CHAPTER 46He felt the warmth on his skin but he hadn't thought enough of the afterlife to know if it was warm or cold or if it even had a temperature. He didn't even know where his kind went after death. His mind began spinning with events that led him there. He remembered going to see his fallen men, he remembered the look of anguish on their faces, the claw marks that had run across their torso and dug deep into their skin. At first, he had thought it was their mortal enemies, the werewolves but there was something about the claw marks that had felt self-inflicted, but he knew how werewolves always went for the throat when it was a kill strike. When Grim saw the arrows it had confirmed his suspicion, but also just made him more confused. Then one of the arrows exploded and felt like his clan had the power to stand before the sun was taken away from him as she stood in front of a very hot sun. It had begun to burn him, and he felt like ripping off his skin then… he couldn't rememb
CHAPTER 47Rose was still thinking about how she was going to get out of the situation when Grim led her into the throne room. Before he began talking, Feria entered the throne room with a broad smile on her face which faded from her face when she saw Rose standing before Grim. She turned away from Rose and faced Grim, a smile plastered on her face. “I'm so glad you're better my Lord,” she said and bowed. Lord Grim stretched his arms and she glided forward and kissed his arms then sat beside him. Rose stared at the two of them, Feria on the good side of Grim and her on the bad side. She just had to pray for a quick death which wasn't suggested by Feria. “What is it doing here?” Feria asked, glowering at Rose. “She read this,” Grim said, his eyes studying Rose. Rose was staring at Feria sitting beside Grim one second and the next second, she felt claws digging into the side of her neck. Feria was behind her, one hand holding her hair and the other hand had claws extended and press
CHAPTER 48Feria stared down at Rose and wondered what Grim saw in her that made him overprotective. “Before I finally end you, what spell did you use on Grim?” Feria asked, disgust clouding her voice. Rose stared back at her with resolve. If she was going to die, she wasn't going to give Feria the pleasure of appearing afraid, she was going to die on her feet. Rose stood up slowly, not taking her eyes away from Feria. “You know I didn't do anything to him, your crying is unnecessary,” Rose said finally.Feria glowered with fury at her, her eyes popped and her claws extended. As Rose stared at her, she expected Feria to raise those claws, slash her throat, and be done with her. The seconds seemed to stretch as Feria stared down at her. Then just like it wasn't there, the glowering and threatening stance Feria was giving disappeared and her lips curved up into a smile revealing her sharp fangs that gleamed in the moonlight. Then she laughed. That wasn't what Rose was expecting, she ha
CHAPTER 49Rose kept replaying the scene in her mind over and over. She kept thinking about what she would have done to make him kiss her. At that moment, she didn't care about what Feria would feel. The look on his face had said enough and she closed her eyes, expecting his lips on hers but she had gotten nothing. He had just pulled away, leaving her cold in the cold morning breeze. “You should watch me because I'm not catching you next time,”She had opened her eyes to his back, already moving away from her. She had groaned but followed him closely.Now they were on the mountain and the sorceress was there waiting for them. “Did you climb up here? Or you levitated?” She asked. “I could levitate but I enjoy climbing,” the Sorceress replied. Rose waited for the Sorceress to laugh and say she was just joking but she never did. How could someone enjoy climbing that? The sorceress was clearly not a vampire and didn't have the strength that came with it and it was just a mystery how s
CHAPTER 50Rose sat still at the base of the mountain. She was shivering despite the sweat that made her clothes stick to her body. She didn't know long she had been sitting but her heart was still racing like she was still falling. She stared up to look at the Sorceress and Grim staring down at her. Her body was covered with slashes from tree branches down. “I told you, it works only in life or death situations,” Grim said, staring at her like she was a specimen placed under a microscope. Rose stood up and walked towards Grim and slapped him. “I would have died! If you want to kill me, do it now and stop making me live in anticipation of my death!” she shouted at him.Even the sorceress who had been talking to Grim about how throwing her down was a bad idea was shocked at Rose's reaction. When she had shouted and part of her anger had dissipated, she realized what she had done. “I...I...”“It's okay. You didn't die, now run along before I changed my mind,” Grim said coldly. Rose t
CHAPTER 51“No...No...Never my lord,” Feria begged as his fingers tightened, letting his claws pierce deeper. “I just...I just wanted her to go,”“Without me knowing,” Grim completed, his face cold. “Please my lord, ” She begged. She knew that if he went deeper, he was going to get her killed. Grim stared at her for a second, then pulled her closer and placed a kiss on her lips before letting her go. “I'm sure you'd not do that again.” Feria nodded, unable to produce words. Grim looked at her one last time before heading to the bath chambers. “Come with me,” he said over his shoulders as he undressed. “I'm not done with you yet.”Feria dropped the clothes and followed him into the bath chambers like he had spelled her. She loved Grim and doing what he wanted was the only thing she wanted. Rose and Grim were on the mountain again. This time they had made it up without incident. Although Rose had slipped several times and caught herself. She knew that Feria was a little disappointed
CHAPTER 52It had been almost two weeks since Dale had gone on the journey to find Venessa, but he had been unsuccessful. First, he had heard that she was hiding among humans in California. He had made a stop in California at the place she was supposed to be but hadn't seen her. The leader of the Vampire Clan had tried to kill him for conducting business in his territory but had thought better of it immediately upon learning he was Grim's brother. He was then told she had gone to Manhattan, but he still couldn't find her, not even any traces of her. He was in a bar in Las Vegas, where she was supposed to be hiding, but he had not seen her. He had been drinking when the bells jingled above the door and a lady came inside.At first, he thought it was Feria. Their hair was the same color, and she had that same walk, like she was walking on a runway and everyone was praising her, but a closer look showed that they were very different. Feria was taller, and her face was slimmer, her body m
CHAPTER 53For a second, the dark shadow just stood there like a gust of wind made of just black smoke and then it was gone. Rose just stood there, still rooted to the ground. There was clearly a difference between seeing something in the dream and then seeing it in the real world. His face had gone white with fear and she had half expected it to rush towards her like it always did in her dreams. But one second it was there and the next it wasn't. She would have thought she imagined it if she hadn't seen the look on Grim's face. “Let's go down.” He said, breaking the silence. “I'd tell the Sorceress to set up wards around this place.”Rose nodded and allowed Grim to stare her around by the shoulder as they made their way down the mountain. When they got down, Grim told her to get back while he visited the Sorceress to tell her what happened. As she walked she imagined if Althrea had taken some kind of interest in her, she hoped not. She even hoped that it wasn't Althrea. It was bett
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