I flinched with a gasp, raising my hand to my chest at the show of hate written on her face. Her usually lovely countenance was twisted into something cynical and angry.“After years of being suffocated!“ She screeched, her hair straightening sharply, shooting into the trees. “You still haven't called for me!“ “Wh-what do you mean?“ I stammered, holding my chest as it slowly began to hurt.“You reached for the mutt instead of me! I'm part of you too, you know!“ She seethed with a boom as her hair crashed into trees, biting down on her teeth. Her body hummed with light and will-o-wisps of onyx and purple.“No you're not!, you're a figment of my imagination,” I countered her words. Her claim sounded ridiculous.Was my dream spiraling because I was? Nothing was making sense. Sure she looked like me but there was no way she had much to do with me. She was a mere manifestation in my head to cope with whatever changes I've been experiencing for the past weeks.She had always been somehow h
I gasped awake but the minute I inhaled deeply, I choked on my pain.The entirety of my body hurt to the point I was momentarily convinced I was being torn apart. Every muscle and joint ached as though I had been beaten from the inside out.My chest heaved in and out. The dry air felt thin and foreign as it rushed into my lungs. I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping the agony would subside. It didn't.Blinky rapidly, I slowly managed to push away the fog in my mind as the clarification of my situation settled in. As the pain simmered in, I became acutely aware of the cold sensation beneath me, pressing into my bare skin.“What the,” I uttered a groan involuntarily. I was lying on the floor, completely naked too. Shards of dirt clung to my pores, stinging softly.A wince eased out as I struggled to sit up. My body was protesting and my hands trembled as I tried to push myself upright.I wasn’t in the forest. I wasn’t in the dreamscape. I was back in the den. Looking around, I found myself to
I peered at her with squinted lids, my fists trembling at my sides. Anger surged through me but guilt trailed closely behind. She was part of this, part of the lie that had kept me in the dark. But I had murdered Khalid in cold blood. That fact loomed over me, a weight I couldn’t shake, no matter how much I wanted to rage at her.Still, I couldn’t stop the venom in my voice as I hissed, “Sure you don't want to lock me up more for the kick of it?“Abigail’s eyes flicked to mine, but she didn’t say anything. She simply turned on her heel and walked out of the den without another utterance.My hands trembled as I pulled on the clothes she’d thrown at me. The hair on my skin was standing, and my heart was pumping faster than necessary. There was so much going on.Was I really part Melbringer? How could that be possible? Why did my parents leave me with Ethan? What weren't they telling me? The secrets were everywhere, tangled and suffocating.And to top it all off, the image of Khalid’s li
"No. That's impossible. I saw you. I felt you..." I stumbled back in a hurried manner. My knees threatened to give way but I stood still regardless as I clutched my chest.My mind reeled as the scene of Khalid's lifeless body replayed against my will in my head. The feeling of his hair between my hands when I held his head, the sound of his neck snapping, and the loud thud when the weight of his body met the floor. Had I imagined it? Misread the signs?“You’re alive?" The words weakly left my mouth in half a gasp and half an accusation. My brows were heavy as they wrinkled tightly. Relief flooded my chest the second it clicked in my head that I didn't kill him but confusion swamped my thoughts.I stared as he stood but Khalid simply reached to scratch the back of his neck. It was off-putting, the way his lips twitched into a nervous half-smile like he wasn't dead hours ago. “Yeah, surprise?”“You’re alive," I uttered again but it was more of a pointed accusation. Whatever sense of gui
My brow furrowed as his words sank in, confusion hardening further into frustration. “A threat? How does that even—”“They broke the laws of both worlds, Harlyn,” Ethan interrupted. “Werewolves and sorceresses aren't meant to mingle, talk more of procreating together. You were born of an unnatural union, and the supernatural world doesn’t take kindly to new things it can’t control.”Abigail stepped forward, her voice softer but firm. “Your father died protecting you, Harlyn. And your mother… she made a deal with Ethan.”I snapped my head toward Ethan, my jaw tightening. “A deal with you? You said, my mom,” I paused, swallowing the lump in my throat, “made a deal with your father.“Ethan exhaled, his shoulders stiffening. “That's where the other secret comes into play.“ He coughed before folding his hands behind his back.“There's a peculiar trait with original werewolves born in the bloodline when they,” he stepped forward before he continued, “ when we shift.“I didn't think my frown
I broke Tyler's neck.He will be fine given if Ethan was telling the truth about them being Immortal but the weight of what I had just done threatened to swallow me whole.However, My legs didn't give me room to breathe, survival screamed louder. The others would be coming, I had to move. So, I spun on my heel and bolted down the stairs, the large doors clear in sight to run through. I headed right for it but I hadn’t expected my unnatural speed.The world blurred into slithery beams around me as I tore through the mansion past the lingering silhouettes of Abigail and Caleb. I didn’t stop to register their expressions, I only had time to acknowledge the thunder of my own heartbeat.I was fast. Faster than I had ever been.The wind rushed past my hair as I shot through the estate’s iron gates, my feet barely registering the pavement under my soles. My muscles hummed with an electrifying energy, each stride propelling me forward at an inhuman pace.It was exhilarating.For a quick momen
I dropped my hands to catch what was happening. Out of the corner of my eyes, I picked up the sight of his hands retracting into his pocket, cradling a syringe.“He-he injected me with…” my words slurred, failing to ring out loud enough for anyone to hear over the growing commotion.Before I could try to say more, my legs gave out and I fell.“You'll be fine,” I heard the blue-eyed man whisper to me. It wasn't particularly menacing but I was still terrified.My entire body protested against giving in to whatever liquid was pulsing in my veins at the moment but I couldn't help it, I was fading away.Why wasn't my body countering its effects? That was my last question for the night before I passed out.xxxI was startled right awake sitting atop a soft plushy surface. With a casual feel under my fingers, I quickly realized it was a bed.“Huh?“ I uttered in confusion recognizing the pale green lily lace pattern on the sheets of the bed.It was the same in my room given to me by Ethan. A
The air carried a subtle scent of pomegranates I suspected was from the new shampoos Khalid bought me two days ago after I got myself a new hairdo. The room was quiet, save for the occasional rustle of pages as I flipped through yet another book on self-control.I wasn’t sure how much good they were doing.Somehow the last conversation I had with Ethan two weeks ago still made a point to play in my mind in unshakable echoes. His explanation about the original werewolf bloodlines, his tales of meeting my apparent mother, Gaiyetre, the mark, and then the warning.'...now that you’re aware of it, you might start waking up parts of yourself that have been dormant this whole time... your real abilities could start manifesting. Things beyond just speed or heightened senses...'To my dismay, he wasn’t wrong. I had been feeling it. Every day since my shift. Some force inside me had been shifting and stirring uncontrolled.The energy in my limbs felt heavier, and denser, like I was carrying a
I stayed perfectly still, hoping to hear something more. Nothing. After a long pause, I released a slow deep breath and shook my head. Maybe I was being paranoid. Maybe.Still, I reached for the door and made sure it was locked before turning away. “Worrying won’t do anything,” I whispered to myself.My parents would be here soon, and if nothing else, I wanted to look presentable when they arrived.With that thought, I grabbed some fresh clothes from my bag and headed to the bathroom where an ivory bathtub waited. Lined up on the marble counters were countless bathing products and a particular pomegranate-scented bath bomb that caught my eye.The warm water helped ease some of the stiffness in my muscles. I scrubbed away the lingering exhaustion from the trip, letting the steam fill the small space, cocooning me in temporary peace.But it couldn’t wash away the restlessness in my mind.Even as I lathered soap across my arms, Higan’s face resurfaced in my thoughts, his infuriated stare
The plan was to stick around for whatever conversation would be held between Ethan and Alpha Harris, but that plan quickly fell apart as Khalid insisted on escorting me to a bedroom.“You know it won't necessarily stop me from eavesdropping,” I whispered to Khalid as we climbed up the carpeted stairs.“Have you ever wondered how pack members can't really hear what is discussed by their pack leaders in their homes?“ Khalid countered with a sheepish smile as he dragged my suitcases behind him.“I'm guessing there's some magic involved,” I remarked, tugging my duffle bag closer to my shoulders.“Precisely and I promise you, your ears won't like the attempt,” he warned with a clipped tone.I wondered what he meant by that but I yielded anyway. One, I was too tired to discover whatever secret they were guarding right then. Two, there was someone in the house I wasn't comfortable with and I needed to be aware of his every move.Higan. They had left him out of the conversation too and he had
“A well-known one apparently,” I retorted with optimistic sarcasm.The last time I was at their place in town, I never picked up on this flock of cars. Whose were they? It was Springville after all. However, the more I stepped down, the more I realized I recognized some of those cars in waiting. And, as if called upon by my fears, I watched the boy of my nightmare climb down a black G-wagon.Higan Sinclair.I halted my steps as my heart stilled. I hadn't seen him in so long yet suddenly he was right in front of me. The slithery discomfort coiled in my chest like a snake as I watched Higan step closer.Even after months, my body still betrayed me. My heart stilled, then stuttered, as if caught in a moment it had long since lost the right to care about. I forced my breath to even out, reminding myself that he wasn’t anything to me, that I was stronger than the damage he'd done to me.Whatever claim he had on me was non-existent.But then a question rang loud. Why was he here?More than
Things had settled down in the plane but my mind refused to.The edge of my fingers hovered over an open book in my lap, my eyes skimming the words without really absorbing them. I'd picked it to pass the time as we continued to head for Springville.Control. That’s what I was supposed to be learning. But how could I even begin to grasp control when I wasn’t sure what was real?"Oh, little one, things are about to change for you.“The words still sang in my head, low, guttural, and amused. It was also familiar in a way that sent a shiver down my spine.It sounded like my wolf. I'd heard her many times in my dreamscape but it was the first I'd heard her speak in my mind.But that didn’t provide much of an information. Wolves didn’t just speak in their human mind. That wasn’t how it worked. There were special circumstances, sure like deeply bonded mates shifting, sacred rituals, and moments of absolute desperation. But this? This was something else entirely.The sound of rustling made m
“No.” My voice was hoarse but firm.Ethan's gaze snapped back to mine with a frown. I could feel the tension in the way his body coiled, ready to strike.I swallowed hard, forcing myself to breathe past the lingering haze of pain. “It wasn’t an external attack,” I whispered.Silence followed once again. I let it linger because how exactly was I supposed to explain that my sorceress side had manifested as an entity in my mind and it was strong enough to harm me physically?Ethan’s grip flexed, his control razor-thin. I could see it in the way his jaw tightened, in the flicker of something unreadable behind his dark eyes. He was anxious.I licked my lips, forcing the words out. “It was me,” I admitted. “It happened in my dream.”The weight of their gazes pressed in on me.“Explain,” Ethan ordered, biting down on his Jaw.“I've been having certain dreams for a while where I sorta talk to my wolf and this girl,” I paused, twiddling my thumbs.“What did she look like?“ Khalid headed toward
The moment my bare feet met the moist grass of the forest in my dreamscape, I felt it.A sentient shift in the atmosphere.The air felt denser and fully charged with something electric and violent. The trees rustled as they trembled and recoiled from a storm brewing. The usual scent of petrichor and pine was tainted with the acrid burn of unnatural.And there they were.My wolf, white fur stained with mud and an onyx liquid, her eyes burning with molten golden fury.And her opposition. Me.Or rather, the version of me I had come to fear. My doppelganger, the Melbringer. The last time I'd encountered her in my dreamscape, she nearly killed me with her wrath. It looked like my wolf had now taken my place.She swung around wreathed in smoke and tresses, flickering between substance and shadow. Her pallid eyes squinted sharp with amusement with lips curled in a delighted smirk. Whatever was happening, she was relishing it.An opaque filmy force coiled around her fingers, twisting through
I rubbed my palms together before holding them to my face. The thrill rushed through me, bubbling up like a spark catching fire. I would see them pretty soon too.I was going home to my parents, to my mom, to my dad, to Becca, and the rest of Springville.A tightening sensation pulled at the tips of my fingers as my body slowly began to run cold. The rest of Springville? My hands dropped to my sides. To Higan, my mate who had rejected me?My gaze fell to the ground as my body ran colder. I had somehow forgotten about a huge chunk of my life in Springville. The bullying, the rejection, the ostracizing.What would happen when I returned? I proposed that my parents let me stay the rest of the school term at home and my mom agreed but what about college after? Summer break? I would still be in town, under The rule of Higan Sinclair as the Alpha.“Harlyn love?“ Tyler shook me lightly by the shoulder, his voice dipping light with concern.I blinked quickly, forcing a smile. “Sorry, I just g
I adjusted the silver ribbons on the black stair hands before stepping back slightly to assess my work. The mansion’s grand staircase shimmered with strands of warm twinkly lights, and a small tree stood proudly in the foyer waiting to be decorated."Too much, too soon?" I asked with a soft hum, peering at Khalid, who shuffled by the railings hanging garlands in an ugly beige Christmas sweater and denim.He shot me a playful crease of his nose and a smirk. "No such thing. It’s December."My lips quirked up faintly before I exhaled, my fingers lightly tracing the pine needles. The scent of wine and pecan pie wafted through the room with the gentle rhythm of the perky holiday playlist Khalid had insisted on.Boxes of decorations were sprawled across the floor, and tangled vines of mini light bulbs snaked over the furniture like rebellious ivy.It was a heavy contrast from the sight at home when it was just me and my parents. We always made early preparations but none of it rivaled the g
I inhaled deeply, swallowing down the knot growing in my throat. Shaking the lingering tension from my limbs, I shifted my stance and prepared myself.Ethan’s movements remained measured, and deliberate, as if he had all the time in the world to wear me down. And he did. After a while, I was running on fumes, my breaths had grown short and my muscles ached beyond possible redemption. Or so it felt.But I still had enough in me to show I hadn't been playing around in the time that had passed.I pushed forward, my fists tightening as I launched myself at him, aiming for his side. He dodged swiftly, effortless as ever, his body shifting with a frustrating smoothness that made it feel like he was barely trying. Again.I didn't have the energy to dwell on the difference in experience. I simply twisted my heel to strike again. As expected, he caught my wrist mid-swing, his grip firm but not bruising. My pulse lurched, heat and ice warring in my veins.His dark emerald eyes flickered with so