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
MAYAI followed closely behind the guys as they searched through the woods."Let's check over there," Kane said pointing to a small trail that had been created by constant steps of people. "You guys wait here, we'll be back," Dane said as he hurried after him, I watched as they disappeared into the bushy trail."Maya, are you alright?" Zane asked walking closer to me. I sniffled trying to wipe off my tears, "I will be fine once I see her." I replied trying to hold back a sob. "I know this is hard for you, but you need to calm down a bit, you'll end up getting a headache," Thane said from behind me, I didn't notice him coming. "I will be fine, I just need to see my daughter," I answered.Soon Dane and Kane returned from the trail, from the look on their faces, I could tell that they hadn't found anything. "There was not even a single clue, it's as though she vanished into thin air," Kane said wiping off the sweat on his forehead."The trail was as neat as hell, not even the prints
THANE"These woods have no suitable hiding place, I doubt she's here," Dane said as he searched through the bushes. He was right, the forest was home mostly to shrubs and little pests, yet that was what made it even more suspicious, men like Elvis tend to act in a manner that would surprise people, he knew how people thought and what they expected so he works oppositely. "I wonder if Elvis has her," Zane muttered as though he was talking to himself. "If he does have her, how and when did he sneak on us?" He asked frowning. "We could have caught his smell miles before he got close," Dane added."That's if he doesn't hide his scent." Kane countered. "Keep searching, Sierra has to be somewhere," I said and they moved to work immediately. We got to a crossroad, the trail we had been walking through was split into two. "I guess this is where we go our separate ways," Zane said causally shrugging his shoulders. I knew he was worried, they all were, she was their mate as much as I found
SIERRAMy eyes opened slowly trying to get accustomed to the light from the sun. When the mist was fully cleared, I struggled up to my feet glancing around.The surroundings were unfamiliar, although I was in the middle of the woods, yet, the surroundings seemed very strange. A faint smell hit my nose, it reeked of metal and something foul.I stared down at my body, it was soaked with blood. My dress clung desperately to my skin, the blood was dried making the red of the blood appear black and smelling."What's this?" I mumbled to myself trying to wipe off the blood with my palm. When it didn't come off, I gave up."How did I get here?" The words were out of my lips as I glanced around the woods. I tried to recall how I had gotten there but I kept drawing a blank, nothing came to my memory.I could feel a faint ache at the back of my head, it kept hammering heavily on my head as though my brain was swelling increasingly. The more I tried to recall what happened, the more the ache was.
SIERRAI was lying on a soft surface when I regained consciousness. It was so soft that I felt myself sinking into it, I wanted to remain there for a long time. Were prison floors usually this soft? As the thought hit me, I sat up immediately earning a heavy bang on my head making me groan in pain.Had they thrown me into the cell? My eyes darted around the room in panic, but the cells weren't this beautiful except they wanted me to enjoy my last days before they executed me. I couldn't help but feel terrified.My fingers began to shake, I hadn't done anything wrong, I was just passing by and unfortunately for me, I had stumbled at the wrong place at the wrongest of times.The look in the Alpha's eyes was planted in my head, I could see the accusations in his eyes as he asked me if I was a spy. Were they going to kill me for wandering in their land?I drew my legs up to my chest in a bid to comfort myself, "Calm down Sierra, they wouldn't go through the stress of giving you a room as
SIERRAGerald's expression changed on hearing me, "Are you sure about what you just said?" He asked, his deep blue eyes locking with mine.I gasped as I released a breath I didn't realize I was holding. "Yes, you have to do something immediately," I said I could feel my blood pressure rising with every breath I took."How do you know?" He asked as he got up to his feet.I hesitated for a minute but the look in his eyes made me stop, he believed me and he was ready to act. "I just have a feeling, it comes and goes but you've got to believe me."He nodded stretching out his hand, "I need to inform the Alpha, please, come with me." I took his hand as he pulled me out of the bed. He walked ahead with me following closely behind him, my eyes were fixed on his long legs as he took very huge strides towards the Alpha's council room, I could barely keep up so I tripped on my own feet. He was fast, he caught me just before I landed on my knees."Are you alright?" He asked with concern swimming
SIERRA“Gerald!” I screamed the moment I got over my initial shock.I knelt beside him, panicking. “No no no.. don't die on me” I whispered as I tried to collect myself and see how I could help him, he lay unconscious on the ground, the arrow was laced with deep poison as that was the only way a guy as big as Gerald would lose consciousness immediately.I took a deep breath and grabbed the arrow, ready to pull it out so I could treat the wound when I heard loud noises surrounding us, I turned to see that it was the warriors running towards us, “Good thing you're here, please come help me. Some of you can chase after the culprits, I'm not sure they've gone far.” I yelled after them and faced Gerald back, helping him was my priority.“Step back” The leader halted me the moment they got close.I was yanked away from Gerald and the next thing I saw was initial darkness, the continuous ringing in my ear told me that I was still alive.“What have you done to my son!?” It was Alpha Harold's
SIERRA"This is impossible!" I could hear the excitement in her voice."Didn't you say no one can shift here?" I asked with panic rising inside me, something wasn't right, I could feel it."That's how it has been for years, they seal off our chi making it hard for us to shift into our wolf form." She explained releasing another howl in the air as though she was sending a signal to someone or some people."I don't know who you are but I think you have something to do with our ability to shift." As she spoke, another loud howl echoed from the southern end of the cell.Something was wrong. "Please, stop it." I pleaded, she couldn't see me but I could tell she wasn't listening.Another howl came from the opposite direction, the prisoners were shifting to their wolf form."I can get my revenge now, I can hurt them down for dumping me here for years." The girl muttered then a loud bang echoed from her cell.In a panic, I rushed over to the wall we both shared banging hard on the wall. "Stop
ASTRIDI let out a slow breath, feeling the blood Celia had given me work through my body. My strength was coming back, little by little.Celia watched me, arms crossed. "You look better."I nodded. "I feel better. But it won’t last long."She frowned. "Then we need to keep doing this."I shook my head. "No. You need to stop. If Ariel finds out, she’ll kill you.""I don’t care.""You should."She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Then tell me how we kill her."I stiffened. "We don’t."Her eyes darkened. "There has to be a way."I hesitated, then sighed. "There is one person who can do it. Sierra."Celia frowned. "Sierra? The wolf?"I nodded, keeping my voice low. "She’s the only one strong enough to take down Ariel. But once she’s done, she’ll come for us too."Celia scoffed, shaking her head. "Sierra is looking a lot more reasonable than Ariel right now."I shot her a sharp look, my voice firmer. "Be careful what you wish for."She frowned, but I pressed on. "Ariel might be c
CELIAAstrid lay there, barely breathing. Her skin had turned a sickly gray, her body thin and weak. The chains around her wrists and ankles had cut deep, silver burning into her flesh. She hadn’t fed in days, and it showed.I clenched my fists. This wasn’t right. I had to do something.Swallowing hard, I made my way to Ariel’s chambers. The guards outside barely glanced at me before letting me in. Ariel sat by the window, her expression calm, like she hadn’t just sentenced one of our own to a slow, painful death.I took a deep breath. “Ariel, please.”She didn’t even turn to look at me. “No.”I stepped closer, careful with my words. “You don’t even know what I’m going to say.”Now she turned, her sharp eyes locking onto mine. “You’re going to beg for Astrid.”I clenched my fists but nodded. “She’s suffering. You’ve made your point. Let her feed, just a little.”Ariel smirked, crossing her arms. “And what has she done to deserve mercy?”I swallowed. “She’s one of us.”Ariel stood, wal
SIERRAI sat with my mates, my head in my hands, my mind racing. Ariel was too powerful. Too unpredictable. And we had no idea how to deal with her.Dane crossed his arms, his jaw tight. “How do we even know she actually healed you?”I exhaled sharply. “I don’t know. I feel fine, but… can we trust anything she does?”Zane frowned, his fingers drumming against the table. “What if it’s temporary? What if she did something worse instead?”Kane ran a hand through his hair, looking as frustrated as I felt. “That’s the problem. We don’t know. And we don’t know what to do about her.”Silence filled the room. The weight of Ariel’s power pressed down on all of us like a heavy cloud. None of us could predict what she’d do next.“She’s our biggest threat right now,” Dane finally said, his voice low. “The wolves are terrified of her. Hell, I’m terrified of her.”I looked up at him. Dane was scared. And he wasn’t wrong. Ariel didn’t just have power, she enjoyed using it. She liked watching people
SIERRAAstrid’s screams faded the moment Ariel slipped the ring back onto her finger. The burning stopped. Her body sagged, trembling, the unbearable agony leaving her breathless. But the damage was done. Her skin was raw, her strength almost gone.The air was thick with tension. The scent of scorched flesh clung to everything. No one moved. No one spoke.I swallowed hard, my throat dry. My eyes flicked to Ariel. "Did you… actually heal me?"Ariel turned to me slowly, a grin curling on her lips. Her eyes gleamed, dark and amused. "You just have to trust me, Sierra."My stomach twisted. Trust her? Not even for a second.I clenched my fists. "That wasn’t healing."Ariel raised a brow. "Wasn’t it? I healed you and Ariel is not burning anymore, is she?" She gestured lazily to Astrid, who lay there, gasping, broken. "She’s alive, isn’t she?"I ground my teeth. "You tortured her."Ariel let out a soft, mocking laugh. "And? Actions have consequences, Sierra. She betrayed me. I don’t let thin
ARIELI was furious.My hands shook, my breath came out in short, sharp bursts, and my entire body burned with rage. Astrid. That traitor. She ran to Sierra, ran straight into the arms of our enemies, spilling my secrets like a pathetic little rat.How dare she?I stormed through the house, knocking over anything in my path. A vase shattered against the floor. A chair crashed against the wall. The vampires around me scrambled out of my way, their heads lowered, their bodies pressed against the walls like they could disappear if they stayed still enough.They should be afraid.I wanted them to be afraid.I stopped, my sharp eyes landing on one of the younger ones, a nervous-looking fool hovering in the corner. His hands twitched at his sides like he was debating whether to run.I moved before he could even think about it.One second, I was across the room. The next, I had my fingers wrapped around his throat, lifting him off the ground with ease. His hands clawed at mine, his feet kick
SIERRAI folded my arms, overseeing Astrid. Everything in me screamed not to trust her, but I couldn’t ignore what she was saying either. Ariel’s magic had already done enough damage, I knew that firsthand.Before I could respond, Dane stepped beside me, his stance tense and rigid. His distrust was written all over his face. “You’re really going to listen to her?” he scoffed. “It’s probably a trick. Ariel could’ve put her up to this.”“She’s a vampire,” Zane added sharply. “Why would she suddenly care about helping us? It doesn’t make sense.” His jaw clenched as he eyed Astrid with suspicion.Astrid let out a slow breath as if she had expected this reaction. “I wouldn’t risk coming here,” she said, her voice steady but urgent. “Not when I know exactly what Ariel is capable of.” Her golden eyes flickered with something close to desperation. “You don’t understand, if she finds out I came here, I’ll pay for it.”“She will find out,” Kane snapped. His fists curled at his sides. “She alway
ASTRIDSierra’s eyes widened at my words, but she masked her shock quickly, narrowing her gaze at me. I could see the battle happening in her mind, the way she warred with whether to believe me or not. I didn’t blame her. We had never been on the same side, and now, here I was, claiming to offer an alliance.“I don’t trust you,” she said flatly, her arms crossing over her chest.“I don’t expect you to,” I admitted. “But trust isn’t necessary. What matters is that we both have a common problem and right now, I’m offering you the truth.”Sierra hesitated for only a moment before turning back toward the house. I expected her to invite me in, but instead, she stepped outside, her mates following close behind her. I had to stop myself from reacting. Smart girl. She wasn’t going to let me into her home, not even for a conversation. I respected that.Dane and the others flanked her protectively, their stares filled with open suspicion. Dane spoke first. “What do you want, Astrid?”I took a s
ASTRIDThe moment I stepped back into the estate, fury clawed at my insides. My hands curled into fists, my nails digging into my palms as I stormed down the hall. I had to get away from Ariel before I did something reckless.How dare she? How dare she bind us together with a spell so dangerous that a single weak link could drag us all down? And then, to stand there and smirk, as if she had all the power in the world?I should have ripped her apart.Instead, I took a deep breath, pushed down my rage, and kept walking. I had to be smarter than that.I didn’t make it far before I heard a sharp voice behind me. “Astrid.”I turned to see Celia standing at the entrance to the main hall, arms crossed tightly over her chest, her usually composed face twisted with anger. The tension in the room was thick, pressing against me like an impending storm. Behind her, the other vampires stood in tense silence, their eyes burning with barely contained fury.“You knew about this, didn’t you?” Celia de
ARIELWhen I stepped into the grand hall of the vampire estate, I noticed something was off. Every single one of them, powerful, bloodthirsty creatures that they were, stood frozen, their faces pale with something close to fear.Fear of me.I smirked, letting the silence stretch, relishing the way their red eyes darted around the room like caged animals searching for an escape. Their fangs, usually displayed in smug confidence, remained tucked away, their bodies tense, stiff as statues.“Oh, don’t all rush to welcome me at once.” My voice rang through the cavernous space, laced with amusement.No one responded.A few of them took an instinctive step back, the movement subtle but not missed. One vampire near the entrance gripped the hilt of a dagger at his waist, though he made no move to draw it. Another swallowed thickly, his throat bobbing as though the very sight of me had dried his mouth.It was almost laughable.These creatures, feared by humans and even some supernaturals, stood