ONE-MONTH INTERVAL. JADE POV.I was the ruler of the empire I had always wanted. The world was at the tip of my fingers so why did I feel miserable all the time? Miserable and angry. It was an everyday battle not to bite the head off of everyone I came in contact with. But I was careful, they couldn't know that I was not as stable as I presented myself to be. Cleaning up Ryland's mess had not been easy, but after all the years that I had used to build up their trust In me, I had won them back in no time, of course, I also used some of my new strength and the power of persuasion I found out I possessed. It came in very handy on some occasions and others, I just used force. It still made me see red that Ryland had gotten away, that too using dark magic. I did not believe in anything supernatural before, but I wasn't even human anymore, so I was more open to the option, and his conniving with a witch did not seat well with me. I had watched the videotape of their encounter over and o
RYLAND POVLiving with the witch for a month was both heaven and hell. Hell, because every second that went by I kept hearing of all Jade's achievements just on the eve of her return, and heaven because, despite Skye being a witch, she treated me like she saw me. She treated me as an equal, and never used her divine power on me to do her bidding after that first time that she had intruded on my life. It was just the both of us against the world, and as the days rolled by, I found myself falling into a routine that I was starting to enjoy. We woke up, went into the woods to gather whatever it was she needed for a potion, came back, made breakfasts, ate together, and talked while she shared her stories of conquest.Those alone time made me notice things about her that I never noticed in other Human beings. There was also a darkness that lurked within her, a darkness born out of pain and it coated every action she took, even her smile.And the knowledge of that pain made me want to do e
JADE POV The casino was crowded, which showed that the business was going well, and as I did a sweep of the building, I could make out the numbers of the high players that were in the establishment. It was our busiest season and as I walked in, accompanied by two of my most trusted guards, looks were thrown my way, some in fear, some in awe. My eyes raked over the faces of each of the high rollers in the casino, and at the pretty women who were draped over their arms, almost like a part of their accessories.They acknowledge me as I passed by each of them and I offered a small smile that I was sure looked more like a scowl. It was a hassle to show emotions that I didn't really mean, especially if it was at lots of them, but they were a major piece of my money-making enterprise, hence the courtesy. The security here was top-notch because I wanted all the players to feel safe while they played to their heart's content.The bouncers I employed all looked sturdy and I reveled in the kn
DEARIL POV I wanted to devour her. Her pulse seemed to drum loudly in my ears and as my eyes raked over her form, then settled on her face, the scent of her pheromones assaulting my very being and driving me crazy, I fisted my hands by my side, and mentally wared with myself from closing the space that stood between us.I had thought she wouldn't be able to survive without me, without her mate for such a long period but it turned out I was wrong and from the looks of things, I was the only one who was suffering.The scent of blood permeating the air drew my gaze to those of the man she had just killed. I looked back at her, at the cold dark gaze in her emotionless eyes.She looked ethereal. The sight of blood streaking over her dainty fingers, mesmerizing. I stared at her Hands which looked like they couldn't do harm and yet held so much wreckage in them. I could sense a danger akin to mine flowing through her vein and it drew me like a moth to the flame. The vivid memory of our las
LEXIS POVHayden groaned as I placed the ice pack against his back, his shoulder tensing and rippling with the effort of trying to hold in the amount of pain he was truly in. The cuts and bruises that littered his back were deep and ugly, and the little movement he made caused some of those that had closed up to get torn again, blood escaping the cuts. I alternated between wiping them off and applying the pack to ease his pain. The doctor said he would be fine in a weak if he didn't do any strenuous activities, and if he took his medication, but some of the cuts were so deep that he could guarantee that they were going to leave scars.My heart clenched violently. Jade was a monster. I could not believe she would hurt Hayden this way since he was the most loyal person I knew, but what was worse was the fact that Hayden always kept going back to her, no matter how cruel she got. It was like a fucking rollercoaster. It was as if I was invisible to him and only Jade seemed to exist in h
JADE POV.I burned. That was the only way I could describe what his touch had done to me.Gathering enough water into my hand, I splashed it against my face as if the sting of the ice-cold water would douse the fire that raged through my blood.His scent lingered around me, making me feel even more needy and horny than I had been. His touch had been heaven, and I did not realize how starved I was or how much I needed it until that very moment. I could still feel every ridge of his muscles pressing against me, the scent of his arousal and the feel-good pheromones that had flooded my system as he'd held me close still filling the emptiness in my chest. His voice was freaking divine and reassuring, and I wanted to listen to it over and over again, I wanted to feel his hands against my throat, and I wanted him to do all the filthy things that he thought about in his head to me. It was all shades of fucked up. "Snap the fuck out of it" I snapped, my hands smacking against my cheeks sharp
RYLAND POV"I got Lexis to agree to our plan and now everything is set in motion"."Good" Skye replied from where she stood, her gaze fixed on the beautiful patterns forming in the sky as the sunset. "I met your stepsister today at the casino" Skye informed, her gaze still fixed on the same spot. "Imagine my surprise to see Dearil there too".My eyes widened. "They are together already".Skye turned to face me, a haunting look on her face. "I am not quite sure what their relationship status is, especially since your step-sister...""Jade," I said, hating to be reminded in every sentence about my relationship with my number one enemy."Jade doesn't seem to be so enthralled by him as he is by her".I scoffed, not surprised at all. The only thing that Jade truly cared about was to acquire power, and be feared, just like we had been thought to do from a young age, and Jade had had it worse since our father let the psychopathic ones train her. There was never room for the sentiment called
JADE POV.Infiltrating the Graco fortress was easier than I thought it would be, and as I slipped between the building, I could already tell that I was going to be able to get Ares out before they even found out that I had been there.Using my heightened sense of smell, I could navigate the compound more easily. Dearil was not around and that was because it was a full moon and he was probably on the run, or back at Etral. I wasn't a full wolf so I didn't get the urge to transform or run under the glare of the full moon, all I felt was the urge to howl, and that was because I was so horny, every little move I made caused zaps of tingling up my spine. And I was so hot, it was almost a chore to concentrate. I'd scented the belongings of Ares so I knew exactly what I was searching for and once I got a lead, I immediately went after it.His scent led down a basement that gave way to a dark retro-looking dungeon filled with different sexual playthings.There were no guards stationed anywh