Jasmine’s POVThe first time I felt it, I thought I was dying. It was a sharp, twisting pain that tore through my chest, leaving me breathless. My hands shook, my vision blurred, and my wolf whimpered in my mind, curling into herself like a frightened pup. I didn’t understand what was happening. All I knew was that something inside me was breaking.At first, I thought it was the mate bond rejecting me. After all, I’d always been told I was unworthy. Weak. Disposable. An omega with no value. Ryker made sure I never forgot it. His words, his disdain, his rejection, they were as constant as the moon’s pull on the tides. But this wasn’t just rejection. This was something darker, something unnatural.It didn’t take long to realize that Ryker had done something to our bond, something twisted and wrong. I could feel it, a dark thread woven into the connection between us, pulsing with an energy that didn’t belong. It made my skin crawl and made my wolf howl in distress. And yet, no matter ho
Jasmine’s POVThe ache in my chest is unbearable, a gnawing hunger that won’t let up. Every time I look at Ramon, I feel the pull of the mate bond, begging to be completed. It’s a fire in my veins, a need that goes deeper than desire. I want him to mark me. No, I need him to.“Ramon,” I plead, stepping closer. My voice is a whisper, trembling with desperation. “Why are we waiting? You know what this would mean for us. For me.”He doesn’t move, doesn’t even flinch, but his crimson eyes flicker with a myriad of emotions. I see pain, guilt, and hesitation. “I know,” he says softly. “And that’s why we can’t.” His words feel like a slap, and I flinch. “Why? Is it because I’m not ready? Because you don’t think I’m strong enough?”His brows knit together, and he steps forward, his hand lifting to cup my cheek. The warmth of his touch soothes the sting of rejection, but it doesn’t dull the ache. “It’s not about your strength,” he says, his voice steady and calm. “It’s about the consequences.
Ramon’s POVThe quiet hum of the mansion feels heavier tonight, as though the walls themselves are bracing for something. I lean against the doorway of my study, watching Jasmine through the window. She’s sitting by the pond, her feet skimming the water’s surface.Around her, the world seems unnaturally alive. Birds perch on branches overhead, chirping in a strange harmony. Rabbits have gathered near the flowerbeds, their tiny noses twitching in her direction. Even the fish seem to swim closer to where she sits, as though drawn to her mere presence.Jasmine, blissfully unaware of the peculiarity, laughs softly. “It’s like I’m some kind of animal whisperer,” she jokes when she catches me staring. I offer a faint smile but don’t respond. She doesn’t realize the weight of what she’s said.Once she retreats inside for the night, I step into the library. The shelves are packed with ancient tomes and scrolls collected over centuries, their secrets waiting to be unraveled. I’ve delved into t
Jasmine’s POVI sit on the edge of the pond, my legs tucked beneath me as a soft breeze stirs the surrounding trees. The air feels alive, brimming with something I can’t quite name. Birds flit around me, their chirps an odd symphony of joy and curiosity. A curious fox peers at me from the underbrush, and a school of koi swims close to the pond’s edge, their glistening bodies reflecting the sunlight as though they are trying to greet me.This has been happening for days now, animals, birds, even the fish in the pond seem drawn to me. At first, I thought it was a coincidence, but the frequency is undeniable.I stretch my fingers toward the water, and the koi rise, their small mouths opening and closing as if they understand me. It’s surreal, but it also feels natural. Like this is how it’s always supposed to have been.“Jasmine.”Ramon’s deep voice cuts through my thoughts. I look up to see him standing a few feet away, his dark eyes scanning the scene with an intensity that makes me sh
Ramon’s POVThe witches don’t even try to hide their approach. I feel their magic long before I see them. An acrid ripple of energy that licks at the edges of my mansion’s wards like oily smoke. My fingers twitch at my sides as I step outside, each movement precise, deliberate. It has been centuries since I’ve allowed the full weight of my bloodthirstiness to surface, but the thought of them threatening Jasmine awakens something primal in me.The sun hangs low in the sky, casting long shadows over the grounds, but even its presence can’t diminish the suffocating darkness I carry. I sense them before they emerge. It is a quartet of witches cloaked in crimson robes, their magic pooling like stagnant water. They are powerful, no doubt, but their power pales against the centuries of death and destruction I’ve wielded.When they finally step into view, they falter. The one in front, a tall woman with streaks of silver in her black hair, takes an instinctive step back. Her eyes widen as th
Jasmine’s POVThe silence is oppressive, broken only by the faint rustle of leaves outside the mansion. I sit on the edge of the bed, my hands gripping the sheets as I struggle to keep my breathing steady. Ramon’s presence is a comforting shield, but with him gone, the weight of my fears presses down on me.I try to reach out, closing my eyes and summoning the wolf within me. Please, I beg silently, my hands curling into fists. Talk to me. Guide me. Nothing.The void where my wolf used to be feels like a gaping wound, one I don’t know how to heal. My Ailuranthrope side stirs faintly, like a whisper at the edge of my mind, but it’s elusive, slipping away every time I try to grasp it. I bite my lip, fighting the tears that threaten to fall. “Why won’t you answer me?” I whisper into the stillness.The truth is, I’m terrified. Ramon tries to hide his worry, but I’ve seen the way his jaw tightens when he talks about the dangers we face. He downplays it, of course, as if I won’t notice. But
Ramon’s POVThe night is still, a fragile silence draping the mansion like a cloak. It’s too quiet. I pace the length of the study, my senses on edge, the faint hum of Jasmine’s aura a constant undercurrent in the room. Her training has gone better than I expected, and yet, I can’t shake the foreboding weight pressing against my chest.She’s asleep now, her breathing soft and even as it drifts to my ears. Her newfound confidence has given her a glow that I can’t help but admire. But with it comes danger.I glance at the darkened corners of the room, my instincts prickling. The witches’ intrusion was no coincidence. They were the first, but they won’t be the last. Jasmine’s awakening will draw attention from every corner of the supernatural world.The thought fills me with a rage I haven’t felt in centuries. They will come for her. And they will die. A sharp knock echoes through the mansion. I’m already moving before the second knock, my senses sharpening as I approach the front door.
Jasmine’s POVThe days since Ramon told me about the Supreme Council have passed in a blur of tension and training. Every morning, I wake with the weight of his words pressing on my chest. The Council will come for me. Others will come for me.And yet, Ramon never falters. His confidence in his ability to protect me is unwavering, but I can see the strain in his eyes when he thinks I’m not looking. I know he’s carrying the burden of keeping me safe, of keeping the world’s attention off me, but I can’t let him bear it alone.That’s why I’ve thrown myself into the training with everything I have. Ramon doesn’t go easy on me, and I wouldn’t want him to. Each drill pushes me past what I thought I was capable of, and I can feel the changes in my body.Today is no different. The sun barely peeks over the horizon when Ramon leads me to the training grounds he’s set up in the mansion’s expansive garden. The air is cool, the grass damp with dew, and the chirping of birds is the only sound as w
Ramon's POV The tension in the air is suffocating. I sit in my study, surrounded by the ancient tomes and artifacts I’ve collected over centuries, yet no amount of knowledge can prepare me for the storm brewing around us. The arrival of Tharros, Arinthal, and Kaiden has thrown our fragile balance into chaos.Their claims to Jasmine as their mate... I can barely stomach the thought. It takes every ounce of control I possess to remain civil in their presence, to keep from tearing into them and ending the farce once and for all. But I can’t. Not yet. Not when their power rivals mine, and not when Jasmine is already grappling with so much.Jasmine. Her name is a balm and a torment all at once. She doesn’t see it, but I watch her closely. The way her shoulders tense when one of the ancients enters the room, the flicker of uncertainty in her eyes when they speak of bonds and ancient connections, it infuriates me. Because I can’t protect her from this.I rake a hand through my hair, pacing
Jasmine’s POV The night air presses against me as I step onto the balcony of Ramon's mansion. The moon, pale and watchful, casts its glow across the sprawling gardens below. Somewhere deep in my chest, a part of me aches, a knot of emotions too tangled to name.The events of the day are still a storm in my mind. Three ancient beings; Tharros Blackfire, Arinthal Starweaver, and Kaiden Nightwalker, arriving like heralds of chaos, claiming to be bound to me in ways I barely understand. Their power was overwhelming, their presence suffocating, yet there was a strange familiarity in the way their gazes locked onto mine.I close my eyes and grip the railing, the cool metal grounding me. Ever since I awakened to the truth of my Ailuranthrope nature, the world has shifted. Everything feels heavier, like I’m standing at the center of a storm that could rip through the very fabric of this realm.The memory of their voices lingers. “Your power calls to me, Jasmine,” Tharros had said, his voice
Ramon's POV The mansion is still heavy with the lingering presence of the three ancients. Tharros Blackfire, with his eyes like molten embers and an aura that reeked of brimstone; Arinthal Starweaver, whose very presence bent the light around him as if he were a living paradox; and Kaiden Nightwalker, the infamous rogue alpha whose power pulsated like the rhythm of a battle drum. They had stood there, claiming Jasmine. My mate.It’s been hours since they left, and yet my mind is still racing. I should be calm, and strategic but the rage bubbling inside me is hard to suppress. It’s not just the arrogance they radiated, or even the way their gazes lingered on Jasmine like they had a right to her. It’s the fear beneath my anger that’s eating away at me. Because for the first time in centuries, I don’t know if I’m enough.I’ve fought wars. I’ve defeated enemies far stronger than me, outmaneuvered the Council itself, and clawed my way to the top of the vampire hierarchy. But nothing has p
Ramon's POV The air feels wrong. I’ve been alive for over five centuries, seen horrors that would bring most beings to their knees, and faced creatures born of darkness and nightmares. Yet, standing here, watching those three ancients vanish into the night, I feel something I can barely stomach.Jealousy. It twists in my chest, a poison far worse than any I’ve endured, sharp and suffocating. They spoke as if Jasmine was already theirs, as if I was nothing but an inconvenience, a mere obstacle in their path to claim her. My mate.She’s mine. I’ve known it from the moment our bond began to form, fragile at first but growing stronger with every heartbeat, every touch, every glance. And now, these self-proclaimed "mates" have appeared out of nowhere, talking about bonds and destinies as if they have any right to her. The thought makes my fists clench so hard my nails cut into my palms.Jasmine’s scent, a mix of wildflowers and something uniquely her, lingers in the air, calming the storm
Jasmine I don’t know how long I stand there, frozen between disbelief and fear. Their words hang heavy in the air, curling around me like invisible chains. Ailuranthrope. The word pulses in my mind, foreign and yet familiar, as though it’s been buried deep inside me all along, waiting for this moment to claw its way out.“I don’t trust you.” My voice is stronger than I expect, but my body feels like it’s unraveling. “Any of you.”Ramon’s hand brushes my arm, steadying me, and I glance at him. His crimson eyes flash with fury, but there’s something else there. Something softer, protective. He doesn’t speak, though. He lets me face them.Tharros smirks like he’s been expecting my reaction. “You don’t have to trust us, little queen. But that doesn’t change what you are or why we’re here.”“Don’t call me that,” I snap, my voice sharper than I intended. My hands clench at my sides, nails digging into my palms as I take a shaky step forward. “I’m not your queen, your savior, or whatever it
Unknown POV The night was unusually still, the air thick with an unexplainable energy. Jasmine stood on the balcony of Ramon’s mansion, her gaze locked on the horizon where the moon began to rise. But tonight, it wasn’t the familiar silvery glow she’d grown accustomed to. This moon was tinged with crimson, its ominous hue casting eerie shadows across the garden below.Her chest tightened as an ache bloomed deep within her, an ache that wasn’t physical but primal, ancient. Her fingers gripped the railing, knuckles whitening as waves of heat rippled through her body. “Jasmine?” Ramon’s voice broke through the haze.She turned to find him standing in the doorway, his dark eyes filled with concern. Even as a vampire lord, Ramon’s presence always exuded calm authority, but tonight, there was something raw in his gaze. “The moon,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “It’s... different.”Ramon stepped closer, his hands brushing her shoulders gently. “It’s the Bloodmoon,” he said. “A rare ce
Jasmine’s POVRamon’s study is filled with the scent of burning herbs and ancient magic. I sit cross-legged in the center of a circle drawn with shimmering runes, my heart pounding louder than the chants Ramon is whispering in an archaic tongue. The blood moon is close, I can feel it in the way my body aches, in the way my thoughts scatter, as if every part of me is struggling to stay tethered.Ramon kneels before me, his crimson eyes blazing with determination. “The ritual will take us to the Ailuranthrope’s Realm,” he says, his voice low and steady. “It’s a place your ancestors created, a sanctuary, but also a crucible. Only the worthy can claim its power.”I swallow hard, my throat dry. “And what happens if I’m not worthy?” His lips curve into a faint, reassuring smile. “You are, Jasmine. You’ve always been. But the realm may not make it easy for you to believe that.”Before I can respond, the air around us begins to hum, the runes glowing brighter. My skin tingles as a force I can
Ryker’s POVThe wind howls through the desolate packhouse, its emptiness echoing louder than the voices in my head. Once, these halls bustled with life, wolves bowing their heads as I strode through, their Alpha, their strength. Now, silence reigns, and every shadow mocks me with her name. Jasmine.I slam my fist into the oak table in front of me, splintering it with a sickening crack. The shards fly, some embedding into my knuckles, but the pain is a distant whisper compared to the storm raging inside me. She chose him. That bloodsucking leech.I knew the bond between us had weakened, but I’d convinced myself there was still something left, some flicker of what we once were. I was wrong.The weight of that realization crushes me. She didn’t just reject me; she saw me for what I truly am. Weak. Cruel. Unworthy.I stagger to the window, looking out over the sprawling forest that surrounds the pack lands. My lands. My kingdom. Yet it feels so hollow now, as though her absence has stripp
Jasmine’s POVThe fireplace fills the room with warmth, but it’s Ramon’s presence that truly comforts me. He sits behind me on the bed, his strong arms wrapped around my waist as if he’s afraid to let go. His chin rests lightly on my shoulder, and his steady breath tickles my neck.For a moment, the world outside doesn’t exist. The battles, the dangers, the fractured pieces of who I am, all of it fades away in the quiet intimacy of this moment.“You’re awfully quiet, my Lord.” I murmur with a cheeky smile, tilting my head slightly to glance at him. Just trying to lighten the heavy mood. His crimson eyes meet mine, glowing faintly in the firelight. “I’m thinking,” he says, his voice a low rumble.“About?” I ask though I have an inkling what he's thinking about. “You,” he replies simply, a small smile tugging at his lips. “About how you’ve faced so much and yet you’re still here. Still fighting.”A lump forms in my throat at his words. “I don’t feel strong,” I admit softly. “Half the ti