OpheliaThrough blood, sweat, and tears I was now the Luna of an entire pack.I relished the irony that it was the very pack I’d been destined to rule over and would have had Alpha Hunter not rejected me.It brought a smile to my face imagining his ghost rolling in it’s grave, frothing at the mouth at the realization that both he and his scumbag of a father had lost everything.“She’s a cheat!” One of the warriors shouted shortly after the crowd had climbed to their feet. The cry came from a muscled warrior whose baby face told me he hadn’t seen many battles if any. “She used that knife to kill our Alpha!”I cracked my neck, wincing at the little jolts of pain that shot down my spine. Spitting a mouthful of blood onto the ground where Neil’s body lay, I smiled at the warrior.“Your Alpha,” I cooed. “Who had his son publicly reject me because I refused to bow and submit? Your Alpha who then had said son place a dark bond mark on me, replacing my will with his own. They made me a slave.
OpheliaI kept my mind blank and expression neutral as I walked up the steps leading into the safe house.Had I not taken another dosage of my daily potion I would have been drowning in a sea of volatile emotions. All of which stemmed from the fact that somehow my father had torn open a portal on Lunar Isle.That wasn’t at all what I had in mind when I said I needed a distraction.I pinched my lips together and took a moment to compose myself before opening the front door. Surely he knew that wasn’t what I had wanted. As angry as I was with Jude and Ryker I never wanted innocent people to suffer.Not having access to my emotions didn’t make me crave bloodshed. Sometimes, in situations such as Ren Nakamura or Ernesto, it was necessary, but not in this case.“Ophelia, right on schedule.” My father said by way of greeting as I slipped through the dining room. He stood in the small kitchen, leaning against the counter. Sitting on top was a cutting board. A butchers knife stuck out of it,
OpheliaI shook my head as if that would untangle the clusterfuck of information currently rattling around in my skull.“Opening a portal into the heart of the demon realm wouldn’t just let a few measly demons through. It would let them all through. It…It would be chaos. Bloodshed. The end of—of everything.”“No, that’s where you’re wrong.” He insisted. “Our ability will allow us to control the demons. They’ll act how we want them to act. Think how we want them to think.”“But I can’t control demons!” My voice had a shrillness to it that made me wince. My father pulled back, a small but knowing smile on his face that gave me pause. “You think I can control them.”“Yes, I do.”His answer was a punch to the gut for reasons he wouldn’t understand. If I could control the demons—if I possessed that ability from the very beginning—then it truly was my fault that Denver, Arielle, and Sara had died. It was my fault Coop was now possessed.I could have saved them all had I known.My magic reac
OpheliaMy mate was getting married.Even worse, he was getting married to my sister.My wolf’s anger bled into my veins until I could feel it thickening my blood, pumping hatred into my heart until it’s acidic taste danced along the back of my tongue.“Be calm,” I told her. “We need a level head if our plan is going to work.”Discreetly and with great care I had the warriors from my pack slowly remove themselves from Lunar Isle. With news of Ryker’s wedding rippling across the island, it was all too easy for them to slip away unnoticed.All except for Aisha, who stubbornly insisted she remain by my side.“With all due respect, Luna, I am your Beta. It’s quite literally my job to stand by you.” The female said, her chin lifted with pride. “I ask for the sake of my honor that you allow me to remain here.”Her long hair was slicked into a high pony, which was currently draped over her shoulder. She wore a black tank-top that showed off her chiseled arms, and a pair of leather pants fitte
OpheliaPaling, Kimberly spun around and took off towards the back of the temple.A dark smile tugged at the corners of my lips. Kimberly had never been the smartest, but clearly she was intelligent enough to know that even with the spell she’d placed binding her to Jude, neither of my mates would dare protect her from me.She shoved her way through the crowd, which were stampeding for the doors in sheer panic. Swatches of bland colored fabric flitted before my eyes during the chaos.Smoke filled the air as the wooden benches ignited.I had no intention of killing these people. I merely needed them to act as a distraction so I could confront Kimberly. In a few minutes Aisha would open the doors and let them scurry out like a hoard of finely dressed cockroaches.My magic hadn’t just affected the temple itself, but the land around it. Vines began crawling in through the shattered windows, winding around pillars and those in the crowd. Several screams rang out as the vines snagged people
JudeSeveral days before the wedding…“The fuck do you mean it just closed up?”Ryker pinched the bridge of his nose. Exhaustion weighed heavy on him, but after three days of straight fighting it weighed heavily on all of us. Still, he was shorter tempered than usual. It was unlike him, but then again loss of Ophelia was still clawing its way through the tattered remains of our souls.“I mean what I said Jude,” he snapped, tugging on the sleeve of his dress shirt. The white material was stained with blood, but he made no move to change. “The tear or rift or whatever the fuck you want to call it closed up. Si è chiuso! It’s not there anymore. The rest of the demons that managed to slip through have been killed as well. We have a few fire elementals out there burning the remains.”Well, that explained the smell of charred ass lingering in the air.Nova walked in, freshly showered and stinking of lemon-scented soap. “Don’t either of you find it strange that Beta chick practically jumped
JudeThe entire thing, from the gaudy ass dressed to the faces packed full of make-up, turned my stomach inside out. I wanted to tear it all to fucking shreds. I wanted to carve every one of Kimberly’s twisted, fucked up dreams from her flesh and bathe in her blood.I held onto the daydream of doing just that as I climbed the steps in the temple of the Goddess, and joined Ryker at the podium where he and that bitch would be married.Fuck, I missed Ophelia. Missed her like nothing else. The day we found her in the bathroom, she carved my damn heart out and took it with her. It had been hers long before that though.It didn’t matter to me that she had gone over to the dark side. Hell, I fucking loved it there. All I cared about was whether or not she were snuffing out that light I’d fallen for within her. The light I craved like none other.When you’ve lived in the dark your entire life you have no clue how good that light feels.So imagine my surprise when the doors to the temple fly o
OpheliaI dragged Kimberly along with me as we exited the temple through the side door.The ebony snakes still writhed over her skin, their fangs sunken deep into her flesh. Little streams of dried blood were caked to her arms, throat, and shoulders. She tried to fight against them, but it was futile. They were feeding on my blood. Morningstar blood.It would take a long while for them to tire.Gazing down towards the front of the building, I spotted the guests fleeing from the chapel. They moved in droves, trampling the finely manicured grass in their attempt to make it to the parking lot.I veered left, towards the dense forest. No one would think to head that way. The guests would inevitably flock towards the fire trucks and ambulances packed with healers that were likely already on the way.“I’d say it’s a shame your pretty wedding dress is now stained with your blood, but I don’t particularly care. In fact, I don’t feel much of anything at all.”The closer we neared to the forest
OpheliaThe fear that had been churning in my stomach, souring the fruit I’d been insane enough to eat from Ryker’s hand, simmered the entire drive—only to fizzle into bewilderment as we pulled into the driveway of a massive house. I could make out its red-tiled roof beyond a courtyard shaded by swaying palms.The sound of music, bold and joyous, trickled to us past rows of fountains and hedges of exotic flowers. There were so many of them that I was momentarily lost in all the color.Ryker held out his arm and my treacherous heart skipped a beat. “Do you really think I’m going to take that after you forced me here?”He could tell I wasn’t angry, and I hated him for it.Taking his arm, I followed him through the courtyard, our feet falling quietly on the stone pathway. A breeze whispered by, but instead of smelling the sea, I was met with the rich scent of herbs and roasted tomatoes, and— Was that bacon?Laughter sounded from somewhere inside the house, past the windows and wrought-ir
RykerThe purr of the Impala’s engine dampened to a quiet rumble as I pulled up to Edward’s place.His scent was everywhere. Salty like the ocean, but with a bitterness that made me feel like I needed to drink a gallon of water to wash it all down. Ophelia’s scent added a touch of sweetness, a burst of ripe cherries that settled across my tongue like a layer of sugar.Scanning the house, I immediately noticed Edward watching from the front window. His eyes held a claim in them that made me long to tear out his throat.Only a fool couldn’t see what the boy was planning. He wanted our mate, and not for the things he’d claim to want her for. Everything out of his mouth was sure to be a lie.Disposing of him would be smartest. Kill him before he kills us. Kills her. He’ll finish the job, and then who will you have? Jude won’t say in this world long—not without her. Edward needs to die. Tonight. Right now. A snarl ripped out of me. “Stai zitto, cazzo! Voci di merda!” [Shut the fuck up! Fu
OpheliaThe back of the house was much like all the others in Lunar Isle. Neat, paved paths led to a swimming pool that glittered like a shined jewel.Sterling sat on a metal chair; his feet crossed at the ankles. I almost laughed at the sight of him sipping lemonade out of a glass, a small stem of mint teetering off the side.“This was not what I was expecting,” I confessed, pulling out the chair beside him. “No Victorian mansion, no imposing statues, no walls of dead ivy. You do live next to a graveyard though, so there’s that,” I added dryly.I had been coming around the house when I spotted a path that led to a set of wrought iron gates. Inside there were countless tombstones, some big and others small. I even spotted a few mausoleums.Sterling smiled but shrugged. “My affinity is death, and I don’t mind it. Apart from a few great Aunt’s who have boundary issues, they mostly leave me be.”“You said I have a magical trace on my phone.” I didn’t apologize for the abrupt change of su
OpheliaThe door swung open and slammed against the wall with a crash. The flames licking at my hands fizzled out, their life sucked away by the thing that stood at the foot of Nova’s bed.It was a shadow in the shape of a man, but the darkness it was made up of was unlike anything I’d ever seen. One glimpse at how it devoured all light, even that from Nova’s bedside lamp, and I could tell it wasn’t the kind of darkness one found in this world.The shadow had no lips, but somehow it stretched them back to flash its sharp teeth.“Nova!” I shouted, but I couldn’t see past the demon. Goddess, let her be alive. She had to be alive. I turned my sights on the demon and tucked away every ounce of fear I felt. This demon wasn’t like the mindless runts my father had summoned. It was capable of thinking—of understanding. Hopefully, it understood this. “If you hurt her, I’ll kill you. I don’t care if I have to rip a portal into your fucking realm to do it.”Its grin began to widen, stretching un
Ophelia“Hopefully this won’t be necessary, but I’m going to leave this paste here with you.” I told Nova, referring to the foul-smelling gunk bubbling away in a mason jar beside her window. It was my first ever spell made using dark magic, and even now I could feel the oily substance clinging to my insides. Nova kept a healthy distance away. “Only use it to draw the entrapment sigil. There’s no dark magic being used in drawing it, so you’ll be fine.” Another bubble popped, and a small cloud of noxious yellow fumes came out. We both cringed. “Just to be safe, wear gloves.”Heavily armed with all manner of potions, I flicked Nova’s lights off and headed downstairs to wait until her demon appeared.I drifted between rooms for a while, lingering in both the kitchen and the lounge for the longest. I opened the pantry, but Nova’s house was very much an ‘ingredient household’. I opted for a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips, which I left on the counter, and moved on. Grabbing the mug of tea
Ophelia“We’re insane. This is insane.” Nova fisted her hands in her hair and groaned something unintelligible about dark magic, demons, and her soul withering away. I recognized the pure hysteria in the sound. “But I need to sleep before I dismantle this house board by board and rip the slimy fucker out of the walls—”“Inhale,” I cut her off and she sucked in a ragged gasp. “Now hold it and exhale.”She remained silent.“Exhale, Nova.”Her face began to turn red.I rolled my eyes and made sure she saw it, but had to turn away as the urge to smile made my lips start twitching. Nova had always been dramatic, but Nova without her beauty sleep … whew. I could relate, and that’s the only reason why I was being nice to her about it. We were both being haunted by demons, mine were just of my own making.“Holding your breath won’t kill you, it’ll just make you pass out, which will likely bring the demon out sooner than we want.” I flicked her nose. “So, exhale.”Nova let out a long, shudderi
OpheliaI forced open an eye and grumbled, “Nova’s here? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”Edwards snarky reply came a moment later. He was still annoyed from earlier. “Oh, I don’t know. It’s not as if you look like the physical manifestation of death or anything. You’ve also been incapacitated for eight hours. Besides, she’s not going anywhere. She’s been sitting on the front porch pouting since four.”Slapping my hand around until I found my cellphone, I tapped at the screen until the display popped up. The time read 6:58pm.She’s been out there for three hours?I dragged myself out of bed, my joints creaking in protest. The mirror confirmed Edwards’ assessment - my hair was a tangled mess, dark circles ringed my eyes, and my clothes were wrinkled. Still, the pain had all but faded since I’d vomited up the potion.Cautiously, I drew on my magic. Other than a bit of lingering nausea, I was able to conjure a change of clothes in minutes.Edward watched me skeptically as I stumbled out o
NovaSunlight crept through my curtains, assaulting my eyes until I had no choice but to peel myself off the floor. My body ached horribly from the uncomfortable position. The metallic eyeliner sigil had smudged, leaving glittery streaks across my cheek and arms. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and couldn’t help but gape at the disheveled witch staring back at me.Milkshake meowed again, likely for her breakfast, reminding me that it was well past morning. Not caring what I looked like, I trudged downstairs. Dad was in the kitchen making coffee, as he did most mornings. Most people ceased to function after losing their mate. Dad didn’t, he just stopped doing everything else.Upon entering I tripped over my own two feet and caught myself on the counter. Sitting there was the plate of cookies I’d hastily made last night. White chocolate macadamia. Frustrated with the spirit’s lack of response, I had shoved one into my mouth and stormed upstairs.Two sat on the plate currently
NovaEarlier that night…After seeing the shadow more frequently over the last two weeks, I should have never let my guard down. I had just been so tired. It had been three, going on four, nights where I’d got little to no sleep. The shadow man wasn’t just a blip in my peripheral now. He was a fixture in the corner of the room, a feeling that swept over me like a wave of vertigo. The worst part was, I couldn’t tell if what I was seeing were real or if it were due to lack of sleep.The guilt intensified until I could no longer think straight.I picked a spot the size of a quarter along my temple. The platinum strands, so similar to my mother’s, littered the carpet around my vanity. Using a comb, I swept my part to the side an inch. It would cover the damage until I made another hair replenishment potion.Dad suggested I call the therapist, which is about the full extent of his advice these days. When he leaves his office, which isn’t often, I catch glimpses of him in the hallway. Sile