NOVAI returned to my chamber and slammed the door behind me. Fury flooded every inch of me, but I wasn't even sure why Maren's words irked me that much. Was it because she threatened me, or was it because she thought she could stake a claim over Asriel? The latter hit me with a strange realization. Did I… want Asriel for myself?"No…" I shook my head as a nervous chuckle broke through my throat. "I don't even know him, and I'm not just some bimbo he could mess with," I said, assuring myself. But it was more what I wanted to think, and far different from how my heart reacted as I thought about Asriel—it began to race.Shit. How was that even possible? Felix's name was still inked all over my soul, and getting rid of everything I felt needed time. I thought that there was no room within me to even consider filling my mind and heart with anyone else. Yet, I could have been wrong about that.I placed my hand on my madly pulsing chest. Heat washed over me time and time again as I stood by
FELIXTen hours earlierThe rising sun assaulted my eyes as I opened them. My head pounded as if it was about to explode. I exhaled in a rush and gritted my teeth, trying to fight against the pain. What the hell happened last night?Squinting my eyes, I moved my head to the side, avoiding the violent light that fell through the window. The slowly resurfacing realization made me choke on my breath. Lya… She was lying naked next to me. She was asleep. We were both on the floor inside my room, covered by something resembling the shreds of my bedsheets. Fuck.I forced my muscles to move and lifted myself into a sitting position. The more I saw, the more frustrated and furious I was. There were a few drops of blood on the carpet and a few scratches on Lya's arm, definitely left by my claws. For some reason, they weren't healing. Why the fuck would I hurt her like that?!Once I asked myself that question, the faint images of last night began to fill my head. "The incense," I muttered, looki
NOVAAsriel left an hour ago, and I hadn't left the bed since. My head was spinning. There was just too much to process, and too many what-ifs kept popping into my mind. The overwhelming amount of information felt like a heavy weight on my chest.I clenched my fists, trying to ease my struggle with breathing. It took me a while before I inhaled deeply enough to gently soothe my pounding heart. As the serenity came, I started analyzing what I had learned.Asriel told me that when he first came near Crimson Mountain, he learned that there were two factions: the first wanted justice and to avenge their dead king, and the other felt no loyalty toward Asriel's father. This other fraction cared only for money. Neither the core, the jades, nor the deal with Hecate had any true meaning to them. They couldn't care less about the shelter for witches. They were eager to find some kind of agreement with Alpha Rainier and sell the core for a share in the profit that came from the jade mine.Asriel
NOVAAsriel's hands drifted to my cheeks as he turned me to face him. My chest heaved and fell at a hectic rhythm while the sixty or more people stared at me like freaking zombies. I did this to them. I wasn't even aware that I was doing it. All I wanted was Asriel's attention. Well… I achieved a bit more than that. For a brief moment, I wondered if Maren also got caught in my spell, but then my entire focus shifted to Asriel, tenderly brushing my skin with his fingertips."Tell me what you want." He brought his lips closer to mine.I slid my hands from his firm chest to his broad shoulders. Cinnamon. All I could smell was cinnamon. I stared into his burning irises. My mouth opened slightly, but my voice got stuck somewhere in my throat."Do you want me to kiss you?" he breathed, brushing his lips against mine. I didn't push him away. He knew I wouldn't. Then his hands traveled down from my waist to my buttocks in a feather-like stroke, and I let him. "Do you want me to fuck you?" He
FELIXAs soon as I established my authority in the pack, I could finally force Alpha Val to bring his warriors to Scarletville. Nevertheless, even including the wolves from the Crescent Valley Pack, my army wasn't grand. All I had were numbers while all I needed were strong fighters. For now, my so-called army numbered nearly two hundred wolves, but most of them were too weak. They all needed training, and I had no time to train them. If it weren't for Nova and a strong threat that our borders could be attacked, I would have waited and prepared those men better. It would have been wiser to do so, and a wise leader wouldn't lead his people to die. But I guess the first decisions I made as an Alpha were meant to be foolish ones…"Have you seen Eric?" I asked Holden when he entered my office. I hadn't seen my dear half-brother in a while, or rather from the day I had become an Alpha.Holden stopped for a moment to think before he shook his head. "I don't think I've seen him in two days.
NOVAI stood a few feet away from Asriel. We were in a spacious hall that he called his private training room. The room had a round set of mattresses that covered most of the floor and a variety of weapons on the stands placed by every wall. I wondered why someone as powerful as Asriel needed to wield any kind of weapon. I bet that his magic could easily neutralize most of his enemies, and his lycan claws and teeth would seal their fate. He didn't need a sword, a bow, or a gun for that. I asked him about it, and he answered that he had to be prepared for any circumstances. I knew that it was possible to block someone's magic, but could anyone block a beast spirit? I doubted it. Yet, his cautiousness meant that he believed that there could always be someone stronger than him, and I found that lack of arrogance admirable."Focus, Nova." His firm tone reminded me that we were in the middle of my training. Asriel taught me a new kind of spells. I had never known that magic could be used l
NOVAI spent a few more hours practicing the spells that Asriel had taught me. I was practicing alone while he met with his warriors, making plans for the upcoming battle. Asriel explained that it was the rebels who were behind the kidnapping of the witches in Scarletville. I was on their list as well.The rebels had been capturing witches for months. They were forcing them to side with them and killing those who either turned out to be too weak or resisted. That was another reason why I needed to master those spells. I had to know how to use my magic to attack.Fortunately, I was getting better at this... and I didn't need Asriel's special touch for my spells to work. According to Asriel, magic was a form of art, and witches and warlocks were creators, able to give their magic a form using the power of their minds. I tried it, filling my luminous orb with different colors, and I think I was making progress. Although, I was quite certain that my rainbow-glowing orb would have been com
NOVAFortunately for me, Maren didn't have a lot of fans among the lycans, nor did she have any among witches. I almost felt sorry for her… for a brief moment, but I had to admit that winning against her was liberating. I had crossed a boundary I had never thought I'd cross. I had tasted the magic that was neither white nor black, and I felt surprisingly good about it. Perhaps the fact that I could almost kill and then heal someone on the verge of dying should have frightened me. It could be addictive. It could push me farther. It could make me cross another line, and another after that. Yet, I was calm. I embraced my new abilities with a smile and confidence.The meeting at the audience hall ended along with my win against Maren. The majority of people stood in a long line to congratulate me before leaving the room. It felt odd. Those people told me that I was their warrior, and they believed that I could bring them peace. And somewhere, in between nodding, thanking, and smiling back