ZANE"What in the blazes are you talking about?" I scoffed, disbelief coloring my voice. "Cursed the Nightwalkers? You've gone completely bonkers."The three werewolves, their faces etched with ancient sorrow, exchanged a look. "We know it sounds insane, but it's true," the eldest rasped."Centuries ago, you came. Three Lycan brothers, with powers beyond comprehension. And we… you cursed us."I stared at them, dumbfounded. "Cursed you? How? Why?"He gestured towards a worn leather-bound book lying open on the table. "Look."Hesitantly, I approached and peered at the faded photographs within. My breath hitched in my throat. Those weren't just ordinary pictures. They were glimpses into the past, depicting events that had long been forgotten. And there, staring back at me, were faces I knew intimately – my own, Kane's, and Dane's, though impossibly young, their eyes filled with a strange, almost manic intensity."This… this can't be right," I stammered, my mind reeling. "How… how could w
KANEI watched Luna Maya tremble in my father’s arms, her face pale and tear-streaked. Her hands clutched the edges of her dress like it was the only thing tethering her to reality. The weight of her silence pressed on all of us, but none of us had the courage to break it yet. My father whispered something soothing in her ear, though I doubted it was doing much good. How could it? The weight of what we’d just discovered was enough to crush any sense of hope.Dane finally cleared his throat, his voice a broken rasp. “Dad… you need to see this.” He slid his phone across the table to our father. The image on the screen burned in my mind—the faces of those pale figures, the so-called nightwalkers, staring back like ghosts of a nightmare.Our father picked up the phone, his brow furrowing deeply as he studied the image. For a moment, his expression gave nothing away, but then he sighed. Not just any sigh, but one that carried the weight of centuries. He set the phone down slowly, his hand
ZANELuna Maya’s sobs echoed through the room, filling every corner with the sound of her heartbreak. She clutched at her chest, her eyes red and swollen. “My poor Sierra,” she wailed, her voice cracking. “What’s going to happen to her? She’s just a girl. She doesn’t deserve this.”I couldn’t take it anymore. Seeing my mother break down like this made my blood boil. “This is unacceptable,” I said firmly, pacing the room. “We can’t just leave her there. There has to be a way to get her out.”Kane turned to our father, his expression hard. “Why didn’t you tell us about this before?” he demanded. “All these years, and you never thought it was important to mention?”Alpha Thane sighed heavily, rubbing his temples. “I didn’t think it was necessary,” he admitted. “I didn’t know that after all these years, you’d come across something like this. The curse was ancient, buried. I thought it was behind us.”“Well, it’s not,” I shot back, my frustration bubbling over. “And now Sierra’s life is at
SIERRAMy fingers brushed against the side of my neck where the bite still burned, the sting sharp and relentless, like a constant reminder of how completely screwed I was. It wasn’t just pain—it was humiliation, fear, and anger all wrapped into one throbbing wound. My glare was locked on the woman in front of me—no, scratch that, the vampire in front of me. There was no mistaking it now. She wasn’t just some random lunatic who had cornered me and decided I looked like a snack. She was something otherworldly, something I hadn’t believed existed outside of myths and horror stories.When she first attacked, she was a gnarled figure with sunken eyes, stringy hair, and pale, almost sickly skin that looked like it hadn’t seen sunlight in centuries. She was terrifying in the way a shadow in the dark is terrifying—something you can’t fully see but know you should fear. But now? Now, she had transformed into a vision of beauty and power, like some cruel cosmic joke designed to mock me.She lo
SIERRA“Enough!” I snapped, turning my glare on the elder vampire. My voice was razor-sharp, cutting through the tension in the room. “Stop threatening me. I’ve had it with your games and your smug attitude.”Her smug smirk widened, but she didn’t respond, just raised an arched brow like I was some amusing little thing. Before I could fire off another retort, Dane’s voice boomed from outside.“If anything happens to Sierra, you’ll bear the consequences, vampire!” His tone was laced with venom, and I could hear the fury trembling just beneath the surface.The elder burst into laughter, her amusement almost musical, but it grated on my nerves like nails on a chalkboard. “Oh, sweet boys,” she purred mockingly, brushing her perfect hair back with a casual flick of her wrist. “It’s such a bad idea to threaten the people who are holding your mate hostage. What exactly do you think you can do from out there?”“Try us!” Zane growled, his voice fierce and unrelenting.“Stop it, all of you!” I
SIERRAI couldn’t help but roll my eyes at the vampires as they laughed, their mocking tones echoing in the cold, damp cave. They were right about one thing: I wasn’t capable of killing them. Not right now, at least.But damn it, I was going to make them regret underestimating me.“You think you’re scary?” one of them sneered, his pale face twisting into a grin. “You think you can take us down? You can’t even kill a fly.”I clenched my fists at my sides, my heart hammering in my chest. I could feel the fire in my veins, the beast inside me clawing to get out. I wasn’t backing down. Not now. Not ever.“Try me,” I spat back, my voice steady, even though my heart was threatening to beat out of my chest.They all chuckled, clearly not impressed. They thought they had me figured out, but they had no idea. No idea what I was capable of, what the Moon Goddess had shown me. The vision I’d seen, the warning, the feeling, it meant something. I knew it.The vampires exchanged looks, their amusem
SIERRAI whimpered, my body shivering from more than just the cold. The shock from earlier was still buzzing through my veins, lingering like a bad memory. My body hurt all over, and my head felt like it was going to explode. I tried to push myself up, but the dizziness almost knocked me out again.Looking around, I realized I was no longer in the cave. The dark, damp stone walls had been replaced with thick, snow-covered trees. My breath caught in my throat as I took in the scenery—a forest, but not the kind I recognized. Everything was still, frozen, as if the world was holding its breath. And winter. It was so cold. My teeth began to chatter, and goosebumps spread across my skin.I shivered and hugged myself, trying to warm up, but something felt… off. It wasn’t just the cold. There was something eerie about this place. I could feel it in the pit of my stomach.Then I heard it—voices. Quiet, almost muffled. I strained my ears, trying to make sense of it. Slowly, I started to move t
ZANEI could still feel Sierra’s voice echoing in my head as we walked away from the woods. Her words, her plea for us to figure out how to get her out of that cursed cave, kept playing over and over again. My hands clenched into fists. My wolf was restless, itching to do something, anything. But for now, all we had was silence. Kane, Dane, and I hadn’t spoken a word since we left the forest.We reached the edge of the pack’s territory, where the air felt heavier. Kane broke the silence first. “We’re wasting time.”Dane shot him a look. “And what do you suggest, genius? The werewolves made it clear they couldn’t remember how they spelled that cave. They told us to give up. Did you forget that little detail?”Kane growled low in his throat. “I didn’t forget. I just refuse to accept it. They’re lying.”I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. “Whether they’re lying or not doesn’t matter. What matters is Sierra is still in that damn cave. And we’re going to get her out.”Dane crossed hi
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
SIERRAThe hot water cascaded over my skin, washing away the remnants of exhaustion and frustration. I tried to hold onto my anger, to focus on the fact that Dane had made a deal with Ariel without even knowing the price. But it was difficult when his hands were on me, sliding down my arms, tracing gentle circles on my hips.“Dane,” I started, intending to scold him, but the words melted into a soft moan when his fingers dug slightly into my waist. I hated how easily he unraveled me, how his touch turned my fury into something else entirely.“I’m not leaving you, Sierra,” he murmured against my ear, his voice deep and resolute. “And I’m not doing anything with Ariel. I just couldn’t watch you suffer.”I sighed, leaning back against him as his lips ghosted over my neck. “I still don’t trust her.”“Neither do I,” he admitted, pressing a kiss just below my ear. “But I had to do something.”His hands moved up my stomach, teasing but never crossing the line. Heat coiled low in my belly, an
DANEI tightened my grip on Sierra’s limp hand, my heart pounding. Her face was too pale, her breathing too shallow. Every second that passed felt like a lifetime, and I couldn’t take it anymore.“Ariel,” I said, my voice raw. “Please. Do it now. Whatever it takes.”Ariel tilted her head, her lips curling into a knowing smile. “Begging now, are we?”I clenched my jaw. “Just save her.”Ariel rolled her eyes but knelt beside Sierra, placing her hands gently over the burn. A faint glow emitted from her palms, flickering like the flame of a candle before growing stronger. She murmured in a language I didn’t recognize, her voice steady and sure. The air around us thickened, charged with an almost electric energy that made the hairs on my arms stand on end.The glow spread, tendrils of light unfurling from Ariel’s hands and wrapping around Sierra’s body like a cocoon. The energy pulsed, shifting from a soft gold to an intense, almost blinding white. I clenched my fists, watching in tense si
DANEI couldn't take it anymore. Watching Sierra in agony, her body trembling as she fought against the pain, was unbearable. I felt useless, standing there while she suffered, unable to do a damn thing to help her. My hands clenched into fists at my sides, my frustration bubbling over until I couldn’t hold it in any longer.“I need some air,” I muttered, turning on my heel.“Dane.” Kane’s voice was sharp with suspicion. “Where are you going?”I didn’t answer. I just kept walking, my strides long and determined as I pushed open the door of the packhouse and stepped into the night. The cool air did nothing to soothe the fire in my chest. Sierra’s pained whimpers echoed in my ears, haunting me with every step I took.Kane cursed under his breath and hurried after me. “Don’t do anything stupid,” he warned, grabbing my arm. “I know what you’re thinking.”I yanked my arm free. “Then you know I can’t just stand there and watch her suffer, Kane.” My voice was rough with frustration. “She’s i