Would it be okay for me to tell Tate what happened? Is he allowed to know? I figure it would be, since as he said, he is the beta. "I went with Everett to the alpha meeting tonight." Tate's eyes looked like tiny saucers on his face. He was extremely shocked. "Everett took you there?" I could see Kiran's face. He was still upset, but now it seemed he was upset at me. He started to walk away, but I wrapped a shadow around his wrist and pulled him towards me, grabbing his hand with my own. I looked at Kiran in the eyes as I spoke to Tate. "Yes. We met with the alpha king and after some fighting convinced him to help us with our Alester problem." "Some fighting?" Tate sounded concerned. Which was completely understandable. He's probably worried I got his pack in trouble. "The Alpha King wanted to see what I could do. In order for him to help, I had to take down 3 alphas at the meeting." "Goddess Zerena. You took down 3 alphas?" Tate couldn't believe it. "I did. Don't act so surpr
'Come back. He'll be checking on us soon.' Percy linked me, waking me from my restful sleep.'Coming.' I pulled back from Kiran. He was still sleeping soundly. I didn't want to wake him, but I also didn't want to leave without saying anything. I kissed his nose, feeling him stir a bit. His arms squeezed me tightly and he smirked, letting me know he was awake even though his eyes were closed. "I have to go." I whispered to him, and his smirk fell. "I'll see you again when I get the chance. Is it okay for me to pop up when I can?" I remembered him saying how upset he was at me coming in and out whenever I wanted. His eyes shot open and his face softened. He nodded his head. "I don't care when you come. Come whenever you want. I want to see you whenever I can. I was just frustrated earlier. I am sorry I said those things." His thumb caressed my arm lightly. "Hurry back to me." His lips kissed mine with such an intensity that I almost couldn't bring myself to pull away. I inhaled his
"How many guys do you get in bed with in a week?" Al smirked at me, amused. "I only sleep with one." I wasn't amused at all and he could tell by the face I made at him. "Sorry I asked." He raised his hands up in a mock surrender. "We're skipping training today." "What? Why?" There's nothing else I need from him, except this training. "Well if you'd let me finish I could tell you." He smirked at me again. "Alright, finish then." "I told the elders about you and Alester. They want to meet you. Your story is a hard pill for them to swallow. They want to meet you for themselves." He raised his eyebrows at me momentarily. I am not sure why, but I felt extremely nervous. I am not one to be intimidated by anyone, really, but right now the elders intimidate me. The idea of standing before a group of powerful shadow weavers, as they judge me, doesn't sound pleasant. "We have to meet them right now?" I'm not exactly ready. I am still in yesterday's tattered clothes. "Yes. The sooner the
"I refuse, sir." I quickly responded the way Shade told me to. I don't think he was expecting that. He stuttered for just a moment, before composing himself. "Don't you want to know who your family is?" He asked, shocked. "No, sir. I'm not interested in anyone who willingly gave me away." I tried to keep my tone polite and respectful. I am already on thin ice by telling him no, but something tells me he can't force this on me. "I see." He pressed his lips into a thin line, clearly unhappy with my answer. "Well without testing your shadow we can't confirm that you're a true shadow weaver. For all we know this scientist injected you with a shadow that is not your own." He thinks he's a sly fox, but he's actually a clumsy bear. I can see what he's trying to do and I won't fall for it. "I understand, sir. I can see how that could be a worry. Although I was able to control shadows even without my shadow. My shadow was giving back to me. I could have my shadow speak with you, if you li
"Your shadow is thickening faster than I thought possible. I guess it makes sense considering your lineage." Al commented as we cooled down from our training. "You're going to have to explain why the elders started treating me differently when Shade told them who my family is." Obviously he knows something about the Watts."Let's say the Watts are almost like royalty. They were one of the original 4 shadow weavers." "The original 4?" I don't know the legend around how shadow weavers came to exist. "You really don't know much." He shook his head before he started explaining. "The original 4 are the 4 people that started shadow weaving. Legend says they were a group of friends that made a pact with a runaway shadow. The shadow needed someone to attach itself to before it died. The group of 4 men let the shadow attach itself to them in exchange for power. The shadow split itself and merged with each of the 4 men. It's said that the descendants of the original 4 carry part of that shad
Clang. Clang. Clang. Alester's cane tapped on the metal slab. Zion was passed out on another metal slab beside me. What had Alester done to him? Guilt riddled my stomach, knowing I'm the reason he's here. Just 4 more days of this hell. Then we'll all be free. "Here we go." Alester smiled, looking into a deep purple goo. "This'll do the trick." He oddly didn't strap me to the table. It let me know whatever that goo was wouldn't be too painful at least. I watched as the goo was sucked into a syringe. The syringe was then injected into my stomach, or really right under it. I waited for the pain, but it never came. Instead I began to feel woozy. The room started to spin around me, only making the woozy feeling worse. I felt like I was standing in the center of a carousel, watching it spin around me. I felt an immense heat pool inside my stomach. I am not sure what this is, but I know I don't like it. "Zerena." Alester's voice sounded muffled. Even though he was standing right next
Percy slowly made his way to the bed. I backed away as best I could, but the dizziness was seriously debilitating. His hand caressed my cheek gently, remorsefully even. His eyes, although overtaken with magic, still seemed torn. "I'm sorry Zerena. I'll try to be quick." He sounded like he could almost cry. I certainly was. Percy was nothing, but gentle. He was slow to undress me, which did nothing to prove his words of being quick. He stood up undressing himself, showing me the toned muscles I didn't know he had. Apparently Percy had gotten a tattoo at some point that he told none of us about. It was a black hole over his heart, leaking black fluid over his chest with small stars and planets inside of it. He climbed over me again, holding his weight on his elbows. He inhaled my scent once more, making his erection twitch over me. He wasn't small, but thankfully he wasn't as well endowed as Kiran. Percy's erection poked at the entrance of my core, making me coil in response. "I'm so
"You're not going back." Kiran's nostrils flared. He was furious. "I don't care about that scientist, Zerena. You can't go back there. He had you raped!" I was letting the treacherous tears silently run down my face as Kiran spoke. He paced in front of the bed, and I just watched him march back and forth. He had been more understanding than I thought he'd be. He didn't blame me one bit. He held me for a while as I sobbed, but once I calmed down, he riled up. "I have to go back. I have to make sure he hasn't experimented on himself. I have to look at his research. I have to take him down, Kiran. If I truly want to be free of him, I have to take him down." I wiped my tears as I spoke, keeping my voice strong despite my emotions. "Zerena, please." He knelt in front of me beside the bed. "Don't go back, stay here with me." His molten gold eyes pleaded with mine. I wish so badly that I could say yes. I want nothing more than to stay here with him. I want to curl into a ball beside him
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