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"This is where we put our unmated females when they are in heat. You should be safe here. It's far enough where no one should be able to smell you." Everett spoke as he opened the door to the cabin. "Thank you. I'll be gone in the morning." I bowed my head in appreciation. Even if these pheromones are still raging I need to be back in the morning. Knowing the scientist, he'll want to check on his experiment's progress. "Are you sure? You don't have to leave so soon. You're welcome to stay as long as you need." Everett told me, apparently offended by my words. "I can't. I can only stay till morning without getting caught." I explained to him. "What if the pheromones are still coming off you?" Kiran asked concerned and I shrugged my shoulders."I have no choice." Kiran's nostrils flared. I could see him clenching his teeth in frustration. I have a lot to explain to him, but I honestly haven't had a good night's sleep in two days. I can't keep going like this. "We'll leave you to
I clawed at Percy's arm that was around my neck. He couldn't move that one, to avoid my assaults. I made his arm bleed, but he still wouldn't let go. I thrashed around. I would have never pegged Percy to be a great fighter. I'd always been the strongest, but it really was because of my shadows. You take that away from me and I'm more on Tally's level now. I pressed my back firmly against the wall and had my legs climb against Percy. He used his free hand and wedged it between my thighs pushing my legs apart and causing them to fall. I was desperately trying to escape him. I won't let this happen. I won't let Alester have his wish. Percy pulled at my underwear causing the lace to slowly tear apart. Note to self, buy stronger underwear, they tore within a minute. I stood before him fully naked now and tears of rage were misting my eyes. I pulled the wrist of his free hand towards me causing him to take another step closer to me. I pulled my head back and head budded him as hard as I c
Kiran's P.O.V."I have to go." She whispered as she disappeared into her shadow. I hate when she leaves without giving me a chance to say anything. My body fell over the mattress, her body no longer there to lean over. I rolled onto my back, staring up at the ceiling. That was the longest Zerena and I had been together, but it was spent sleeping. I watched her sleep a few times throughout the night. She had a little scowl on her face as she slept, almost pouting. It was cute. I got off the bed knowing I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep now. Early morning it is. My sleep schedule is so out of whack. It's going to be hard staying up for work tonight if I don't get a nap later. Me: She's gone.I texted Tate. Surprisingly it didn't take long for him to reply. Tate: Be there soon. Have you decided on my offer yet? I had thought about it since he asked. It waged a war inside of me. The need to be free of mom and the need to care for her were both really strong. In the end Zerena ti
Zerena's P.O.V.'Not like that!' Shade snapped at me. I swear she's the worst teacher. 'You have to give it more power." We've been training all day long. Shade is relentless. She refuses to allow me to take a break or even rest for a moment. She's driving me hard with the excuse that we have a lot to cover that I should already know by now. I'm able to stretch even the smallest shadow out 10 ft now. The center stays black and it lightens to a light gray the further I spread it. Shade says the whole thing should stay pitch black. So she's yelling at me to get it right. 'You should be stronger than this Zerena.' She was angry, her patience was worn thin already. I stretched the shadow out again this time as far as 15 ft. It was nearing the edges of the room, covering almost the entire floor. Only about 4 feet of it were a light gray. I smirked, feeling pretty good about myself. I thought I was doing good considering I had just learned how to do this today. 'Not good enough. You ca
After a while of driving we pulled into what looked like an abandoned warehouse. This was the address Alester gave us. I used the shadows to see guards at a side entrance. That was the way we needed to take. Emerson parked at the corner a block away from the warehouse. His car wasn't too conspicuous so it didn't stick out. We continued into the parking lot behind the warehouse with the other cars. Kellan and Percy had tied me up and put a million lights on me so it was hard for any shadow to form around me. The lights all had a timer though. We set it for 30 minutes. We hope that is long enough. It probably isn't or maybe it's too long. There's really no way of knowing until we know the order of the auction. Percy stepped out of the car first and came around opening the back for me. He grabbed my bicep forcefully pulling me from the car. Kellan grabbed my other bicep and Tally walked behind them. I made them drag me a bit toward the door. "State your business." The guard stopped us
The man motioned for them to go. Another man came from the back and grabbed me from Percy and Kellan. I shook him off and was prodded with a strong taser. "Don't struggle." The man warned. "Oh take the unicorn with you." The ledger man told him. Well that's convenient for me. I watched carefully as we stepped through the back doors. It was a long white hall that led to prison cells. I looked into each cell trying to find the Phoenix. The man shoved me into a cell right as I spotted him. He was in the cell across from me. "Stay here. Don't move." The man told the unicorn girl. She nodded her head, too afraid to speak. "I'll return with your placement. Don't move, girl. You don't want to be punished." This man looked at her with pity. He shook his head of the feeling and went back down the hall. "Hey girl." Phoenix man called to her. "How old are you?" It seems he took pity on her too. She didn't answer. She just looked down at the ground and continued crying. "Your life will onl
Damn they have the collars chipped. Electra's eyes met mine and we knew we had to leave right now. I grabbed her arm and swallowed us into the shadows instantly traveling into Zion's cell. "My name's Zerena." I looked at the other shadow weaver as I grabbed Zion's shirt collar, still holding Electra's arm. "I'll meet you in the shadow realm, if you can really get out." I told him, slinking into the shadows with Zion and Electra. I let them come with me to the shadow realm. The group should be driving away now. Emerson and Tally will make sure they aren't followed by any cars. "What is this place?" Electra asked. "Thank you for saving me, Zerena." Zion sounded emotional. "This is the shadow realm. Zion, don't thank me. I'm literally saving you from one hell and bringing you to another." He froze at my words and I felt bad. "I'm sorry. I have no choice." "I shouldn't have trusted you." Electra said. "I'm not taking you. You're not part of the job. I saved you because I felt sorr
Kiran's P.O.V. "I'm guessing you had no idea your dad wasn't human?" Tate's question finally broke the long silence between us. "No, I had no idea. He never said why he left. He didn't even say he was leaving, honestly." I sighed, putting the last of my things into the apartment. "Your mom made it sound like your dad didn't know he was either." Tate was working through it just like I was. "Did he go out in the sun before he left you?" "Yeah, he would take me to school and pick me up." I answered. "Why?" "Well he has to be something that must be turned. Vampires are the number one turners." Tate explained. "Yeah, I don't think he's a vampire. What else?" "Witch? Maybe magic was locked away or something. Did you ever see him do anything unexplainable?" He rubbed his chin as he thought. "Nope. He was a pretty average guy. He wasn't super smart. He wasn't very large or very small. He was just average all around. He was really kind though, super kind, to everyone." I described dad.
I traveled to the spot in the yard, not believing my eyes from that distance. I approached the figure in the moonlight cautiously. He turned when he heard me step on a twig. That long black hair and dark eyes met mine. He smiled widely at me, swooning my heart the way he use to. “Percy?” I cried. “Hey, Zae.” “You as.shole.” I went to punch him but my hand went right through him. He laughed at me. “I figured you’d try to hit me. Sorry I don’t have a body anymore to hit.” He shook his head at me. “I’m sorry, Zae.” “You should be. You have no idea how much this has hurt. Damit Perc, you should have told me. I would have stopped it!” I yelled at him, tears flowing out of me like a waterfall. “You couldn’t have. Trust me, I didn’t want to leave our Ares, but it was the only way.” He sighed. His transparent hand reached for my face. I could feel him the same way I feel the air across my cheek. “Our Ares could really use a visit from you.” I told him. “I only have one more of
8 years later“Happy birthday Ares!” We all yelled, trying to surprise him, but who were we kidding he already knew.“I knew you wouldn’t forget.” He smiled at us all. “Auggie said everyone had forgotten about my birthday and that’s why no one had said it to me yet.”“Augustus Daimen Barlowe! Did you really tell your brother that?” Kiran scolded him.“I thought if he believed it he would actually be surprised.” Augustus explained.“I’ll talk to him, keep the party going.” Kiran told me, kissing my temple, before pointing to the door to let Augusutus know to walk out.I hugged Ares, holding him tightly for a long moment before he complained.“Mom.”“Sorry
Topher had already finished here. He was wrapping the elders up. We don’t plan on killing them or imprisoning them. They just won’t be in power anymore. I know they won’t like it, but with only a few elders they won’t be able to go against a whole army. We’ll be changing a lot around here, starting with the parties and classist shi.t. Obviously the higher class will hate it, but since they are few, I’m not worried about it. “Everything go well in the North?” Topher asked me, wrapping his arm around my waist and kissing my temple. “Easy as pie.” I assured him. “Yeah, especially after she went all devil on us.” Isaiah smirked. “You did?” Topher asked, obviously not liking the fact. He didn’t like me using that side of myself much. “Yes, just for a little while. I’m fine, don’t worry.” I assured him. He looked at me for a while, assessing me, before nodding his head. He kissed my forehead now, letting his lips linger there. He let his arm wrap around me further, until his hand
2 months later.“It’s gotta be simultaneous.” I told them all, through a mass shadow message. I stared down the elder’s building with group 1 at my side. I decided to take down the north elders, while Topher led the west rebellion group. We had a good amount of people with us in each colony.Our civil war begins. Only it won’t be a war, it’ll be one battle, and we will come out victorious.‘We’re ready in the south.’ Felix, the leader of the south, responded with his own shadow message.‘Say the word and we’ll attack.’ Helena from the East sounded ready to b
It’s been a month now since the battle with Alester. Percy’s funeral hit me hard, breaking me further. I almost couldn’t bring myself to go. Kiran and Topher dragged my as.s there, not giving me a choice in the matter. I saw Allie, her beautiful innocent eyes were puffy from all the crying. She admitted to me that she knew what was going to happen. She told me Percy had asked her not to tell anyone, and that he had set things up for Ares. Apparently Electra had been helping him see into the future. She admitted that she would be joining him soon too. It was almost poetic…almost. It’s so damn heart breaking. I am not sure there is a heart left in me. It feels so hollow in my chest, like it’s run away, unable to take the pain anymore. The only times I felt a remnant of it, were when I was with August or Ares, or when I’d look at Jesse’s ultrasound. She’s not shadow kissed like Augustus. She’s like Ares, in my normal womb. Topher and Kiran did their best at trying to cheer me up, or a
Zerena’s P.O.V.No! God No!Percy’s lifeless body laid at Alester’s feet, his eyes open, staring at Ares. I kept waiting to see him heal. Kept waiting to see him move, to get back up and pummel Alester before him. I watched him for a while, completely dumbfounded. This isn’t real, this isn’t happening. I haven’t lost Kiran and Percy just now. Kiran will come back with his Phoenix, and Percy will heal. They have to. They can’t leave me.A thick sadness was beginning to envelope me. I felt the cold seeping into my bones, as the darkness began to over take me, feeding on my depression. I felt it turning all the heartache in me into an unbridled rage. I looked at Alester now, who had Percy’s heart still in his hand, burning it to Ash befo
Percy's P.O.V. Zae had made her announcement to everyone. I thought it was sweet of her to go along with Topher's plan to have an announcement party. This is how it should have gone. A baby with only the person she chose and not because some crazy bastard gave her a sea witch's potion. I watched as everyone congratulated her. She actually accepted the hugs. God, I hope she continues to open up after I'm gone. I wrote her a letter too. I put it where I knew she'd find it after my funeral. I hope she takes the advice I wrote for her. Everyone was having fun. I watched as Zae's people all intermingled. It was like watching the many parts of Zea's life come together beautifully. Eventually, the party had started to whine down. The first to leave was group 1, followed by Zea's parents, and then Tate and Alara with her twin, Alexis, plus Maple left. Kellan had decided to stay a while longer to talk to Dex about water portalling. Rain and her mate, Nate, left as well. The only ones he
Zerena’s P.O.V.“How does this look?” Kiran asked, when he finished the icing on the cake.“Looks great!” I smiled at him, kissing his cheek. “Thank you, Kiran.”I was actually excited for today. I never thought I would be a big announcement kind of gal, but I think that I am. I really like the idea of surprising everyone today. Topher and I have been over the moon about our baby girl. I can’t wait to share the news with everyone. I am so very lucky to have Percy. I don’t think I would have noticed I was pregnant for at least another month. I am also so grateful that he has saved me time with naming all these children. Already knowing their names and their genders has been very convenient.
Percy’s P.O.V.Dearest Ares,I know you’re going through a hard time right now. It’s hard to be in love with someone who doesn’t feel the same way as you. I felt this way about your mother for the longest time. I know it is difficult, especially to watch them be happy with someone else. I promise you, it will get better. You will find your mate soon, and the pain you are feeling will be a distant memory.Stay by her side, fight through the pain, my son. She will need you when your brother inevitably breaks her heart. It will hurt, but you’ll have to help fix them in order to find your own happiness. I know you have a great heart. I can already see how morally grounded you are. You will make the right decision. I have faith in you.&nb