SIERRA All eyes were fixed on my mother as Erin made that statement. "What is that supposed to mean?" Thane asked Erin who shrugged. "She might know better than I do." He said still on his knees. My mother shifted uncomfortably from where she sat, I could tell that she was frightened and was loss for words. "Maya, what is he talking about?" Thane asked turning to stare at my mother who was almost trembling visibly. I could see her hands tremble, she hid them in between her lap. I closed my eyes trying to think of something believable, but nothing was coming, I still felt very groggy from the fever, thankfully, the burning was all gone, my head no longer throbbed painfully, and I felt a little calm. "I... I do... I.. have.. have." "What is going on here?" A new voice spoke, one that I hadn't heard in forever, we turned towards him. "Rather than searching for answers to questions, I believe we make haste to save Claire." I stared at him, he was leaning in the door post
SIERRA"What!" I didn't realize when the word burst out of my lips. When? How? The questions ran through my head while I tried to think of when and how they had managed to take my blood and curse me.The boys were fuming, "How could you?" Kane asked walking towards Erin who moved back frightened."You used her blood to curse her with dark magic? How much worse should we expect from you?" Dane asked, his face was red with anger.Kane grabbed Erin by the collar raising him to his feet."You vile creature!" He raised his fist into the air ready to sink it in Erin's face but Dane grabbed it stopping him."He's not worth it." He said quietly and Kane released him. Alpha Erin fell to the ground with a small thud."You people went this far to harm my child and now what? You're seeking help to save yours?" My mother was crying as she spoke.Thane closed his eyes, his face looked very tired and it was obvious he was holding himself from beating the life out of Erin."The only option the healer
SIERRAIt felt as though a bowl of cold water was doused on my head, I stood still watching the healer in shock."What did you just say?" My mother asked unable to take her eyes off the healer."We have to pause the procedure because she's with a child." The healer repeated."No, that's not even possible." She snapped immediately. "There's no way that is possible. Sierra can not be pregnant."Thane nodded as he watched, "What Maya is saying is the truth."I remained silent trying to think about what was going on."The last time I checked, people don't get pregnant like that." She added with a huge frown on her face as she turned towards me, "I'm sorry healer, but I advise you run your test again."The healer remained quiet as he stood without touching me, "I know this might seem sudden and ridiculous to you, but my diagnosis is never wrong." The healer said with his arms folded behind him."This is not possible, she doesn't even have a mate yet, so how is she pregnant?" My mother ask
SIERRAThane sprung into action immediately, he grabbed my hand pulling me up from the bed. "Maya! We need to leave now." He said in a panicked voice, "Hurry, grab the things you need, we can't let him capture her for a second time."I struggled to keep up with him as he dragged me to the living room. My mother appeared with a small bag, "I'm here Thane." She said, her eyes darting around the room in panic, she was still very much terrified of Alpha Elvis and I was sure that she didn't want to see him.He grabbed her by the shoulders, "Listen to me Maya, you will take Sierra far away from here, can you do that for me?" He asked.She nodded panting, "What about you?" She asked, "Aren't you coming with us?""You don't have to worry about me, the boys and I will go north to distract Elvis from getting to you guys, I'm doing this to make sure you and Sierra are safe." He said as he gave her shoulders a firm squeeze."Please stay safe Thane." She said holding his hand.He stared into her e
KANE"I think we can camp here." Dad said glancing around, "We are miles away from Elvis, it will take him quite some time before he realizes we tricked him." He added bringing out a blanket, he laid it down for Maya and Sierra to sit on."Thank you," Sierra said laying on the blankets. "My legs hurt from walking for too long." She grumbled.Maya reached for her bag and brought out two bottles of water, "Here, drink." She handed one to Sierra who gratefully took two huge gulps."Care for some?" She held out the bottle to Dad who smiled at her."Thank you." He uncaps it before drinking.I looked around, everyone was seated, and we were safe from Elvis's reach but it was just for now. Zane was seated beside Sierra and Dane was by her other side, they too were checking the surroundings.Alpha Erin sat at the far end of our camp, his eyes darting around wildly, he was still very much shaken from his encounter with Dad, he should consider himself lucky, I was very much mad at what he had d
Kane"What's happening to you?" Maya asked in panic-filled eyes as she knelt beside Sierra who couldn't stop screaming."My back! It's killing me!" She screamed with tears running down her eyes."What happened to it? How did you hurt your back?" She asked.Sierra shook her head whimpering, "I.. I don't know what happened." She cried. "It just started suddenly."We hurried towards her, "Let's lift her." I said placing my hand under her."I will arrange a makeshift bed for her, hold on," Dane said grabbing some blankets from one of the bags. He spread the blanket on a clearing then added another to make the surface smoother and fluffy. "We can lay her down here." He said patting the blankets."Can you stand?" Zane asked, his eyes were sad as he stared at her.Sierra shook her head but made an attempt to stand up, her legs wobbled and she would have ended up face-first on the ground but thankfully, we caught her on time. I wrapped my arms around her upper half while Zane held her legs, w
KANEI exchanged looks with my brothers, they too were hesitant to speak, and their eyes moved very fast, I understood immediately what it meant, they too didn't want Dad to know.Turning to him, I sent him a nervous smile, praying under my breath that he wouldn't see past the facade."You must have misheard us Dad, we weren't talking about you." I said but his face didn't change, he kept staring at us, "You boys better not hide anything from me."Zane smiled as he scratched his hair nervously, "No, no, no Dad, we wouldn't do that." He said."We are sorry if that's what it seemed like but we aren't hiding anything from you," Dane said apologetically.It was a good idea, it was better we apologize and brush it off than allow him to hear something likely to break his heart."Yeah, we are sorry Dad, we really didn't mean to make it sound like that, we were just fooling around as usual," I said."There's nothing we haven't told you," Zane said turning to face us and we nodded in agreement
KANE"No, that's not true." Dad said shaking his head in denial, "There's no way that is possible.""Dad, I know you're finding it so hard to believe right now, but you need to trust us this once, everything we just told you is true," I said drawing closer to him."I mean, how is it even possible? Maya had never done anything to hurt any of us so why now?" He asked.Dad loved Maya, but he never ceased to show it, he has always been in love with her."It's hard, we understand but you have to do this Dad, we have to let them go," Dane said calmly."I can't believe this." He said bending down to the ground, it broke my heart to see him like this, but it was a stage we had to pass through."Dad, you have to, you have to believe us," Zane said."This is just too much." He groaned running his fingers through his hair."We understand, believe me, Dad, we understand," I said hoping it would calm her down but he shook his head."No, I don't think you do." He said getting up from where he was s
SIERRAThe moment I heard Dane’s voice calling out to Ariel in the hallway, my heart stopped. I knew that tone, forced, nervous, fake. And Ariel… she wasn’t dumb. She could read people far too well, especially when it came to Dane.I barely had time to brace myself before the door creaked open.“There you all are,” Ariel said, stepping inside with a sweet smile that made my stomach turn. Her eyes flicked from face to face, sharp and calculating. “Funny thing… I had a feeling you were up to something.”I stepped forward quickly, swallowing the fear in my throat. “We’re not,” I said, forcing my voice to stay calm. “We’re just… tired. Talking. Trying to figure out how to live with all of this.”Ariel’s gaze settled on me. Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “You always did lie poorly, Sierra.”“We’re not lying,” I said quickly. I tried to keep my face blank, even though my pulse was racing. “You think if we were plotting something, we’d all be in the same room with the door unlocked?”Zane
SIERRA“What do you mean you figured it out?” I asked Alpha Thane, stepping closer to him, my voice a little louder than I meant it to be. My heart was still pounding from everything that had just happened, and the last thing I needed was another mystery.Alpha Thane held up a hand calmly. “I mean, I know how to break the bond. Not on my own,” he added quickly, seeing the hopeful spark in my eyes. “But I know someone who can help us.”“Who?” Kane asked beside me, his jaw tight with tension.“An old warlock,” Alpha Thane answered. “Powerful. Wise. He helped my father during the old wars. If anyone can teach Sierra how to activate the bind properly and destroy it, it’s him.”I blinked, trying to process that. “You mean… I have the power to break the bond, but I don’t know how to use it.”“Exactly,” Alpha Thane nodded. “You’ve barely scratched the surface of what you’re capable of. That’s why Ariel’s getting away with this. She’s counting on you not knowing.”I swallowed, my throat dry.
SIERRAI stood stiffly, my jaw clenched so tight I could feel my teeth grinding. The room was filled with tension so thick it felt like we could slice it with a knife; ironically, that’s exactly what Ariel had just done.She was humming. Humming like everything was normal. Like we weren’t in the middle of a hostage situation. Then, without a word of warning, she picked up the knife from earlier and dragged the blade across her palm with a careless flick.The sound was soft, almost nothing, but the moment that tiny line of blood welled up on her hand, the baby let out a loud, distressed wail from the next room.My heart dropped.“What did you do?” I asked, my voice trembling. My eyes went wide as I took a step forward, fear creeping into every part of me.Ariel just smirked and looked down at her bleeding hand. “Oops.”Dane, Kane, and Zane were already moving, their faces pale, eyes locked on Ariel’s hand like it were made of fire.“You’re linked,” Zane whispered in horror.“Now you’re
SIERRAI stood frozen, my fists clenched so tightly my knuckles turned white. Ariel's smug grin burned into my vision, and the memory of her lips pressed against Dane's was a brand searing into my mind. My heart pounded in my chest, each beat echoing the fury building inside me."You think this is a game?" I spat, my voice trembling with barely contained rage.Ariel's eyes sparkled with amusement. "Oh, Sierra, always so dramatic. It's just a kiss."I took a step forward, the air around me crackling with energy. "Stay away from him."She tilted her head, feigning innocence. "Or what? You'll hurt me? Go ahead. But remember, hurting me means hurting your sister."I froze, the weight of her words crashing down on me. The bond between us meant any pain I inflicted on Ariel would be mirrored in my sister. I couldn't risk that.Dane stepped between us, his tall frame blocking me from Ariel's view. His jaw was tight, eyes locked on mine, full of worry and restraint. "Sierra, don't," he
SIERRAI stood rooted to the spot, my fists clenched so tightly my nails dug into my palms. Every nerve in my body was on fire, screaming at me to do something—anything. But I couldn’t. Not with the way she was holding us hostage.Ariel sat on the edge of the bed like it was her throne, her long legs crossed, her eyes gleaming with amusement as she slowly reached for the knife resting beside her. My stomach twisted.She lifted the blade with the ease of someone holding a spoon, turning it slightly so the metal caught the light. Her lips curled into a smug, knowing smile. I hated that smile. I hated that she looked so calm, like she was in complete control—because right now, she was.Then she began to trace the knife around her finger. Slowly. Precisely. Not enough to cut, but just enough to make her point clear. I could hear the faint scrape of metal on skin, and I wanted to scream.“You know,” she said sweetly, her voice light and mocking, “this could get messy. But it doesn’t have t
SIERRAI stood by the doorway, my arms crossed tightly against my chest as I watched Ariel lounging across the bed like she owned the place. The room had started to take on her scent, something sharp, overpowering, and just wrong. It was mixed with the familiar smell of the house, and I hated it. Every part of me screamed to push her out, to slam the door and throw her into the street where she belonged, but I couldn’t. Not yet.Her presence felt like a violation, an infection spreading through the walls of my home. My home. The one place where I should feel safe. But now, with her in it, everything felt different, off, wrong. She didn’t belong here. She had no right to be here. But the sick part was, she knew she had me trapped. She was the puppet master, and I was the one tangled in her strings. I couldn’t even defend myself properly because of the spell she had over me. And that made it worse. So much worse.She caught my eye as if she had been waiting for me to react. Her lips str
SIERRAAfter lunch, I went straight to my mother’s room. I needed to see her. I needed to see my baby. Just a few minutes with them always gave me the strength I needed to keep going. The moment I opened the door, the smell of herbs and warm blankets hit me. It was comforting. Safe.My mother was sitting on the edge of the bed, gently rocking my daughter in her arms. The baby was wrapped in a soft pink blanket, her tiny hands peeking out now and then as she stirred.“Hey,” I whispered, walking in slowly.Mom looked up at me. Her face was tired, but there was a soft smile tugging at her lips. “She just finished feeding,” she said quietly, “She’s sleepy now.”I sat down beside her, brushing my fingers gently over the baby’s cheek. Her skin was so soft. So warm. It made my heart ache in ways I couldn’t explain.“Thank you for taking care of her,” I said softly, watching the little rise and fall of her chest. She looked so peaceful.“You don’t have to thank me, Sierra,” Mom said, glancing
SIERRAI paced the room, my mind racing as I tried to figure out the best way to explain everything to my mother. The weight of the situation felt heavier than ever, and every thought in my head seemed tangled, impossible to unravel. The fear for my sister still twisted in my chest, and the knowledge that Ariel had somehow gained control over us, over me, made me feel more helpless than I ever had before.Mom sat in front of me, her expression filled with worry. I could see how badly she wanted answers, but there was no way around it. I had to tell her.“It’s... It’s Ariel,” I started, the words coming out slowly, like I had to convince myself first. “She’s been controlling everything from the start. She put this spell on my sister, and now... now, I can’t stop it. Not until I undo whatever she’s done.”My mother’s face drained of color as she listened, her hand trembling slightly as it rested in her lap. I couldn’t bear to see her like this, so broken by the weight of what was happen
SIERRAWe walked in silence, the weight of the last few hours hanging heavy on me. My arms were still shaking from holding back every instinct I had to strangle Ariel right then and there. The image of my baby sister, struggling to breathe, haunted my mind like a twisted nightmare that wouldn’t go away. My hands were clenched into fists at my sides as I tried to suppress the anger bubbling inside me.Ariel’s voice broke the silence, sharp and taunting, as usual.“There’s no point in taking me,” she said, her tone too casual for my liking. “You should just leave me here. You’re too soft to kill me, Sierra. I know you won’t.”I wanted to snap at her, to yell at her for every vile thing she’d done. But I couldn’t. Not now. Not when my sister’s life was still hanging in the balance.“You’re right,” I said through gritted teeth, trying to hold onto the calmness I was barely clinging to. “I’m not going to kill you. Not yet.”Ariel smirked, clearly pleased with my words, like she was somehow