Chapter 36Rose decided to avoid Grim for the rest of the day. It was a hard task but her creativity had led her to find new hiding spots where she could remain unfound for the next couple of hours. She knew how much of a difficult, impossible task it would be to stay away from Grim for the next couple of days. But she was more bothered about the rest of the day. Grim was worried. He sent every guard and maid he could find to search for Rose but no one laid eyes on her. They searched all the nooks and crannies of the palace but she was nowhere to be found. One thing Grim could be certain of was that she hadn't escaped. There is no way she could have left the pack without him knowing. Little did he know that she was hiding in her private favorite spot. She was hiding up in the tree that gave shade to the dry stump she usually sat on. She had stolen the key to the storage room of a guard and after gathering enough foodstuffs, she had returned the keys to him so as not to arouse susp
Chapter 37Rose didn't know what to make of Feria's words. It was a threat nonetheless but she didn't understand why she wanted her to leave so badly. “Vampire Princess, is everything okay?” Feria scoffed, even more annoyed that the young lady was playing dumb. “Everything is not okay. You used some kind of spell on Grim and now you're trying to take him away from me?” “I'm not trying to…” Rose tried to defend but she was barely given a chance. “Shut your dirty mouth! You think I don't know that there was nothing wrong with Grim? All of a sudden he calls for you and you two spend thirty minutes there. What the hell were you doing for thirty minutes?!” Feria yelled. A couple of birds nearby scampered away from the high-pitched tone of her voice. Rose ate her words. This was the same thing she had warned Grim would happen. She knew Feria well enough to know that her suspicions would surely grow. “Please calm down, Vampire Princess. I promise that I have done nothing of the sort
Chapter 38Rose was terrified. She could spot the trail of blood behind Feria and what appeared to be the corpse of one of the guards who were in the hallway. She knew she couldn't stand a chance against Feria so she immediately went to stand behind Grim, peeking at Feria. “What kind of madness is this Feria? You killed my guard and now you're threatening to kill my handmaid. Stop this at once before I teach you a lesson!” Grim thundered. If not for the fact that the woman was his fiance he would have put an end to her a long time ago. But that didn't mean he would hesitate to give her a little “scolding” to get her back on track. “If only you would listen to me and let this werewolf stop blinding you then you would realize that I'm not the bad guy here. This woman is a sorcerer and a murderer. She should be killed!” Feria retorted. Feria was more than mad walking in to see Grim standing so close to Rose. She was afraid that if she had shown up a couple of seconds later she would
Chapter 39Dale put down his pen, sighing. He had just taken down notes in his diary; an idea for a potion that he was working on. Time had gone past since the great dark spirit had revealed the details of how to take down Grim to him. It was a creative plan but it surely was going to take a lot. The only thing he was now worried about was Feria. He had sent her on a task hours ago and she still hadn't returned to him with news. That was unusual because he knew Feria too well. She was the yapper and would have surely returned with a tale of how things had given with Rose. He was up and waiting for her but when evening time got close he began to get worried. She didn't stay this long without coming to spend time with him. Or was she suddenly receiving so much attention from Grim that she had forgotten about him? That was a question that was answered by a knock on the door. He heaved a sigh, walking to the door and unlocking it. When he opened it. It wasn't who he was expecting that
Chapter 40Meanwhile, Rose was almost peeing her pants as she watched Dale go to his full form. She had seen him like this before but that didn't cancel out the fact that it was still menacing seeing him like that. How did she get here? She was in her room with Judy who was about to reveal some sort of secret. Grim barged on to tell her that the time he had given her was up. He dragged her off before she could appeal for more time. If only she had hesitated, she would have gotten the secret from Judy as well as avoided getting killed by Dale. There was nothing that Grim could do. She was sure of it. She was going to be killed, she had to. It was part of the law. Rose sighed, accepting her fate. She had known that she would only outrun death long enough without getting hooked. Her time had come. Grim looked at Dale. The latter had a smirk on his face. It looked like he had been waiting to do this for a long time m. “Don't worry, Grim. I'm going to kill two stones with one bird.
CHAPTER 41“What do you mean by there is a spirit within me ?” Rose asked. She looked down at her hands. “But nothing is coming out right now.” “That's because there is no immediate danger right now.” “Wait a minute. Are you saying that she is some kind of witch?” Grim yelled out pointing to Rose. The Sorceress scoffed. “Not a witch. She has powers, But she's not. Believe me, even I am surprised.” Rose couldn't believe it. “It's not possible. I have never gone through sorcery training a day in my life. I have always felt weak. There is no way I could have had these powers all along.” “You have. You just haven't had the cannon event to unlock them. They have stayed hidden until this moment.” “Cannon event?” Rose repeated, scoffing. “What's that?”“It's a moment when you go through some amount of trauma that pushes you to the edge.” Rose shook her head. There were a lot of moments when she had been pushed to the edge. If anything her cannon event should have been when the werewol
CHAPTER 42 Dale stood at the front of the throne room. The guards were averting their gaze as he paced in front of the door. The Grim he knew could kill him on sight but this one was more unpredictable but he needed to stay in Nostville and avoid looking for Vanessa. It was not like he even knew where to start. There was only one way his wishes to stay at Nostville could be accepted or rejected and that was if he walked in.The guards had told him that Grim had just returned from the woods with Rose where they had gone to see the sorceress but none of them knew what happened there. He breathed deeply before pushing the double doors of the throne room and entering cautiously. Grim wore an unreadable expression, staring at the door and Dale walked in.“I caught your scent for the long minutes you stood outside my doors,” Grim started as he stood up. “And I hoped that the gods had blessed you with just the right amount of brains to leave and run along, but you came in,” Grim growled, p
CHAPTER 43 Rose stood at the center of a clearing. She spun in slow circles, trying to remember how she’d ended up there, or why. The trees around her were tall and thick, casting long shadows, illuminated by the full moon. Her breath hitched as she tried to make sense of it, but the more she tried, the more confused she became. The air was soft at first, warm against her skin, ruffling her hair as it blew gently through the trees. For a moment, it felt peaceful, like everything was fine. But then the wind shifted. It started to pick up, a chill pushing out the warmth. Rose pulled her arms around herself, her body tensing as the temperature dropped. The breeze became harsh, biting into her skin, carrying with it the scent of something… something wrong.Then, from the edge of the woods, she saw it. A dark figure, moving slowly at first, like it was watching her. As it got closer, the shape began to solidify, but she couldn’t quite make out its features, she felt its eyes on her, col
Chapter 112 The entire Solemn Roar Pack was in attendance at the town's square. Everyone had gathered because the Alpha had arrived, and even though he had yet to explain the whereabouts of the groups he had taken to battle, they still welcomed him. Word had spread that he had summoned everyone, and they had appeared like ants, eager to know the outcome. Some of them had already packed up their bags. It was in their pouches, but it was also lined up on their beds. They wanted to be the first to move into Bittercullen, just to see how it felt to trample another man's territory. Then there were still the good ones who didn't come to cheer. The ones who wanted to protest about the way things were treated but didn't have enough courage to carry out the task. If the Alpha heard a single word of complaint, it wasn't news that he would not take it kindly. Then there was Rose. Waking up to this was the strangest feeling ever. Last she could recall, she had been back in her room, a
Chapter 111 Grim had already seen the scheme play out. Even before she could move the sword, he had already felt his head roll off his shoulder and his throat wastes hastily to the floor. It was not new news that he hated him and would not make it less so if this opportunity had just been bestowed on her. She drew the knife on one fast love arm, and he gasped. “You’re lucky my daughter seems to find something in you.” He kept checking his name. And when he had concluded that it was still whole, he breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you for sparing my life,” he said, leaning against the pile once again. “I shouldn’t have. Now I’m regretting why I didn’t, now that it’s too late. With the way you ruined my life, who wouldn’t if the same thing was done to them?” “I regret it as well. I regret leaving you like that because now I know how it feels to have someone so close betray you like that. I had the self-reflection I needed, and I’m here to say I’m sorry.” It felt great h
Chapter 110Vanessa’s breath came in sharp, ragged bursts as she stepped onto the battlefield. The air reeked of scorched earth and blood and was filled with something fouler, something *alive*. Magic. Wild and hungry. Her heart hammered against her ribs, a drumbeat of fury and fear. She’d felt it was the moment Rose lost control. That shockwave of power, tearing through the night like a scream. It had iced her veins, screaming one truth: *Too late, too late, too late—* And now, as the chaos unfolded before her, her worst nightmare took shape. Rose hung limp over Reed’s shoulder, her hair a tangled curtain, her body too still. Vanessa’s chest caved in. *No. Not her. Not my girl.* Rage erupted inside her, white-hot and vicious. It begged for violence, for teeth and blood and fire. But she choked it down. This wasn’t the time for fury. This was the time for precision. One misstep, one reckless move, and her daughter was gone. Her eyes locked onto Reed. He stood there, smug, *v
Chapter 109 A touch from Rose was all it took to put Grim in a good mood. Suddenly, the pain didn’t matter. All his senses were heightened, and a couple more strands of strength were added. This was a reminder of what he had been fighting for. She was worth it. She was worth every bruise, every scar, every drop he had spilled in the war. He would do it all over again for her and only her. “Is this because I talked about your father?” “Don't do this, Reed! She said no!” Grim said, leaning forward. He was trying to avoid the dark side of her coming to the fore. “Stay out of this, Grim. She is just being stubborn and needs to be reminded of what happens to people who think they can mess with me and get off free.” He slowed his tone, focusing his gaze on Rose alone. “I absorbed their necks right in front of their daughter. I ripped their hearts out.” Rose was fighting hard, but the image of her father’s face, begging in his last moments, wouldn't stop popping up in her min
Chapter 108Rose sat on the porch stairs, gazing into the distance. She could see it. The flames rising into the sky, the screams for help. Yes, the scent of blood had gotten to her as well. She could thank her hidden vampire sense of smell for that. It was just her and Vanessa at home. She had been sensing something was coming. Rose was waiting for her. She wanted to be the first to get the news of Judith’s return. Why hadn’t she snuck out yet? She was afraid of getting caught. It was an easy path to take back to the palace. But what could she do if she got there, huh? Werewolves now hated her. If she showed up, it would mean no surprise that they would either tear her to death or put the blame for what they were facing on her. To avoid that, she had stayed put. This was not a time for her tricks. The war was serious. Her mind kept wondering if Grim was still alive. Was he safe? The place she had seen him seated looked familiar to her. It was in Noetvelle, and that me
Chapter 107If looks could kill, Reed would have been on the floor, spirit unbound, blood-filled. That attack would not be from the thousands of people waiting patiently to see him for his downfall. It could be from Grim. If not for the sorceress keeping him in check nothing would have stopped him from reaching out his hand and blocking both of its eyes. it might not have been successful but at least they would have tried. He had heard the stories about how Reed had treated Rose, how he had tortured our father and chased her from the pack. On top of that he had the guts to call her his wife?“I have no idea who you are talking about,”* Grim replied, picking up a piece from the floor. “Oh, man. I love that vase,” he said, running his hands along the vase. “You’re going to have to pay for that.” He was stalling. If you thought the man was interested in an average deal with his villain, you were terribly wrong. It was a clever and subtle attempt to stall, and he was doing it on purp
Chapter 106Talk about chaos and bloodshed. It quickly puts you in the direction of the battle. Why, you ask? Why was this very revered place suddenly turned into a battlefield for survival, where very few could make it out? Well, I'm going to tell you. Because it started with a... "Bang!" The sound of the metal gates falling to the floor as they heralded the enemy. The sky over Nostville burned red with fire and chaos. Smoke billowed from the rooftops, filling the air with the acrid scent of destruction. It stretched as far as the horizon, and by the time Tom and his people arrived, no stone had been left unturned. Everywhere was hit. Every crevice was blown right open. Screams cut through the darkness—desperate cries of men, women, and children who ran blindly, their eyes wide with terror. The once-proud streets of the coven had become a battlefield, littered with bodies—some writhing in pain, others eerily still. Yes. Clearly, a spell was put on everyone. Shadows mo
Chapter 105Grim could hear the bangs and yells from a distance. But he didn't move a muscle. Gormee was the only one he could see. Excited to go wherever that would go. On a good run of days ago, he would have snuck back into the coven just to see how he could help them. But he was tired of fighting for a group of people who didn't give a damn about him.“Come on, Grim. How can you be here and watch your people scream and beg for help when they are calling for you?”He sighed. “I can’t say I ever agreed with their choices, but they had the chance to make the right choice. They didn't. They have to learn a lesson. Alistair is capable, right? Well, they could count on him to save them.”He took a sip of the root beer. It was his only company, the only thing that made him feel welcomed.“Don't be heartless, Grim. You know that man has no idea what he is doing. He is just being manipulated, and if you don't stop it soon enough, he is going to ruin the whole coven. You don't want that, do
Chapter 104 The sound of beating drums and people faintly whispering was the scene that woke up all of Nostville. That was the minute number who were able to get any sleep the previous night. As far as everyone else was concerned, their eyes were wide open, absorbing the gates in wait of the approaching battalion. Everyone was indoors. Rocking chairs sat alone, unoccupied, swinging with every tug from the violent wind. Even the windows remained still. For a community of people who were always fetching for gossip, everyone seemed settled in the inner parts of their households. It was better not to be aware of what was going on than to afford to be the first one that suffer the massacre that was brewing in the air. Their homes still stood the chance of getting attacked, but at least it was the safest they could be. Meanwhile, Reed was ever so comfortable in his seat. His eyes could sweep across his surroundings. “It’s just a matter of time,” he said to Jael. “History is