Bella:Runestone! There was only one person who called me that name. Fae.“Fae?” I asked at once, and I watched Mabel’s face curve into a smile.“You are so slow, Runestone, but you were right about one thing. I am a terrible person, but you fell right into my trap.”When she said this, I tried hard to believe I was sleeping, and that this was just a terrible dream, but with each pinch I applied to my skin, I felt it terribly. Fae was standing in front of me, in flesh and blood. She was Mabel. As I stared at her, remembering all the times I had consoled her and she consoled me too, my stomach twisted in knots.“You must have been delighted watching Ryder and me fight,” I said, and she chuckled darkly, clutching her belly with both hands.“You sick monster!” I growled, and she stopped laughing, focusing her gaze on me.“I might be sick, but you all turned me into this,” she began. “My life was supposed to go smoothly and easily. Ryder and I were a perfect match, and I would have been L
Bella:“What are you still waiting for? Or do you want me to teach you your job around here, hybrid?” he barked, and I stood still, glaring at him. “In case you want to hear it from me, you are stripped of your sidekick role. You can get in line like every other worthless soldier on this team!” He shut his eyes.“You do not even feel a little remorse for what you did.” I finally spoke, and he opened his eyes. “Your team of vampires are the most stupid people I have ever come across. I would rather be put to death than serve something as disgusting as you.” A smirk formed on his lips as he sat up straight.“Be careful what you wish for, hybrid,” he said to me, but I wasn’t done. There was something rising in my chest, pushing me to go further because, deep down, I was tired. Tired of having to bend my rules to fit his needs.“You think you are all high and mighty because you have people cowering at their feet in your presence?” I asked without taking my eyes off him. “But let me tell y
Bella:“Before we start, I will have to make sure my prisoners do not escape,” Enzo said. Then he lifted his hand, raising a black cage around Ryder and me.Halle kept floating, her eyes blazing, and her gaze locked on Enzo. Suddenly, the room felt hot as the energy radiating from her intensified. This must be her highest form, I reasoned. Her form didn’t seem to scare Enzo, because he stared at her with a smirk forming on his face.Then he cracked his knuckles, and I watched him transform with dark energy swirling around him.“This is your last chance to back away, witch,” he stated, and Halle charged at him without warning. A beam of white light shot from her hands. Enzo barely dodged it as the blast hit the ground, leaving a smoldering gouge. He stared at it, and a chuckle escaped his lips at once.Then he looked back at Halle.“Nice try,” he said, his grin widening.Halle’s hands blazed again, and she was ready to go in with another blast, but Enzo disappeared in an instant, reapp
Bella:Before I could speak, the guards dragged Ryder roughly across the ground, leading him outside. He struggled against their grip, his muffled grunts filling the air. His struggles grew more desperate as the guillotine came into view. My heart raced against my chest, and Enzo strolled casually beside me with a smirk on his face. I didn’t bother to struggle against the people holding me because I knew it was useless.“Teenagers,” Enzo scoffed, shaking his head in displeasure. “You actually thought you could overthrow me? The arrogance and stupidity amaze me. Even your fathers are no match. All those years I was quiet, I left the instructions to my followers, and you all did nothing but exist in your little fairytale. Foolish wolves!” His voice dripped with mockery as he waved to one of his men. “Let my sidekick have the front seat.”Sidekick. That word brought a disgusting, ill feeling to my stomach, and it made me wonder if things would have turned out better if I hadn’t embarked
THIRD PERSON POVRyder’s eyes gleamed with mischief, and suddenly his body morphed as he turned into a random vampire. Both Fred and Bella remained in shock, but it was too late for Fred, as he had been placed against the stand.“Ryder…?” he managed to choke out as his face paled. The vampire turned to him, letting out a chuckle before facing Enzo.“Well, isn’t this a surprise?” he chuckled darkly with a smirk on his face. “A wolf becomes a vampire.”Everything began to make sense to Bella now, and she realized why Ryder couldn’t speak to her with a mind link. The tension must have made her think he even heard her in the first place. How Enzo was outsmarting them made her feel foolish. He was truly one step ahead. She had fallen headfirst into this because Hazel said the triplets were attacked, and she believed they may have captured Ryder.“I am sorry, Bella,” Fred muttered, and she shook her head with tears crawling down her face.“You wolves are pathetic, and your emotion is the re
THIRD PERSON POV:Hazel pulled her cloak tightly around herself as the chilly night slapped against her hands. She ignored the biting feeling and set out to find the cave. She opened a portal and made it to the wasteland. Since her mind was a mix of chaos, it was difficult to focus on opening a portal in the middle of the cave. As she arrived at the entrance of the wasteland, she walked until the cave came into view. Her heart raced, and deep down, she was scared of being here alone, but each time fear crossed her heart, Halle’s words would counter what she felt.Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside the cool and damp cave, which provided her a little warmth in contrast to the biting cold outside. Looking around, she saw that the bodies of the slaughtered werewolves were nowhere to be found. They were gone, and she wondered if the cave did a self-cleansing or if Enzo’s men had taken away the bodies.Her footsteps echoed faintly as she walked deeper into the cave. This had been thei
THIRD PERSON POV“You have to rescue the unifier first. Enzo has held her captive and if you do not get to her first,he will use her for the ritual, which will lead to her death.” Hazel nodded at one of the witches’ words. “We will help you with an illusion spell that will mask you in the eyes of the vampires, but you need to be quick. You will be able to sense her with the spell. While you are gone, we will be here setting up the spell for the release of Radolf Clawmark.”“Here.” They tossed a globe to her. “When you get to the stone, rub on this, and we will be notified at once. Then we can activate the spell to make you hybrid, but you will need blood from the unifier.”“Come, child,” one witch said, and Hazel stepped forward. Then they gathered around her, chanting a spell. Hazel was thrown into utter darkness in no time, and when she opened her eyes, she saw herself in the vampire den.She saw two vampires headed towards her, which caused her heart to skip a beat, and she tried t
THIRD PERSON POV:Bella was shocked at how much strength Hazel possessed. She could sense them coming, but she wasn’t sure she would have caught them before they got to her. Hazel tore off the neck of the vampire in her hand, tossing it on the ground.Then they both turned around to see the vampires had surrounded them.“They came just in time,” Hazel remarked with a smile spreading across her lips. She was eager to try out her new powers.They were surrounded by almost fifty vampires, but she didn’t care.“Come on!” She beckoned to Bella, and they charged at the vampires.The vampires closed in like a wave of darkness, and the two friends charged at them. Hazel flexed her fingers, her sharpened nails glinting under the pale moonlight. She grinned as adrenaline flooded her veins. The first vampire lunged at Hazel with their fangs bared, but she moved faster than she thought possible. With a single leap, she was on him, grabbing his head and twisting it with a sickening crack. The vamp
THIRD PERSON POV:Bella stood over Enzo’s battered form, her chest heavy from the stresss. Blood dripped from the cuts on her face and arms, but victory was near, so she held herself steady.“Bella! Catch!” Kai yelled, tossing her the stake.“No, you do not have to do this. We are partners,” Enzo said to her, and Bella scoffed. She hated the fact he thought his ‘sweet’ words would change her heart after she saw him take everyone she cared about.Bella reached up, her fingers closing around the black shaft, then she glared at Enzo, who was struggling under her grip. His once-dominating presence was reduced to desperation.“You deserve nothing but death,” Bella said to him, and he chuckled.“I will always find a way to ret—” Before he could finish, she drove the stake into his heart, and he gave a deafening scream that reverberated through the ground.Dark energy swirled around him as his body was being torn apart. Bella wasted no time pulling the stake free and driving it into his head
THIRD PERSON POV:As Bella’s body rose, her hand stretched out, pointing towards Enzo. Then the glow in her eyes dissipated as her eyes opened.“You want me, Enzo? Then come and get me!” she yelled at once. Enzo’s lips curled into a wicked grin, bloodlust evident in his eyes. He released Herald’s broken body, letting it fall to the ground.“Finally, you’re done hiding behind your pathetic friends. I’ll enjoy ripping you apart.” He licked his lips.In a blur, Enzo charged at Bella with blinding speed. Bella stood her ground as he closed the distance between them. She moved calmly, causing him to fall to the ground. Hazel undid the shield protecting them, and they tried to step in, but Bella turned to them.“This is my fight, and if you want to be helpful, then look around. Our troops are dying, and my father.” She locked off her emotions to prevent her mind from getting clouded by the thoughts of her father, who seemed to be dying.Then she turned to Enzo, who got to his feet with a sh
THIRD PERSON POV:Enzo’s eyes narrowed as he saw Sue collapse, clutching her chest where Fred had slashed her. She watched as the venom of his bite spread faster into her bloodstream. It was worse than being bitten by a living wolf, as it was consuming her twice. Rage bubbled inside Enzo as he watched her. She was useless to him, and he felt the need to get rid of her, as she had only foiled all his plans.“You!” He growled under his breath, leaving Halle and rushing toward Sue. As she saw her uncle from the fading light that drew her closer to death, her eyes lit up with a glimmer of hope.“You… you came to help me,” she whispered weakly, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. “I… knew you… cared…”Enzo stared at her in disgust as she said this, and for a moment, it seemed like the battlefield held its breath for this moment where Enzo was about to show kindness.With one pull, Enzo had Sue on her feet, then he stared into her eyes. “Of course, I came for you, Sue. You’ve been
THIRD PERSON POV:Enzo was still outraged about his failed immortality experiment. He was tired of running in circles with Bella and the entire werewolf community. He had sworn it would end that night, but now that it had failed, he imagined finding four hundred werewolves all over. That was close to impossible, and it was eating him deeply.“I asked you for one job, and you couldn’t get it right, yet you want me to acknowledge you!” Enzo barked at Sue, who was still in shock over what had happened.“I swear I didn’t do anything, Enzo. I would never do anything to jeopardize your plan. I will worship you forever, and—”“Silence!” he roared. “You are even more pathetic than my brother!” He gritted his teeth, and Sue felt as though multiple daggers were being thrown into her chest.He had to mention her father. It was said her father died fighting him, but Enzo had taken a liking to her, so he kept her as his daughter. He was nicer to her as a kid, but he abhorred her now, and it hurt.
THIRD PERSON POV:The air reeked of blood and smoke, thick with the cries of war. The Dusk Pack's territory, once a sprawling, serene land, had become a battlefield drowned in chaos. The moon hung low, partially obscured by clouds, casting pale light on the destruction below. Growls and screams filled the night as werewolves clashed with vampires in a brutal fight.Ryder stood at the heart of the storm, his wolf eyes glowing a fierce gold as he ripped through the enemy ranks with unrelenting force. His clothes were torn and soaked in blood. He wondered how his father was doing and if he thought of him often. Then there was Bella, whom he hadn’t heard from in a while. As he fought, he was determined to win because there were a lot of people he needed to reconnect with.They had been torn apart after the vampires struck their den, forcing them to flee back to the Dusk Pack with Riley. He had been scared of his father’s wrath, but now he wished he had listened.“Behind you!” Ryder roared
THIRD PERSON POV:Bella’s spirit wandered aimlessly, her bare feet touching nothing but mist and shadow. The world around her was colorless—a sea of gray stretching infinitely in all directions. There was no up, no down, just an endless void that pulsed with her heartbeat, faint and unsteady.“Where am I?” she whispered as a chill ran up her spine.It was cold here. She looked down at herself, seeing her missing arm somehow restored. She touched it in confusion.“What the hell? What is going on?” she asked aloud, but there was no one to answer her questions.Then she noticed it. A faint, flickering golden glow ahead. It pulsed like a beacon in the dark, and though her instincts screamed for her to run, but she couldn’t stop herself from moving toward it. She was curious to find out what was going on, and she wondered if this was what it felt like to be dead.As she got closer, the glow grew brighter, and soon the mist thinned to reveal something that made her blood run cold. It was hi
THIRD PERSON POV:“Bella!” Hazel’s voice cracked as she rushed toward her, the globe clutched tightly against her chest.“No, stay back!” Halle’s voice cut through the chaos.Bella staggered to her feet, clutching her side where Sue had struck her.“But she’s dying!” Hazel’s voice was shrill, filled with panic and anger.Bella barely registered their words. The sound of her own heartbeat pounded in her ears, growing fainter with each passing moment. Her head drooped, and she let out a weak, shuddering breath. Darkness started to creep into her vision, the edges of her consciousness slipping away. She could heal, but not regenerate an arm, and she was in fear cause her to bleed too much, making it difficult to focus on healing. Evelyn rushed to her, holding her and trying to apply pressure to the bleeding arm. She was scared her daughter would die.Then the ground trembled beneath them.At first, it was a faint vibration rippling through the earth. But within moments, it grew into a vi
THIRD PERSON POV:As the chant of the witches echoed in the air, Hazel and Bella stood close to the rock. Halle stood nearby with her hands raised as she reinforced the protective barrier.“Are you both ready?” Halle asked the two, and they glanced at each other, nodding. They each bit their palms, letting blood drip onto the surface of the rock. The ground trembled as the stone absorbed their blood. A surge of energy rippled outward, and for a moment, it seemed like they had succeeded. But then a chilling laugh echoed through the air, freezing them in place.Sue emerged from the darkness, but neither Bella nor Hazel was moved. The witches kept chanting their spell, and Halle, who had created a powerful barrier, turned to Sue.“Well, isn’t this touching? The living and the dead all merged together. What a joyous reunion,” she said in a mocking tone.Sebastian moved first, stepping between Sue and the girls.“Stay back!” he growled, raising his hands defensively, and Sue chuckled light
THIRD PERSON POV:Fae turned sharply to Sebastian, her eyes blazing with fury.“What the fuck did you just do?” she hissed, her voice sharp enough to cut glass. Sebastian remained still. He didn’t answer, and his gaze fixed on the stone as his blood trickled down its surface.“Sebastian!” Fae snarled, stepping closer as she burned with rage. “You just ruined—”A slow creak interrupted her. It came from deep within the ground beneath the stone, a sound like an ancient door being forced open. Fae froze, her anger replaced by confusion.“What’s that?” she whispered as fear crossed her heart.The vampires surrounding them snapped to attention, their heads turning toward the noise. Before anyone could react, the vampires behind Bella and Hazel snapped their necks, allowing them to fall into darkness.**Bella’s eyes fluttered open. Her head throbbed, and her vision was hazy. She sat up slowly in a sluggish motion. It was still nighttime, and she was trying to remember what had happened.“W