SIERRAMy mom’s lips parted slightly as if she were about to speak, but no sound came out. Instead, a low, guttural growl rumbled from deep within her chest.The doctor, still holding the baby, froze mid-motion, his eyes wide with alarm. “What’s happening?” he murmured, more to himself than to me.I took a step back, my heart pounding like a drum. “Mom?” I tried again, though my voice was trembling now.She tilted her head slightly, her black eyes locking onto mine, and for the first time in my life, I felt like I didn’t recognize her.The chaos hit like a thunderclap. One moment, I was frozen, staring into Mom’s unnatural black eyes, and the next, her voice pierced through the haze.“Sierra!” Mom’s scream snapped me out of my stupor just as something clattered to the ground near the door.A second later, thick, acrid smoke filled the room, clawing its way into my lungs. I coughed violently, my eyes watering as I stumbled back. The smell hit me like a punch, wolfsbane.“Mom! Baby!” I
SIERRAI slammed the door behind me, my heart pounding in my chest as anger and guilt churned inside me. I couldn’t believe what had just happened. The weight of everything, the guilt, the frustration, the pressure, was too much. My mind was a mess, full of things I couldn’t even begin to sort through.I stormed down the hall, not even acknowledging the few guards and maids who looked at me with concern. They wouldn’t understand. No one would. I felt completely alone in this.I reached the door leading outside and didn’t hesitate. I pushed it open and ran into the woods. The cool night air hit me, and I didn’t care about the dampness on my skin or the sound of the trees swaying. I just needed to be away from it all.The moon hung above, its pale light distant and cold. I could feel its pull, the connection we all had to it, but tonight, it only reminded me of how isolated I felt. How suffocated I was by.I couldn’t hold it in anymore.Without thinking, I threw my head back and howled
SIERRAI couldn't stop pacing. The thoughts were all over the place, Harold's words, the baby... my sister. It felt like my mind was spinning out of control. I didn’t know what to do. I could feel the weight of everything pressing down on me, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake it off."Stop pacing," Alpha Thane said. He didn’t even sound annoyed, just tired. "It won’t help.""I know," I snapped, running my hands through my hair. "But I can’t just sit still. I have to do something. I need to find my sister. Now.""You need to rest," he said, his voice calm. "We’ve already called Gerald. He’ll be here soon to help. Right now, you need to let your mother rest."I was the one who was supposed to fix this, not them."Your Majesty, this isn’t about resting. Harold’s going after my sister, not me. It’s me he wants, and I can’t let anyone else get hurt because of me."He stepped forward, closing the distance between us. "Sierra, we do this together. You’re not alone in this, oka
ZANEI woke up before anyone else, the quiet of the house sinking deep into my bones. Something felt off. My instincts told me Sierra wasn’t there. I stood up and walked over to her bed, half-expecting to find her still asleep, but the bed was empty.I frowned, my mind racing.“Where was she?” I muttered to myself.I wandered down the hall, knocking softly on a few doors, but no sign of her. Then I ended up in the kitchen where I found Luna Maya. She was stirring something in a pot, but her eyes were tired, and there was a sadness that made my heart tug.“Maya?” I said, leaning against the doorframe. “Have you seen Sierra?”She didn’t look up at first, still focused on her task. When she did finally turn, her eyes were tired but full of concern. “Sierra? No, I haven’t. Why? Is she not in her room?”I felt a tightness in my chest. “I don’t know... I can’t find her anywhere. Have you seen her this morning?”She sighed and set the spoon down. “No... I haven’t. She’s been distant, Zane. E
SIERRA I sighed deeply as I arrived at the third tower. It had been a long, exhausting day. The first two towers hadn’t led me anywhere. The sisters there had told me Harold wasn’t there, and neither was my sister. But I had a feeling this tower would be different. It had to be. My gut was telling me that everything was going to change here. I pushed open the door and stepped inside, preparing myself for anything. But what I saw took me by surprise. The tower wasn’t as dark and dangerous as I had expected. Instead, there was a feast happening. Music, laughter, food, and drinks were all around me. I froze for a moment, unsure of what to do. It felt so… out of place. A woman noticed me standing there and walked toward me. She wore a simple white robe, her face kind but cautious. “Ah, you are?” “I’m Sierra,” I replied. “ Welcome.” I barely nodded, too stunned by the scene to speak. “I’m looking for my sister. She’s been taken by Harold. He’s—” The woman nodded, cutting me off. “We
ZANE I stood with my brothers, our eyes glued to the maps Gerald had spread out on the table. The pressure was on, Sierra and her baby were out there somewhere, and we had no time to waste. Gerald was going over the potential places where Harold could’ve taken them, but honestly, the more we looked, the more I felt the panic bubbling up inside me. “Look at these places,” Gerald said, pointing to ten locations on the map. “I’m sure Harold’s hiding them in one of these spots. He is not stupid. He’d go somewhere remote, somewhere with no civilization to keep his movements quiet.” I stared at the maps but couldn’t focus. My mind was on Sierra. Was she okay? Was the baby safe? My gut twisted in knots, the worry tightening around my chest like a vice. I needed to do something, anything. “Do we have to search all of these?” Dane asked, his voice laced with frustration. “There’s so much ground to cover.” “Yeah, we do,” Gerald replied. “I’m telling you, we have to check every one of these
KANEWe all gathered by the door, our faces grim but determined. We knew this was it. We were going out there, and we weren’t coming back without Sierra and the baby.Dane turned to face us, his eyes hard. “No one’s getting left behind. We do this together. We’re a team.”Zane nodded. “We find her. No matter what.”I clenched my fists. “We won’t stop. We get them back, no matter what it takes.”And with that, we headed out. Every step I took felt heavy, but I kept my head up. We weren’t going to fail. Not this time.We were going to bring her home.I sat by the campfire, trying to keep my mind off the darkness that seemed to be swallowing me whole. The air was cold, the silence heavy, and the only sound was the crackling of the fire. My brothers were around me, but I barely noticed them anymore. I couldn’t stop thinking about Sierra. She’s always been stubborn, always doing things her way and never thinking about the consequences. I just... I couldn't understand why she had to put her
ZANEThe air was thick with tension as we stood under the moonlight. I looked at the woman standing a few feet away, her hood casting shadows over her face. She had offered to lead us to a convent where she claimed we might find Sierra or at least some clue about her.I turned to my brothers, my gut twisting. “Do you guys really think this is a good idea?” I asked, my voice tight. “We don’t know this woman. For all we know, this could be a trap.”Kane shrugged, his tone calm but firm. “We don’t have many options, Zane. Sierra and her baby sister are out there somewhere, and every second we waste could mean danger for them.”Dane chimed in, his voice more relaxed but equally determined. “She said she knows something, and we need all the help we can get. If this leads us to Sierra, then it’s worth the risk.”I crossed my arms, shaking my head. “Something feels off, though. Think about it. Everything’s been too smooth. This random stranger just happens to know where we should go? It does
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