CHAPTER 61Rose couldn't bring herself to look for the diary. She stood at the door praying that whoever had scattered her things out of anger and not because they were looking for something. Even as she stood at the door, she had doubts. She walked to the bag and slipped her hand into the hidden compartment of the bag and tapped around but the book wasn't there, she looked inside and couldn't see anything. Her heart sank. She didn't even know who to blame. Feria had avoided her for a while now and she couldn't have just decided to scatter her things around… unless she knew about the kiss. That was also not possible because Grim didn't look like he was going to tell her. There was a knock on her door and Judy poked her head in. “Wow, don't tell me you got angry and did all this. It literally looks like a hurricane was here,” Judy said as she got in. “No,” Rose replied sharply. “I'm sorry for how I spoke to you the other day. I was just annoyed and jealous and...”“It's alright.
CHAPTER 62The clearing was still, except for the rustle of the wind brushing through the trees and the occasional chirp of birds. The early morning air was cold. Sunlight filtered through the spaces between the leaves of the trees, warming the cool earth. Grim had chosen this place for their training. It was isolated, quiet, and a perfect spot for training although it was not better than the mountain.She had received his message the night before, instructing her to meet him here for training at dawn. She had been hesitant, unsure of how she felt about training with Grim after the tension that had simmered between them recently. The last time they had been nearby, the kiss but he hadn't even stared at her the last time she had seen him. Yet, she couldn’t deny that the thought of what they could become outweighed her unease.As she had walked towards the clearing, she had replayed their last encounter in her mind… Now, she stood a few feet away, stretching her arms and legs as she p
CHAPTER 63The atmosphere in the coven’s private hall was thick with tension because of the news Grim had received. He had called for a meeting between the covens that were close to Nostville to address it. The five leaders of the most powerful covens in the region had gathered in one room, and the subject of their meeting… the dark shadow… had most of them on the edge of their seats. The five of them, Grim included, sat at the long oak table. The room was dim, lit only by the flickering light of a few candles. The air smelled faintly of the blood that had been served but it was the scent of their uneasiness that hung heavily in the air.Grim, as always, sat at the head of the table. His posture was stiff as his mind kept wandering to what the Sorceress had told him before the meeting began.His mind was elsewhere. She had told him not to say anything about what he suspected to be caused by. He was not to mention Althrea. He had been careful to keep his suspicions about the shadow t
CHAPTER 64Rose walked slowly to the Sorceress's house. She knew she shouldn't get angry or even offended but she couldn't help the sadness she was feeling. It seemed like every time she made progress in anything, something suddenly happened and took her backward. First, she was making progress towards being Alpha of her pack and inheriting her father's power, then Reed came along, killed her father, and became Alpha and what she had been prepared to be. Then she came to Nostville, realized she had powers and started working on them. Then she thought the magic training with the Sorceress was making progress, she had even saved herself from turning to paste, then the news about the mental block stopped her. And then now, whatever it was she had been building with Grim was stuck again. He had kissed her but she had been too shocked to kiss him back. Then he had trained with her like nothing had changed between them.She had gone to see him but she had not been allowed to enter because
CHAPTER 65 Well, that was disappointing. Grim hissed.“You were the one who was supposed to bring me good news finally.”“I'm sorry, brother. But don't forget my promise. I'm going to make sure I find the person who is behind this and bring them to justice.” “Alright. I know you'll keep to that.” Dale might have been reckless but he was a man of his word nonetheless. “Take some time to settle down and we'll reconvene about this later.” Dale nodded and left finally leaving Grim with some alone time to think. Who was the person that would go about causing so much havoc in the pack? Why were they doing this? To make matters even worse the elders were refusing to act. “Evidence? Really Alistair?” He muttered under his breath. “Maybe you'll get your evidence when this darkness takes away someone close to you.” All a bunch of annoying fools. That's what they were. He needed to put his mind away from all the chaos going on and the best distraction was the upcoming summer solstice. I
Chapter 66Rose gasped. “What… are you saying I am a dark spirit?” She had thought the sorceress would confirm her fear that she had been attacked with althrea. She didn't expect to be called out to a vessel of evil. “No. Remember when I told you that you have both sides of light and dark? Well, the reason you have only manifested your light side is because you haven't been letting dark thoughts creep into your mind. The second you let dark thoughts creep into your mind, your dark side tends to come to the fore.” Rose sighed. She had thought about killing Feria so she could finally have Grim all to herself. There were different innovative ways to do it without getting caught now that she had powers. At the thought, the scales were tipping in the favour of the shadows. She immediately got rid of the thought and once more the light shone in her life. “You are right.”“Of course, I am right.” “Are there any perks of the dark side taking over?” “It spreads like a virus. The more it
Chapter 67Grim had slept like a baby. He hadn't slept like that in ages. He even woke up with a smile on his face and the sun wearing his eyelids out. Someone must have left the window open, he thought, entangling his hand to wipe his eyes before slowly opening them. There was a woman on top of him. Rose. Startled by the sand all over her skin, he raised his upper body as high as he could. They were both cuddled up and in the middle of the training ground. The events of the previous night finally came to mind. She had been his support and he had wept in her arms. He must have been too tired and slept off without realizing it. He wanted to wake her but stopped himself. She looked so pretty, so peaceful. Her usual pillars had been taken down. Even her lips were parted inviting him. He had to hold himself back from trying to kiss her again. Rose was startled when the man beside her began moving. Her beautiful sleep had been interrupted and the sun beating on her back didn't make t
Chapter 68Rose jumped out of her skin. “Take me to him!” These were her next words and she and the guard headed off in the direction of Grim's chambers. This wasn't one of those time that her would make prank calls just so he could spend time with her. Things were serious this time.Rose was faster than the guard. She was tempted to ask the guard what was going on but she refused to slow down lest something tragic happens and she was too late. She barged into the room without reading it. There was Lord Grim on the bed shivering. He looked to be in poor health. Standing beside him on the bed was Dale and seated beside him sobbing was Feria. Rose ignored both of them and rushed to him. Without thinking twice, she retrieved the amulet from her back pocket and hung it over Grim's neck. She had seen it on the floor where they had laid down. Somewhere along the night, it must have fallen off and he hadn't noticed. She had planned to give it to him when they met again. She had no ide
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