-VALEN'S POV- Explosions of glittery shards sliced through the space, hurling Raina's fragile body swiftly backwards. In the mighty burst of glass, her hands flailed wildly, and several lacerations began appearing all over her flesh as she sailed further and further from me. Her spine-curdling screams ran through my head. The terror and urgency in her eyes cramped my heart with an outrageous fear. This was so wrong. The gods have crossed their limits. “You motherfucking monsters! Give me back my mate!” I gripped my hair, smoldering with resentment as rage nearly consumed my dark soul. Artemis pinched her face with a fixed gaze on me. She remained mute despite our unfolding anguish. Raina was my biggest concern as my eyes saw the horrendous scene unfold. Her high-pitched shrieks speared into my heart as the mate bond panged and burned like hell's fire. Panic, dread, and pain torched my veins. Tears itched my eyes as I fretted for her. Blood imprinted each part of her skin that t
-VALEN’S POV- Raina and I exchanged glum glances. Mystified and unable to decipher what was in the glowing glass ball. The clear fluid inside it sloshed around. “What is it?” I asked, icily. I felt annoyed because this was another way to procrastinate our departure. “Before you go, Cronus wanted to let you know that this was all planned.” Artemis shifted on the curving end of her crescent moon to focus mainly on Raina. “See in life, there are critical events that must happen, no matter what. This moment was one of them and also your impending war. We knew your decisions and actions before you did them.” “This game was rigged from the beginning.” I cursed inwardly at the revelation, wishing a comet would knock her ass off the moon. “You cheating ― ugh!” Raina accused, coiling both hands into fists. “You played us! You ripped us off!” “Ya, uh-huh.” Shamelessly, Artemis carried on with a blithe disregard for their dirty dealings. “The point is ― this is Cronus’ work. Time is a gift
DEVIN’S POV- “― Heartless, cold-hearted, and selfish!” It sounded like an angry Raina, but where the hell was she? I was at the pack house checking Valen's room on the fifth floor for the last time for any clues that would lead to their whereabouts. I peeked my head out of his bedroom into the hallway to my right. “It was out of my hands, Raina.” Valen’s voice floated in, and I wondered if I was imagining things. I could hear them, but I could not see them. I came out of the bedroom to listen more attentively and stood in the hallway. The space by the skylight window at the dormer loft lounge warped before me. My wary Prussian eyes latched onto the four-dimensional curvature distortion with my ear pricking up, listening sharply. Suddenly, Raina and Valen materialized from nowhere. They faced each other as they argued in the center of the loft. Valen was trying to hold her hands and she kept twisting them away from him. Great relief flooded my body because they’d been gone for a w
-DEVIN’S POV- “Well, before I give you my report.” I crossed my arms. “There are some things you ought to know.” Peeved, Valen cocked his eyebrows at me. He leaned with his bare back to the wall while he remained standing on the stairs. He had one foot on a higher step than the other. “First of all, you disappeared without telling me how to use this damn ring.” I pointed to the white gold teleportation ring on my right middle finger. “I have been morphing all over the world with every wrong blink I make like fucking Jeanie the Genie. Do you know where I’m coming from?” He tilted his head to cement his eyes on me, bouncing them from my head to my toes and then back to my face. “A good place.” “Egypt, Valen!” I barked with pinched fingers in the air. Then I counted on my hand. “I’ve been to Taiwan, Zimbabwe, Jamaica, Russia, Denmark, Japan, and Nunavut.” I rambled further because he had to understand the stress that I went through when he disappeared. “And the dragons in Iceland ar
-DEVIN’S POV- Quizzically, Raina straightened herself and wiped her wet face with the back of her hands. Her expression was broken and angry when she turned to me. When she spoke, her voice croaked, “With what?” The fact that she was still crying meant that it was that bad. I brushed aside my own matters and asked, worriedly, “Hey, what’s going on?” Gently, I outstretched my hands to hold her upper arms, massaging them. Seeming like she was about to burst into another set of tears, she pursed her lips together, blinking several times to suppress them, and bowed her head. “Um, it’s a lot.” She wiped under the swelling of her left eye with the heel of her palm, unable to look at me. “I’ve got a few minutes.” I offered a listening ear and my shoulder to lean on. Although I got the impression that she preferred not to talk about it. Raina shook her head, sniffling. Her moist, red eyes met mine. “Not right now, Dev.” “Are you sure you’ll be alright?” I assessed her with a deep under
-RAINA'S POV- Devin and I arrived in one of the restrooms at Wolkrane Fortress. I darted a hard, chastising look at him. He was such a pervert for landing us in the ladies' room. Reading my expression, he muttered with some frustration. “I can't control this damn ring.” Shaking my head in derision, I rolled my eyes and sighed. He turned to leave, walking towards the closed entry door. A noise in one of the slate-gray cubicles stalled my footsteps. It sounded like someone was retching. Then the toilet flushed and there was sniffling. A part of me wondered if the person was okay. Maybe I should check on her. I walked up to the cubicle with the intention of knocking on the door. “Raina, let's go.” Devin's hand was on the lever handle, pulling the door open to a crack. My eyes lingered on the cubicle. “Um, sure,” I replied and swiveled my body to leave the restroom. The door unlatched. The person stepped out and mildly solicited. “Devin?” “Cher?” Devin's brows furrowed. He release
-RAINA’S POV- “Raina!” Mercedes heralded from the doorway like we were long-time best friends, putting on a big fake smile that displayed both lower and upper teeth. “Not now.” I stopped her with my hand. A slight headache pricked my forehead. Devin growled at her in annoyance for blocking our exit from the restroom and scolded, “It’s Luna to you.” Mercedes shrugged, trying to look past his broad shoulders into the restroom, and asked in a soft, caring voice, “What's happening here? Why is my friend crying?” Her eyes crinkled, showing concern as she glanced at a weeping Cheryl at the counter with hands covering her face. At the corners of Mercedes’ lips, you could see the smile she was trying hard to keep undercover. “None of your business.” Devin snarled, walking up to her. “Go use another restroom. This one's full.” Cheryl ran into the cubicle, bursting the door open to throw up again. I was surprised that Devin paid her no mind. Perhaps he genuinely wasn’t aware that she carr
-RAINA'S POV- Flabbergasted and open-mouthed, I stared at Mercedes. My legs felt so numb that I stumbled two steps backwards. Both the sandwich and coke fell from my hands to the floor. The nasty smug on her face riled Hera as she seethed within me. She was Snow? My brain was on pause. Her statement echoed in the deafening silence of my world. No one but mine and Valen’s family knew about Snow. Then how did Mercedes come to know that ghastly name? Neither of us relinquished the eye-lock. She was enjoying my state of shock. Empathically, she gave me time to digest the implication that the troublesome woman I nicknamed Snow, was actually her. A gloating smile took over her lips. “I was waiting until the Howl De Lune Festival to tell you, but I guess there's no time like the present.” Still thunderstruck, she placed her fingers under my chin, lifting so that my mouth closed. “Be mindful of flies.” She jibed and clucked her tongue. I slapped her hand away. She was the only bug h
-VALEN'S POV-Materializing in the darkness at the foot of their king-sized bed, I found my parents spooning in a cuddle, deeply sleeping.Dawn's light hadn't graced us yet, but this was important, so here I was. I tried not to startle them, although they had to have smelled my presence through our wolves’ kin bonds.“Mom. Dad.” I kept my voice soft enough.With a snap of my fingers, I flicked the ceiling light on without their permission. The illumination flooded the vast, opulent master bedroom. This should spring them up."Valen?" Mom complained groggily, squeezing her closed eyes. She scrunched her face, lifting her hand to shield her eyes from the slap of the brightness.“Grrr,” Dad growled his annoyance and muttered inaudibly. He kept his eyes closed as a sign that he was not going to entertain me. His strong muscular embrace tightened around Mom's waist as he buried his face in her neck.They made no move to see why I had disturbed them like this, but I wasn't going away.“Dad,
Hello Lovelies,I though I would have been able to upload a chapter by now, but as it is, I can hardly find the time to do so.As mentioned some time ago, two relatives passed away in previous months. The first funeral will be this weekend and the second will be held the Saturday before Christmas. As such, there is a lot of preparations to do as well as to accomodate and entertain guest and visiting relatives.Therefore, I am here to apologize about the delay in chapters and kindly ask for your understanding because this month is not so merry for us.The story will resume soon.Thanks for your patience.#Much love!Virtually yours,O'Chantal.
RAINA’S POV-Valen’s brows creased, looking baffled. Then he tutted dismissively, not taking me seriously.“It is taking a toll on your body, and you must do it before Gamma Blayne releases her from the cells,” I said, searching his face, but all I saw was confusion. I dropped my gaze, afraid of his hesitation.Slipping his fingers from mine, he lifted my chin to bring my eyes to his. “Tell you what, I’ll send Mercedes back to Canada.” My chest tightened. “It’s not the same.” I lowered my gaze to keep my composure. I focused on the steady beating of his heart to smother the ache piercing through mine."Baby, look at me.” He demanded my eyes and when I flicked them up at him, he added, “There will never be a third party to our mate bond." His conviction was strong, and I wanted nothing more than to believe him.“Stop denying it.” I retorted, nudging him in the side with my elbow. “Mercedes came on board sometime last night, and you didn't even stop her.”Valen became serious now, and
RAINA’S POV-Goddess, I truly hoped I was wrong, but where the hell were they? Plus, it would be better to be there with Valen when he found them, or all hell would break loose.The rest of the day went by quietly. Mom and Dad went off to their meeting with Alpha Vance which ended before dinner. It was a somber event at the pack house with none of the usual light-hearted conversations, just small strategic talk and planning, heightening security, and so forth.Gamma Blayne was sending the elites in deep to help pinpoint the enemy's location. The warrior’s role was more to defend and support where they could block any retreat and aid if they could.Worry scraped on my heart. This wasn't cops and robbers and the bad guy would get jail time; this was life and death.Dad was supposed to flank in from the west and attack with Valen, who would be coming in from the southeast. Their plan sounds solid, but that’s if Valen returned safely. Other than that, something was bothering me, but I hav
VALEN’S POV-“You think you can threaten me.” I blasted, pumping a rigid fist at him as the vermillion red in my eyes marinated in resentment. “You think Selene can save you from me? Never see Raina, my mate, again in any lifetime, get it?”“I will, and I shall,” Gustav challenged."Shut the fuck up," I boomed with such immense power that the temple shivered, and foggy dust shot backwards.At my fastest speed, my feet thrust from the ground and I darted at him, too quick for him to dodge the clasp of my hand clutching his neck. I hoisted him off the ground by his throat, letting his feet dangle as they desperately searched for solid ground, while mine took root on the floor."You feeling tough now?" I growled with hatred in my voice.The Worgen extended his claws and sank them into my arm, piercing them deep until they hit the bone and my blood trickled out, splattering the floor. Because of that, I hurled him to the ground. He coughed and gasped for air, while struggling to stand up.
-VALEN’S POV-“Gustav!” I roared, nakedly stomping through the circular pillars with Zuzu perched on my right shoulder. “Get out here!”Chasing him brought me to Pindus in Greece at the Temple of Zannos. It was an albescent-white, Doric-styled, pentagon-shaped building that lacked care and was covered with limestone dust. On the walls were featured engravings of weapons and symbols that I also recognized were identical to the ones that were inscribed on the Worgens' foreheads.“No need to be so loud, Alpha Prince.” Gustav groused with his back to me. The hem of his cream trench coat carpeted the ground, right next to his enormous sword. “Even the gods can hear you shouting.”Up ahead in the dusty grand hall, he was down on one knee with his white head bowed to the light blue, marble, fifty-foot statue of Selene. She was gracefully sitting on a crescent moon with a beige wolf around her shoulders as she glanced down at the queen of the night flower she was holding up in her left hand. T
-VALEN’S POV-“Holy fuck.” I panted out as the sweet sensations rocked me.Her pouty candy-pink lips began moving up and down my length. She started bobbing her head back and forth. My hand coiled a large bunch of burgundy strands on the top of her head, helping her with the pace.“Deep breaths—yeah, take it.” My lips parted, and I blew out invisible puffs of air.The pleasure was overwhelming, almost making me forget what we were fighting about before. She picked up the pace, fisting the bottom of my shaft with one hand while she sucked the top and repeated.“So good, baby,” I remarked huskily. “Show me how badly you want it.”Already my balls were tensing up and stars exploded behind my eyelids as my orgasm drew near. She hummed around my dick, licking it good as I drew it out of her mouth.I grunted and thrust my hip forward with more force this time, hitting the back of my throat. Her pretty mouth was driving me nuts. The way her tongue moved against the ridges was giving me a whi
-RAINA’S POV-Yellow flags billowed in my head as the mood shifted sourly. Hot, angry puffs of air expelled from Valen’s nostrils. His blazing emeralds locked with my subtle blues.“Hold on a sec.” I scrambled to the edge of the bed and sat up with a frown. “That’s not what I’m saying.”“Really, Raina?” Valen asked me with hidden anger in his voice. “That crab-louse took Vaheed, and you aren’t in a hurry to get my brother back, especially since that’s the only way for us to find out what happened to Devin.”“I know that,” I muttered in a casual tone, licking my dry lips.“Vaheed isn’t with us because of him.” Valen’s voice rose, and he raked back his black hair with a frustrated hand. He turned and walked towards the glass doors to the balcony, aggressively parted the green drapes, and looked out into the gray sky.“I want to summon Gustav, but I don’t know how,” I expressed, feeling crappy that he had a valid point. “Plus you have that murderous gleam that you are going to kill him w
-RAINA’S POV-Brewing with optimism, I watched in awe as the lavender glow disbursed, engulfing Devin's body in a gentle aura of shimmering energy. Like an X-ray, it lit up his skeleton, making it visibly orange with red veins.It was as if the very essence of magic itself was sieving through him, whirling new life into his motionless form. His body was healing, closing the gruesome wound on his chest and reconnecting the superior vena cava."Hang in there, Duke. Your boy is strong. He can make it." Alpha Vance tried to provide some solace.Uncle Duke began pacing while ruffling a hand through his blonde hair. “Come on Smithson, the moon can’t have you today.”Valen's expression was one of intense concentration. His features were set in determination as he exerted more streams of his magic into Devin.For a moment, time seemed to stand still as we held our collective breath, waiting with bated anticipation for any sign of change.And then, it happened.A faint ripple sifted through De