SIERRA"Sierra.." Zane's strangled cry woke me up from my daze, My eyes opened and landed in his face. His eyes were wide with shock with his mouth opened agape."What am I doing here?" Glancing around. I was not in my bed, it was late at night and the frog croaks filled the night air. My eyes fluttered back to Zane, it landed on a spot between his neck and shoulders, blood was gushing out nonstop.I couldn't understand the scene before me, Zane was placing a hand over his shoulder, and blood was gushing out despite the pressure he made by his palms pressing hard against the wound."I.. I.." I was stuttering not knowing what to say."Hush! You will alert everyone." He whispered placing his free hand on his mouth signaling me to remain silent. He was losing too much blood, and his eyes were beginning to dim but he was still trying not to make a sound, perhaps he didn't want to alert his brothers.Heavy footsteps sounded down the stairs but I was unmoved, I kept staring from my bloody h
KANE"Don't you dare close your eyes on me?" I muttered as Zane coughed for the third time.He attempted to release a chuckle but he was interrupted by the sudden pain that ran through his body, I knew how it felt, we could feel it too all thanks to our bond but Zane was feeling the pain even more."Si.. Sierra's leaving." Zane muttered as tried to get up but I pinned him down. "At least go with her." He pleaded."I'm not leaving your side," I replied not batting an eyelid."The blood isn't stopping," Dane said looking very panicked."Apply more pressure," I ordered looking at Zane, I would do anything to save my brother, but I couldn't let him go, not under my watch. My eyes were fixed on him monitoring his expressions."I did, but it isn't stopping," Dane said. I moved over to observe the wound, it was opened, but I could tell that it was quite deep. Blood seeped out of the wound not bothered about how much pressure we had applied."Move over," I ordered and Dane moved out of the wa
KANEDane and I exchanged a look as we took to our heels in search of Sierra. I couldn't shake off the feeling that something bad must have happened to her. We sniffed the surroundings, but there was no sign of her neither could we perceive her scent. We got to a T-junction."Do you think they must have gotten far?" Dane asked."I don't think so, it hasn't been long since she ran off," I replied."Yes, calculating the time frame, she should still be very close," Dane said wiping off a sweat that trickled down his face."You go that way, I'll take here," I said. Dane nodded then we took off.The trail was empty, there was no single soul in sight neither were there footprints or lingering scents of any kind. I got to the end of the trail, and there was a thick layer of bushes, that humans and werewolves couldn't pass through without making a dent where they passed. I checked around carefully before turning back.I met Dane in the spot where we first separated. He was panting."Did you f
SIERRASlowly, my eyes opened to the noises in the surroundings, My head felt foggy and I wanted nothing but to sink into the comfort of my bed in Thane's mansion. My whole body felt exhausted from running too much. I tried to stretch my legs only to end up with a stinging pain that reverberated through my brain cells.I took in my surroundings slowly, I was in a cage so small that I couldn't risk standing up, I could only sit and I had to do so by bending my neck."You have to pay me better, I can't take a dog share for capturing someone your man took years to capture." The hair on my skin stood tall.I knew that voice, I could recognize it even in my sleep. What was he doing here? My heart sped up in panic, I didn't want to see him, I wanted to crawl into a hole and hide."You should be happy that I'm paying you." Alpha Elvis said in his calm yet chilling voice."She's worth a few more bucks, just give me then I'll be on my way." He replied.I knew they were talking about me, what k
MAYAI watched the two boys as they exchanged nervous gazes, I prayed I heard wrong, They kept exchanging gazes as though they were wondering what to say."What do you mean by mate bond?" I asked again trying to clear the confusion I felt."Oh that, It's a bracelet that we made for us." Dane began turning to Kane who nodded."Yes, every one of us has it, Zane, Dane, and I." Kane opined."So we thought it wise that Sierra too should have one," Dane said and I nodded.It made perfect sense, they had bonded with Sierra in their way and at their own pace. Giving her something precious to them must have made her feel welcome. If the situation wasn't so dire, I would have appreciated them for taking good care of Sierra and making her feel at home."We are thinking about searching for her, we are hoping the bond might help," Kane explained."Alright, if you say so," I said nodding, I was too stressed to think of any other thing.I could only imagine how my child was feeling, she was sufferin
KANEPure shock was written over Maya's face and My Dad's, they couldn't believe their eyes. Maya's scream pierced through my ears."That's not my child, this was edited." She was panting as she spoke. She turned towards my father holding his face in her palms, "Videos like this can be edited, isn't that right Thane?" She asked with tears pooling her eyes.My Dad nodded, "There's no way Sierra would do such a vile act." He agreed.Alpha Erin laughed, "I know you're in shock that's why you're denying the evidence right before your eyes.""There's no way the video is fake, you can verify its authenticity if you like," Claire said with a grin on her face. I could tell that she was enjoying this as much as her father."This is not true.." Maya shaking her head in denial, "Sierra would never hurt Zane.""Something is wrong somewhere." My Dad agreed nodding his head. My dad's wrinkles deepened as he frowned, the past hour had been so stressful on him that he appeared to have aged more than
SIERRA"Get me the hot coals!" Alpha Elvis shouted he was fuming in anger.I trembled at the mention of coals, I knew he would do anything to hurt me, his eyes screamed anger. I knew he wasn't going to hesitate to hurt me with anything he wanted.My eyes flickered to the surroundings, it was empty save from Beta Orion who stood with a large grin on his face, I didn't need a soothsayer to tell me that he was enjoying the scene before him."Now look at that," Alpha Elvis turned to Beta Orion with a smile on his face, "She's scared of me." He looked excited as he pointed to me with his index finger.I shook, I wanted nothing more than to enter into the ground and die but Alpha was taking his time, he was careful enough to know that he didn't hit any vital part that would take my life while he was sure enough to hit me so hard that I wanted to die.We were in a room with no door and window safe for a few boxes that lay on the other end of the room. After taking me away from my so-called f
KANEI closed my eyes as a sharp pain ran up from my thigh and reverberated all through my body making me want to pull my hair out and cry. The pain I felt was not mine, I could tell that it was Sierra's, she was going through a series of pains that it was probably too much for her to handle."Sierra, She's in trouble." I was panting as I managed to walk, and my legs shook as I hurried away from where I stood, we were on our way back home, but I couldn't walk properly because of the pain I was feeling.I turned to Dane, "Can you track her?" I asked groaning. If I was in this much pain, I could only imagine what Sierra could be going through."N… no." He stammered holding his head, "There's this sharp pain in my head." He groaned. "I can't concentrate."I tried to breathe it out, I tried to close my eyes and concentrate on the mate bond trying to locate her but it was impossible, all I could think of was trying to ease the pain that I was feeling.My legs gave way, I flopped down on th
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