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
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
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
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
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
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
ASTRIDI can’t move. My legs feel like they’ve turned to stone, but my whole body is shaking.Celia’s on the floor, gasping, choking on my blood, her hands clawing at her throat. Her eyes are wide, wild. Blood is spilling from her mouth, her nose, her ears, God, her eyes too.I stumble back, my heart hammering.“What…what’s happening?” My voice cracks, but Ariel just watches with this twisted grin. Like she planned this. Like she knew.Celia screams, her body writhing, twisting in ways that don’t make sense. Her bones snap, loud and sickening, like branches breaking under heavy weight. Her arms contort, bending in the wrong direction. Her skin stretches, growing impossibly thin, almost translucent like something inside is trying to rip free.She shrieks, the sound splitting through the air like a knife, raw and desperate. Her fingers claw at her own skin, raking deep, bloody lines down her face, like she’s trying to tear herself apart from the inside. Her body convulses violently, sla
ASTRIDI walked back to the others, my legs shaking. My clothes were still sticky with Celia’s blood. My hands wouldn’t stop trembling. My heart pounded so hard I could barely hear anything else. The others were waiting. Watching. Their eyes were full of questions I couldn’t answer.“Astrid…?” someone whispered. I didn’t know who. I couldn’t even look up.“Where’s Celia?” another voice asked.I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. I tried again. Still nothing. I couldn’t say it. I couldn’t even think of it. Celia was gone. Blown apart. Just… gone.A murmur rose among them. Confusion. Fear. It was thick in the air, pressing down on me.“Astrid, say something!”I shook my head. I couldn’t. I just…Laughter. High, sweet, delighted.Ariel.She appeared as if she were floating, her grin wide, her eyes bright. She clapped her hands together, bouncing on her heels, looking absolutely thrilled.“Oh, Astrid, you poor thing! You look absolutely terrified!” she giggled, twirling a strand of he
MAYAI sat on the cold floor, my back pressed against the wall of the room that used to be so full of laughter. My hands trembled as I clutched a small, worn-out toy between my fingers, one of my baby’s toys. My heart felt like it had been ripped from my chest and thrown into the darkest corner of the world. My babies… both of them were gone.I stared out the window, but all I could see was rain. Dark clouds had gathered over the pack lands, just like inside me. I’d prayed, cried, and screamed, but nothing changed. They weren’t back.“I’m a terrible mother,” I whispered to myself, the words slicing through me like a knife.“Maya…” Thane’s voice was soft behind me. I didn’t move. I couldn’t. His footsteps were light as he walked into the room, probably trying not to startle me, but I heard him all the same. “Please don’t say that.”I shook my head, wiping the tears that kept falling no matter how much I tried to stop them. “It’s the truth, Thane. I failed them. I should’ve protected th
SIERRAI felt the weight of frustration press down on me like a boulder. Every time I tried to approach the barrier, a shockwave would blast me back, and each time it happened, the sting felt sharper. My body still hummed with the last hit, and my mind was clouded with doubt. I didn’t know what to do, what to try next. Nothing I had attempted had worked so far.I crossed my arms tightly over my chest, staring at the shimmering line in the air that separated us from the cave. Ariel stood there, her expression smug and bored, watching us like we were nothing more than an amusing spectacle. But inside, I was a mess. I hated feeling helpless. I hated being powerless when someone I loved, my sister was so close but just out of reach.“None of us can get close,” I muttered under my breath, mostly to myself. “This barrier is too strong.”Dane spoke up, his voice quiet but steady. “What if we turn the tables? What if we trap Ariel instead?”I blinked at him, not understanding at first. “Trap
SIERRAI groaned as the sting of the shock finally faded. My legs were trembling, barely able to hold me up. My body still buzzed with a dull, numbing pain, like a thousand needles pricking under my skin all at once. I staggered a step back from the cave entrance, my knees buckling slightly as I tried to catch my breath.One moment I had reached toward the edge of the invisible barrier, determined to break through it with my own magic, heart pounding, hands glowing faintly, the boys watching me with concern, and the next, it felt like a thunderbolt had exploded right in front of me.The wave of energy hit me square in the chest. There was no warning, no slow build-up. Just a sudden, violent snap! like the crack of a whip, except it didn’t just sting my skin... it threw me. My feet lifted completely off the ground, and I was airborne for a few horrifying seconds, weightless, helpless, like a broken doll hurled by a giant hand.I crashed into the ground with a sickening thud several fee
SIERRAI didn’t even think. My body moved before my mind could catch up.With all the anger burning in my chest, I lunged for her. Ariel’s eyes widened, clearly not expecting me to move so fast, but this time, I caught her. My fingers gripped her tightly by the arm, and she gasped in surprise as I shoved her hard against a nearby tree.“Where is she?!” I screamed, my heart pounding in my ears. “Where is my sister?!”She tried to smirk, but her eyes darted nervously to the boys who stood right behind me. “Sierra,” Ariel said, sighing dramatically. “You’re such a killjoy.”“Answer me!”She tilted her head like she was bored. “Relax. She’s fine. Mostly.”My heart thudded harder in my chest, and I shoved her again, my voice shaking with rage. “Don’t play with me, Ariel! Where is she?”“Alright, alright!” she snapped, brushing herself off like I’d simply disturbed her nap. “I’ll take you to her. But…” she raised a single finger “...only on one condition.”Kane stepped closer, protective as
SIERRAMy hands hovered over Zane’s chest, trembling, but steady enough to keep going. I was finally locked in, focused. The energy inside me responded, pulling at the dark thread of poison that snaked through his body. I could feel it, cold and oily, like a sickness trying to cling to life.I whispered, “Just a little more… just a little more…”And then I heard it.“You tried to ruin us.”It was a scream, loud and sharp, slicing through my focus like a blade. My eyes flew open. I gasped and stumbled backward, falling to my knees as the energy slipped from my hands. Zane jerked slightly on the ground, and both Dane and Kane rushed to me.“Sierra!” Kane shouted, grabbing me gently. “What’s wrong?!”“I…” I looked around wildly. “Didn’t you hear that? Someone screamed!”Dane’s eyes darted toward the trees and shadows. “No… no one said anything.”“What?” I blinked. The voice had sounded so real. Like it was just behind me.And then I heard it again. A whisper this time. Cold and angry.“Y
SIERRAI could feel my heart pounding in my chest, my hands shaking as I hovered over Zane. His breathing was growing shallow, and I could feel the panic rising in me like a wave ready to crash. My chest felt tight, my head spinning. It’s had been a while since I tried to pull something out of someone’s body, especially not poison. I wasn’t sure I could do it again. I wasn’t sure I was strong enough. What if I messed up? What if I killed him instead?“No, no,” I whispered to myself, my voice breaking as tears welled in my eyes. “I can’t... I can’t kill him. I won’t. I can’t.”I staggered backward, my legs shaking, my vision blurring from the tears that were threatening to spill. My breath caught in my throat, and I collapsed into the ground next to him, my head spinning.“I can’t do this!” I cried, my voice thick with panic. “I’ll hurt him. I’ll kill him. I won’t…I can’t…I don’t know how!”The weight of the moment pressed down on me like a mountain. My hands were shaking so badly I co
SIERRAZane gasped again, his body twitching in Kane’s arms as we all scrambled to his side.“Zane! Zane, stay with me!” I cried, my hands shaking as I pressed them against the wound, trying to stop the bleeding.He looked at me with wide, panicked eyes, his pupils dilated with fear and confusion. His lips trembled, trying to form words, but nothing clear came out, only a soft, gurgling cough that brought up more blood. The red stained his chin and his shirt, soaking through the fabric fast.“No, no, no, don’t do this,” I whispered, my voice barely audible through the panic rising in my chest. My hands trembled as I pressed them against his side, trying to stop the bleeding. “You’re okay. You’re going to be okay, Zane. Just hang on.”He blinked slowly, the light in his eyes dimming.Behind us, the sharp, cruel sound of Ariel’s laughter rang out, cutting through the moment like a knife. It echoed off the walls, mocking, heartless…almost gleeful.“Oh, you’re so predictable,” she said, a
SIERRAThe moment the spell lit up in my hands, I could hardly believe it. A soft glow pulsed from my fingertips, and a trail shimmered faintly on the ground like a glowing thread winding through the trees.“It… worked,” Zane breathed behind me.Kane leaned in, squinting. “That’s Ariel’s trail?”I nodded, too stunned to speak at first. I hadn’t cast a spell in years, not since before everything fell apart. Not since I lost my sister. My hands trembled, but not from fear, for once, it was hope.“I can feel her,” I whispered. “She’s close. Let’s go.”We moved quickly through the forest, following the glowing path. Every step made my heart beat faster. The trees grew denser, the light dimmer, but the thread never faded. It was guiding us straight to her.And then we saw it.A small house stood in a clearing, hidden between thick oaks and wild vines. Smoke curled lazily from the crooked chimney. It looked abandoned, like it belonged to an old witch, but the moment we got close, we heard i
SIERRAZane stood and backed away, shaking his head. “What is this? What kind of sick game is Ariel playing?”I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. My throat tightened, and everything around me blurred. My gaze stayed locked on the girl. Her lips were slightly parted, her eyes still open, staring at nothing. She couldn’t have been more than seventeen. Maybe younger. Someone’s daughter. Someone’s sister. Just like mine.“She didn’t even fight back,” I whispered, barely hearing my own voice. “She wasn’t trying to hurt anyone… she didn’t deserve this.”“She wasn’t supposed to be part of this,” Zane said softly, his voice filled with confusion. “She was just… there.”“No,” I said, slowly shaking my head. “She was placed here. Ariel made sure of it. She knew I’d go after her. She wanted me to hit her.”Kane’s fists were clenched at his sides. “That’s twisted.”“It’s evil,” I said through gritted teeth. “She used this girl like she was nothing. Like she didn’t matter.”Zane exhaled harshly. “So that