Chapter 30 Rose woke up to the sound of crackling fire and the distant sound of screeching owls. She held her head trying to battle her dizziness. She looked at her legs and all the wounds that she had sustained while running away were cleaned and healed. She turned to see Judy at the other end of the fire. The latter was watching the flames as she brandished a penknife on a rock. “Where the hell are we?” Rose asked, looking around. It felt like they had fallen into a hole.“We are in a cave I spotted on our way coming here. It should give us enough shelter for the time being until we can figure out what is going on.” But her words didn't bring Rose comfort. “What about the guards? Did we lose their trail?” “Yes, we lost them a long time ago. Judy grabbed a cup of freshly brewed tea and handed it over to Rose. “Take this, it should help with the headache.” Rose peered at the drink with a skeptical gaze. Just smiled. “Don't worry I will not try to drug you like you did to me. It
Chapter 31Rose jumped out of the bed she had been placed in and raced to a corner of the room raising both hands in surrender. “Please, don't kill me, please. I'll do everything else you want but please don't kill me,” she begged. There was no escaping this time. Grim looked at her with concern. It was kind of hilarious that the woman who had been making fun of him would be so terrified of him. Meanwhile Rose saw death flash before her eyes. This is not being said metaphorically, poetically, or in any other fancy way. Grim looked like death straight up to her. Only when her back was pinned to the back of the wall did she realize that her dizziness had set in. It came like a wave and she had to place one hand on the wall to avoid slumping from her weak knees. Her first instinct was to look for the best way of exiting the room. The door looked back at her seductively but she knew she wasn't getting to it before Grim, especially in her weakened state. The window was the worst optio
Chapter 32Grim had felt his world turn blank. He would have screamed for help or at least tried to convince Rose to stay but he had lost his voice. He didn't blame her. He had treated her worse and if she saw this as payback then that was fine. His last wish was for her to at least believe his words because they were the truth. Then she came back. When he thought all hope was gone she came back and took him up. She had risked getting spotted by any vampire and getting hurt. That sacrifice from her meant a lot to him. Literally, he blacked out from the pain before they could get to the shrine.The healer walked out when she heard the commotion outside. She was an elderly woman with her silk white hair fixated with ornaments of sorcery. Bracelets and rings of different shapes and sizes adorned her hand. She was clad in a robe that showered down to her feet. She walked down and collected Grim from Rose. “Thank you for bringing him,” the healer appreciated. “Wait here, I'll take him
Chapter 33“I can't do it,” Rose told Judy for the umpteenth time. But Judy wasn't giving up on her anytime soon. “I know you're scared, but it's fine.” Her next words were to be for Rose to ‘trust her’ but she knew better than to request for her trust after the way things had ended the last time. “But Lord Grim is personally requesting to see you.” Rose felt like she was in trouble. Maybe he wanted to punish me for walking away from him earlier, she thought to herself. ”Don't worry I'll be by your side this time. I'm not going to let anything happen to you,” Judy assured.Rose mustered the courage to follow Judy into the chambers where Lord Grim was being kept. All eyes were on her when she walked in and the different gazes were for different reasons. If looks could kill, Feria's eyes would have turned Rose into dinner as soon as she walked in. She held onto Grim closely as if just Rose's presence was enough to capture her fiance's heart.Dale didn't bother to give her more th
Chapter 34It still felt like a dream hearing Grim speak the truth. She would never have taken him to stoop so low to not only say the truth but also apologize for what he did. “He went on his knees and begged for your forgiveness?” Judy repeated just to be sure she heard right. Could you blame Rose for spicing the details? She may have exaggerated some of the details of how it had happened but now that she saw Judy's reaction it was worth it. By now they had returned to Nostville. Lord Grim had specially put Rose in charge of taking care of him. That was the only way he could think of getting her to spend more time with him on the ride back home. As you would expect, Feria wanted to skin Rose alive but the warning from Grim stopped her from making a move. All she could do was stare with evil eyes and keep making plans to finally make Rose flee. “I was just as shocked as you are. I was expecting him to leap and tear me to pieces but instead, he was asking for my forgiveness,” sh
Chapter 35Feria wanted to bring down the entire palace. That was what her rage was tempting her to do. Lord Grim had already sent out the instructions. If he so much as had a sore throat, the only person responsible for his health was Rose. A lot of people questioned his decision but none of them spoke up. However, there was one strong-headed person who wouldn't let the matter go. Her name was Feria and she spoke up as soon as Grim had made that announcement. She decided to go into his chamber to confront him about it. She was on her way there when she saw Rose running out. She had this look of shock on her face. Feria immediately suspected something was wrong. She approached one of the guards by the door to confirm her suspicions. “How long was she in there?” “Thirty minutes, Vampire Princess,” the guard answered In hushed but clear tones. He didn't want to disclose the information but after recalling the fate of the previous guards who had tried to stand in Feria's way he did
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 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