicker–just for a second–where his eyes changed, glitching like bad film. A blink later and they were
Blood and ash thickened the air as Alpha Micah and the group made their way through the packhouse and towards the ritual grounds. The howls of distant wolves still echoed, but for now, the area had settled into a tense, almost eerie silence. Laurie floated down from a treeline, black eyes turning back to her usual color, her expression grim. “More guards than we thought,” she whispered. “And that’s just the outer ring. Inside the ritual circle, we’ve the Three Sisters.”Micah’s jaw tightened. “The Three Sisters?”Laurie nodded. “They’re channeling the ritual. It’s working. Xenia’s… already changing.”“What do you mean changing?” Delilah asked, panic rising in her voice.Micah placed a firm but comforting hand on Delilah’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, Miss Delilah. It’s not over yet.” Then, turning back to Laurie, he asked, “Can we get past them?”Laurie nodded. “They’re powerful, but we can get rid of them if we destroy the effigy tethering them here.”A chilling scream cut through the ni
In the cozy kitchen of her family home, Xenia found herself caught in a comical, slightly awkward situation as she sat down to breakfast. Her mother sat across from her with her chin resting on her clasped fingers. Delilah’s eyes darted between the two brothers she forced Xenia to sit between.“So,” Delilah began, her eyes twinkling with mischief as she sipped her tea. “Since I didn’t get the chance to properly introduce myself to you both because of the… incident in Ornyville…”“We are so sorry about that, Miss Bakken,” Micah interjected. Xenia turned to look at him and he regarded her with a smile before taking her hand and turning back to Delilah. “It’s just been a while since we had a mate and the bond was stronger than we anticipated.”“I don’t know what the big fuss was,” Mason added. Xenia turned to look at him. Her heart started to race as her hand curled into fists.What is this feeling towards him?“We did replace the bar table and compensated the owner,” Mason continued. “T
Serif laid down on the sand, exhausted. They’ve been digging themselves from the little sand hole the others stuff them into to avoid detection. Dottie and Molly ran to his side to help him sit up. He swatted them away.“I’m fine, I’m fine,” he said with irritation. “I’m just a bit tired, hungry, and my ass is full of sand. How much longer do we have to stay here?”Dottie looked over the empty waves, shaking her head. “Laurie said to wait here for reinforcements.”“She didn’t say how long they will be,” Molly added. “But this was the safer option.”Serik looked toward the tunnel the others left through the other day, wondering if they were better off going with them. Then he thought about the fighting and unnecessary bloodshed and decided he chose the right path. Still, the shade of the moon in the sky gave him an eerie feeling.“There!” Dottie pointed to a ship that appeared on the horizon. Dottie and Molly exclaimed, jumping up and waving their hands in the air. Serif groaned, bare
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 h