After opening a portal straight into my apartment, the one place I could create a portal within the palace, I quickly visited my mother. "So, how did it go with Neri?" she asked. "Better than I could ever have hoped," I replied, which caused her to raise an eyebrow. "I caught him cheating with another woman. I told him I had found my fated mate, but I would have continued with the betrothal contract even if I hadn't." Mother gasped at my comment before stating, "I am so glad you were able to get out of that. I have never really liked his family. I should never have allowed the contract to take place. If your father was still alive..." "I thought I was making a good choice," I answered. "Even though I didn't love Neri, I was hopeful that feelings would come eventually. At least I can focus on my mate now." "Yes, you can, and I think you'd better go get them. I want to meet this mate of yours and the new Lycan King and Queen." I strode through the palace corridors, my heart poundin
Tyler's Point of View When we entered the throne room, I could see the resemblance between Avril and the Fae Queen. There was an ethereal grace and regal presence to both mother and daughter. Both possessed an otherworldly elegance. The closest anyone I knew came to it, was Adriana. Given that they were related, it all made sense. I didn’t want to stare at the Fae Queen, so I turned my attention to Avril. She was standing there explaining to her mother that I was her fated mate, then she turned to look at me. It was as if we both got lost in each other’s gaze, until we were disturbed by an angry Fae male storming into the throne room. The male was named Duan and apparently was the father of Avril’s fiancé, Neri. To find out that Avril had been previously engaged to another man was a surprise. It explained Avril's standoffishness about the mate bond. At least she ended the betrothal contract, though I hope she won't be made to continue with it. I wasn't sure of the Fae rules around
Throughout this book, Adriana and Daemon will still play a major part in the story. There will still be chapters from their points of view that will often not have anything to do with Tyler directly. In this story, Adriana will explore her life as part-Fae and meet family members, and Daemon will be examining the changes in his life as the mate of a very powerful woman. Tyler's story runs parallel to this as his relationship with Avril develops, along with the challenges they face as a multiracial couple. As you have seen with Duan, not everyone in the Fae realm is as accepting of the royal family's relationships with wolf shifters and Lycans.
Adriana's Point of ViewWe all went outside into the Queen's private courtyard, off the main throne room. No one was allowed in the enclosed space without the Queen's permission, so it was safe to say that we wouldn't be disturbed.The vast courtyard was a breathtaking oasis of beauty. It was enclosed by intricately woven vines of silver and gold, forming a natural barrier that shimmered with an otherworldly glow. Flowers of every conceivable colour bloomed in harmony, their petals radiating a gentle, ethereal light.In the centre of the courtyard stood a majestic fountain crafted from what looked like ornately carved crystal. It sparkled in the ambient glow, casting tiny rainbows in the air. The clear water flowed gracefully, forming intricate patterns that seemed to dance to an unseen melody.Flickering butterflies with wings that glowed like precious gemstones flitted around the fountain, adding to the enchantment of the scene. On closer inspection, the flickering of the butterflie
Adriana's Point of View"How come no one came to help when the King and Queen were killed?" Richard blurted out before adding, "Sorry. Queen Aurora."Until now, Richard and the other guards had been silent in the background. The feelings of shock and embarrassment hit me due to how he phrased his question, not even beginning his sentence with her title. The look I gave him obviously conveyed that, as he quickly amended his statement.Although I could tell that Richard was feeling annoyed or some similar emotion, there was still no excuse for rudeness. I would make that quite clear through our mind-linked conversation later. Although, Aurora was effectively my great-something grandmother and had insisted I call her Aurora, I was still wary of how I addressed her."That is an excellent question," Aurora answered. "One that has been asked a multitude of times and has been investigated thoroughly. From what we have found, there was strong blood magic at play here, as a possibility that va
Adriana's Point of View"Now that that has been settled, there is just a matter of who will train you. I have the perfect person in mind. I would like to introduce you to more of your family, my eldest son and his mate," announced Aurora as she indicated to something behind me.I hadn't noticed that two other people had entered the courtyard. Upon turning to acknowledge them, I could see the resemblance between the male Fae, Avril and Queen Aurora."This is Thorn, my eldest son, and his mate, Ariana," she said. "These are your great-great-great-great grandparents."I knew that the Fae lived a long, long time and were possibly even immortal. Not sure about that. What surprised me was that his wolf-shifter mate was still alive. There was no way a wolf-shifter lived that long. I wondered if the mating process had anything to do with that.Thinking back to what Aurora had said, their eldest child ruled for 300 years as the Lycan king. Did that mean Daemon and I would be long-lived as well
As my story has developed, I have added in a Fae language. Since the story lines follow ancient Greek gods and goddesses, I have used ancient Greek for the Fae language and Latin for witch's spells. I might as well put all those high school Latin lessons to use. Truth be told, I love languages, especially my own native language, Māori. I did think of adding that into the story line as the Fae language, but I didn't think it fitted as well as Ancient Greek.The thing with all languages is the dialects that every language has, including English. For starters, I speak New Zealand English, which has idioms that might not make sense to Americans, and vice versa. I have tried to be as consistent as possible with the ancient Greek dialects, but there may be cross-overs.In chapter 5, I have updated it slightly and added a few lines of dialogue.The words: Ō basílissa are pronouned oh bah-SEE-lis-sah. The emphasis is on the SEE. The sentence: Laleîte tēn koinḕn glôssan toû Gēs Vasíleio is pro
Tyler's Point of ViewAfter Duan had stormed out of the throne room, all of us followed the Fae Queen out into her private courtyard. It was just as I imagined a magical courtyard to be, even with the butterflies who were, in fact, little fairies. We sat down next to a little pond on ornately carved stone benches while being served some sweet cakes and drinks.It was interesting listening to how Lycans came to exist. Since the first Lycan was created from a wolf-shifter and Fae, I wondered if Avril and my children would possibly turn into Lycans. I asked Queen Aurora if that would be the case with Avril and me, but she assured me it wouldn't. Her grandchild was fated to be the first Lycan and king.We were also introduced to Queen Aurora's son and daughter-in-law, whose eldest child was the first Lycan. They were Adriana's great-great-great-great-grandparents. When Avril and I were officially mated, he would be my brother-in-law. Did that make me Adriana's great-something uncle?While
I hope you enjoyed that short story. It was rather important because it was the beginning of the Supernatural Council, which is mentioned in Book 4.Book 4: The Gamma and her two Alphas follow Princess Lucienne and is set just over 18 years into the future. Lucienne is not entirely happy being a princess and certainly is not all ladylike like her mother, Queen Adriana, wishes she was. In fact, she can be a bit of a rebel at times and pulls no punches if you piss her off. Book 4 has been started and will be posted starting January 2025.Check out my I*******m page (nikoradepressedpoet) for pictures of the latest covers. Each book will be available in paperback. I am rewriting parts of Book 1. The covers for books 4 and 5 are already designed.
Asher’s Point of ViewAndreas fell to the ground, crumpling against the cold tiles, his body barely clinging to consciousness. The fury in his eyes was still present, but it was mingled with something else—fear. “You may have won this battle, but there are others who believe in the purity of Dragonkind,” he rasped, his voice barely a whisper.His words hung in the air, a twisted echo of the truth he could no longer deny. The irony was palpable; he had sought power through a dark alliance, yet he spoke of purity as if it still held weight. He had traded the purity he claimed to uphold for power, and now, even that was slipping through his fingers.Father stepped forward with the Council behind him, his expression one of grave disappointment. “Andreas, you and your father have sown discord among our people and disgraced your family name. T
Asher’s Point of ViewMy Dragon and I were enraged by Andreas’s words describing our fated mate as a dog. Rin placed her hand against my arm, its muscles tense and coiled tightly, fists clenched in anger. Her gentle touch acted like a soothing balm, softening my clenched fist.Slowly, I felt the anger beginning to dissipate, the pressure easing as I relaxed under her calming influence. The contrast between my earlier state and this new sense of peace was palpable, reminding me of the power of our bond. There was nothing Andreas could say that would make me turn against Rin. I would rather lose my crown than be without her.The tension in the council chamber was electric as Andreas continued to spew venom, his arrogance infuriating. I could feel the Dragon within me thrumming, eager for a confrontation. “Enough!” I
Christine’s Point of ViewThe air felt thick in the chamber, as if the magic that summoned Andreas and Viggo hung around, binding us in an unseen net of tension. Viggo’s face was drawn tight, his eyes flickering with a dangerous mix of fear and rage. At the same time, Andreas’ expression remained cold and calculating. His eyes darted around the room, assessing, scheming.Andreas recovered first, straightening as if pulling on an invisible cloak of authority. “What you claim is… nonsense,” he panted, glaring at Eiríkr. Fighting the compulsion to tell the truth was taking its toll and making him sweat. “I’ve been… nothing but… loyal… to our kind. This… is a… farce!” He was panting now from the sheer exertion.Asher stood tall next to me, his ha
Christine’s Point of ViewWe slowly made our way back, twisting and turning through the enchanted passages to the awaiting Council Members. Asher had already mind-linked his father, who assured him they would be waiting. We weren’t the only ones who had news since the archiver from the Council of Witches and Warlocks had found some interesting information.The Council Chambers buzzed with a quiet intensity. Though our alliance remained steadfast, the growing unrest among the Dragon-Shifter populace threatened everything we had built. Outside these walls, whispers of dissent were rising, fueled by fear of change and manipulation by those who sought to close our society once again.Asher stood beside me, his expression grim as he explained what we found in the books. “While we have nothing concrete at this stage, if we do
Asher's Point of View"So you think he's using his own son as a pawn?" Adriana asked.Her question was answered, "I think Viggo would use anyone—blood or not—to get what he wants." I agreed with Father. This was part of the reason why I didn't want much to do with my uncle, aunt, and cousins.My grandfather had forced Father and Viggo to take chosen mates, ones he thought were acceptable for the Royal Family. Both were well-educated, refined women from noble families.My parents had at least fallen in love eventually, even if they weren't fated mates. Father had never met his fated mate, or at least, that was what he had told me. When my mother, Áslaug (AWS-lough), died, he was heartbroken but still able to function.Viggo
Asher's Point of ViewThe council chamber felt colder than it ever had before. No matter how many fires roared in the hearths or candles flickered against the heavy stone walls, a chill seemed to seep into my bones. I couldn't put it entirely down to tiredness, even though I was exhausted fighting two battles in such a short time.No. It was a combination of many things. Andreas' smirk, the flames from the explosion, and the insignia of the Purists haunted me as I sat at the table, my hands clenched so tight that my knuckles were white.Rin sat beside me, her expression hard but eyes betraying the same exhaustion and worry I felt. It had been hours since we returned from the first fight, but with the second battle, we hadn't had a moment to breathe. There was no time for rest when the Purists were gaining ground. My cousin, Andreas, was
Asher's Point of ViewAs soon as Rin and I returned from the marketplace attack, we called for an emergency council meeting. The tension in what we now referred to as the council chamber hung in the air, thick enough to cut through.The servants had been busy changing the room. It was now a place of stark contrasts. Ancient banners from each species hung from the high vaulted ceilings, their vibrant colours dulled by the weight of war. The air smelled faintly of smoke and iron, a reminder of battles past and future.Every seat around the grand, circular table was filled. Dragons, Wolves, Vampires, and the Lycan King and Queen united under one roof. Yet, for some reason, it felt as if we were all divided by the constant threat looming over us.The Purists were growing bolder, and tonight
Christine's Point of ViewThe days that followed were a whirlwind of activity. We launched joint patrols, organised public gatherings, and ensured that every species—Dragons, Wolves, Vampires, Fae—was represented. It wasn't easy. There were still plenty of sceptical people, glares, and whispered doubts. But slowly, I began to see a shift.In the streets, I saw Wolves patrolling alongside Dragons. Vampires and Fae worked alongside Dragons in the markets to keep the peace. It wasn't perfect, and tensions were still simmering beneath the surface, but it was progress. And I started feeling hopeful for the first time in what felt like forever.Asher and I stood on a balcony overlooking the domed city one evening, watching as the lights of the stronghold twinkled in the darkness of the weir. The air was cool, carrying the scent of snow from ou