ZANEPoisoned?We were too late, I was too late. My eyes scanned the room and rested on her. She was lying on the bed with her eyes closed. Blood kept on seeping out from the spot where the rogue had clawed her. That bastard!He was lucky Kane got to him before I did."Do something, find the remedy or something!" Kane's voice rose more than normal.The Nurse leaned towards her to inspect the wound. It was a long and very deep gash, the bleeding refused to stop. "Isn't there a remedy for the poison?" I asked.She sighed before looking at me, "There is." "Tell us where to find it," Kane demanded."That is where the issue lies, the poison is one that only certain rogues carry, and in their plains lies the remedy." Her voice was low and hesitant."What is the remedy," I asked.My eyes flickered to Sierra lying unconsciously on the bed. Her eyes were closed and she looked almost lifeless. Her amused face flashed through my mind. I'd do anything to see you on your feet again, Sierra.
DANEI couldn't believe my bullhead brothers were fighting over who to stay behind and who wouldn't. That should be the least of our problems right now.The look in Kane's eyes was dangerous and I knew I had to step in because they wouldn't just stop at words, fists would be hurled too."Both of you stop it!" I snarled.This was what the prophecy had said, and these bull-headed brothers of mine were being unreasonable by arguing about who was being petty and who wasn't.When I mentioned prophecy, they seemed to calm down a little."Zane, this isn't about being a hero, Sierra's life is on the line." I was mad at him for thinking that life was all about looking good in front of our mate.Turning to Kane, I signed. "You're right, one of us has to stay behind to look after Sierra and inform Dad and Maya." "That's what I've been trying to say but this dude here refused to listen." Kane huffed."If you're so right, why don't you stay behind while we go down to the wastelands?" Zane snapped
CLAIREThe sound of my father's voice sent a wave of relief down my spine. His presence always gave me an assurance making me want to do anything and get away with it.The principal's hold on my arm loosened and I shrugged him off."Dad,” I drawled, staring at him with very teary eyes. "My princess," He sent me a reassuring smile then growled at the principal not minding King Thane."What's going on here?" He asked, "I heard rumors of rogues on the school premises." The principal scratched his head looking confused. "Rumors sure spread like wildfire," Dane muttered angrily while glaring at me. I rolled my eyes at him in response. "Let me go," I grumbled trying to free my hand from King Thane's hold. "If you'd excuse me, King Thane, my child is innocent." My father sent him a look and he slowly let go of my hand. Turning back to the principal he raised a brow. "I asked a question." The principal eyes darted around. "We are still investigating what happened," he glanced at me the
KANE"These rogues sure love the sewers," Zane grunted as we struggled to pass through the muddy waste."It's called a wasteland for a reason, Zane," I replied, trying my best to reduce the amount of talking and increase my pace. "Eww." Zane retched.I shook my head ignoring him.He sure was taking the whole scene a lot better than I imagined. We were on our way to the wastelands and the journey so far hasn't been a smooth one.From having to run up a mountain filled with sharp stones and lots of death traps, a missed step could get one killed, to walking through a land where sewages were deposited, I wondered what next awaited us ahead.My mind wandered to Sierra's bloodied clothes and her unconscious face, her face that had lost its glow and looking so dull made my heart ache painfully.I wanted to see her smile once again, I wished to see her standing and giggling about or even picking up a fight with me. Her smile strengthened me, it gave me the push to carry on."Do you think i
ZANEI was stunned at Kane's words and did not know how to take his declaration. At first, I wanted to grab him by the neck and shake him till he changed his decision but I thought better, we were still close to the rogue's territory and there was every probability of them catching up with us. "What made you change your mind?" I tried to remain calm and collected. "I mean," I rephrased, "when and why did you change your mind?" I asked.Did he finally discover how charming Sierra was? Or did nearly losing her unlock something in him?"I can't place a finger to it yet but-" A howling sound from a distance interrupting him. The rogues were catching up, and what was worse was that time wasn't on our side, Sierra needed us. The antidote too."Let's save Sierra first" I replied, shoving the conversation under the carpet."Fine, but it won't change my resolve, and I'm not backing down either. She makes me feel things I thought I could never feel. I tried to curb those feelings." Kane said
SIERRAMy eyes fluttered open making me groan from the sudden bright light in the room. I closed my eyes again trying to get used to the lights in the room.Sudden pain hits me and spreads all around my body making me groan. Memories from earlier flashed through my mind.I shuddered as I recalled the rogues circling me with their tongues dripping saliva as they anticipated their next meal. The triplets had come to my rescue but the rogues were determined to hurt me.Tears dropped from my eyes as the pain became unbearable. Closing my eyes, I heard a ringing sound in my ears while I groaned. My whole body felt as though it was on fire."Sierra, baby can you hear me?" My mother's voice sounded as though she was screaming my name from a distance. I felt her hand touch my cheek and I instantly felt warm."Baby, mama's here." She held my hands tightly to her bosom and I forced my eyes open.They rested on her.She was sitting by my side with a smile on her face while tears dropped from he
SIERRAFeeling drained, I decided to get up from the bed and walk, hoping it would help calm my racing heart. The window was opened and the evening sun peeked into my room. Feeling exposed, I tugged at the window blinds, pulling them down. They were no longer here but I could still feel their presence in my room making my heart ponder. I stood in front of the mirror staring at myself. My eyes looked sad and almost lifeless, my hair was still packed in a bun but it was rough and resembled a bird nest.My fingers strayed to the spot where I was injured and a panicked voice screamed in my head.Don't look, don't!Ignoring the voice, I stared at the scar left. The wound was gone as well as the bloodstains, but I was left with a permanent reminder of what nearly killed me. Slowly, my fingers trailed along the spot, perhaps hoping to feel the pain that I ought to, but nothing, I was left with a trophy that reminded me of how weak and vulnerable I was.The first tear escaped, and I felt
THANEMy heart went out to Maya and her daughter, thankfully, the antidote had worked perfectly and she was okay now. As I walked out of my room heading downstairs for a meeting, I overheard Sierra speaking to the boys.Despite our constant warnings whenever she mentioned the ritual, she was still hellbent on going ahead with it, and what was more shocking was that she needed it to be done urgently. I hoped we had more time to convince her not to go on with it. The door was opened so I entered. "Sierra," I called out softly to her, she turned back to stare at me."Thane." Her eyes were red and swollen, she must have been crying hard. "Thank goodness you're here." She smiled but it didn't reach her eyes. "I was just telling the boys that I needed the ritual done as soon as possible if you could please-" "Sierra, take it slow," I said trying to be calm, she was quite determined but it was a very bad decision to make. Her shoulders relaxed a bit."I know how eager you might feel ri
SIERRAI couldn’t believe what I was seeing. The girl from the group was holding up an old picture, her fingers brushing the edges like she was proud of it. She looked at it, then back at me, and pointed at the people in the photo.“Do you know them?” she asked, eyes wide with curiosity.I squinted at the photo, my heart racing in my chest. The image was faded, but the faces were clear. There was no mistaking it. They looked exactly like me and the boys.“How... how do you have that picture?” I asked, my voice trembling slightly, despite myself.The girl smiled softly, almost nostalgically. “I found it in my grandmother’s attic. She had all sorts of old things there.”My mind raced as I tried to process this. My ancestors. How could she have something so personal? How did it end up with her family?I glanced at the picture again, studying the faces in more detail. It was strange, but there was something about the way they looked. The men, and the woman, all shared the same features I
SIERRAThe fighting had finally stopped. Everyone was standing still, waiting for me to speak. I could feel all eyes on me, the weight of their expectation pressing on me. My heart was pounding, but I tried to keep my voice steady.“What’s the plan, Sierra?” one of the locals asked, his voice sharp and full of tension. “We can’t just stand here forever.”I glanced at my family, then turned back to the group. “The vampires are allergic to werewolf bites,” I said, keeping my voice low but firm. “It’ll drive them crazy, and eventually, they’ll die. We need to storm the cave and bite as many as we can. That’s the only way to stop them.”The locals exchanged uneasy glances, muttering among themselves. I could see the doubt in their eyes.“You want us to just go into the cave and risk our lives?” another man asked, his voice shaking with fear. “These vampires are strong, Sierra. They’re not like anything we’ve dealt with before.”I shook my head, my gaze hardening. “They’re not as strong as
SIERRAThe moment we entered the small town, the atmosphere felt thick with tension. The locals eyed us warily, their gazes flickering between me and the Lycan King, Alpha Thane. I could feel their suspicion, their fear. It was clear they didn’t want any trouble, and the sight of my family, especially Thane, seemed to make them even more uneasy.“I can feel their eyes on us,” I muttered under my breath, glancing at Alpha Thane. His expression was unreadable, though I knew he was aware of the hostility too.“We’re not here to cause trouble,” Alpha Thane said, his voice calm but firm. “We just need to talk to them.”But the moment we walked deeper into town, the murmurs from the locals grew louder. Some of them were already retreating into their homes, their doors closing with a soft but swift thud. Others stood, watching us from a distance, with angry eyes. They didn’t want to be involved. They didn’t want to see us here, especially not with Alpha Thane at my side.“I knew this was a b
SIERRAI sat with Dane, Kane, and Zane in the living room, feeling the tension in the air. We had been waiting for Alpha Thane to return for what felt like hours, and the longer it took, the more anxious I became. My thoughts kept drifting to the mission ahead. We were going into dangerous territory, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that something could go wrong.Dane glanced over at me, concern written on his face. “You okay, Sierra?”I gave him a forced smile, but I knew it wasn’t convincing. “Yeah, just thinking.”“You sure?” Kane asked, his tone soft. “You’ve been quiet. Something’s on your mind?”I nodded, but I could feel my stomach knotting. “Just... wondering what’s taking Dad so long. He’s usually faster with this kind of thing.”“They probably got held up,” Zane said, shrugging. “You know how Dad is, sometimes he likes to take his time with things.”“Yeah, but this feels different,” I muttered. “We have a dangerous mission ahead of us, and I just don’t know if I’m ready to l
MAYAI woke up with a jolt, my heart racing, and my breath shallow. The dark room felt unfamiliar at first, and I was overwhelmed with fear, my mind clouded with panic. My thoughts were all over the place until I turned my head and saw the soft, rhythmic rise and fall of Kiara’s chest beside me.Her tiny form was sleeping soundly next to me, her small hand curled around the edge of my blanket. My heart settled a little as I stared at her. She was fine. Everything was fine.I breathed in deeply, trying to calm myself. The fear slowly faded as I began to remember everything. The vampire attack, the fight, the confusion… But now, there was peace. The evil thoughts I’d been plagued with were gone, and I could think clearly for the first time in what felt like forever.I heard Thane’s voice behind me, soft but filled with concern. “Maya, it’s okay. Calm down.”I stiffened slightly, but then I saw him. He was standing in the doorway, watching me with that same calm, steady expression he alw
SIERRAI watched Mom disappear into the woods, Alpha Thane right behind her. I could feel the weight of the situation pressing down on me, but I couldn’t let it overwhelm me. My mother was struggling, feeling lost, and I knew the only way to bring her back was to get Kiara back to her.I looked at the boys, all standing around me, trying to make sense of what was going on. Dane spoke up, concern written all over his face. “Do you think she’ll be okay?”I shook my head, feeling a lump form in my throat. “I don’t know. But I do know we need to get Kiara back to her.”Kane stepped forward. “What about the rogues? What if they attack again?”I nodded toward the woods where Mom had gone. “I know. But we can’t lose sight of the bigger picture. Kiara is the key. She’s the one thing that can bring her mother back. We need to make sure she’s safe.”“Stay back. Let her fight it out,” Thane’s voice rang through the trees, pulling me out of my thoughts.I frowned, glancing around at the boys. “Wh
MAYAThe wind had been sharp against my skin as I ran through the woods, my feet pounding the earth, my breath ragged and fast. The trees blurred past me, their branches scratching at my arms and legs, but I barely felt it. I was consumed by the chaos in my mind. I could still hear their voices, those cursed vampires, echoing in my head, forcing their way into my thoughts, twisting everything. My daughter... I almost hurt her. I couldn’t stop replaying the moment over and over, the way I almost lost control, the way they made me feel like I was no longer myself.A wave of anger had built up in me, surging like a storm. I had stopped, thrown my head back, and let out a loud, guttural howl. The sound had torn from my throat, a mix of fury and frustration. It had almost felt like I was trying to shake off the weight of it all. They had no right. No right to do this to me. No right to take over my mind. I should have been stronger. I shouldn’t have let them win.I had paced, my heart raci
SIERRAI froze in the doorway, my breath catching in my throat. My mother stood over Kiara’s crib, her fingers clenched tight around a dagger, the blade glinting under the dim light. Her posture was all wrong; she was rigid and tense as if she were being controlled by something unseen. My stomach twisted in fear."Mom?" My voice was barely a whisper, but she heard me.Her head snapped toward me, and for a moment, I thought I was looking at a stranger. Once warm and filled with love, her eyes were now cold and empty, dark shadows swirling in them. Her hair was wild, strands falling over her face, and the way she held the dagger sent chills through my entire body."Stay back," she warned, her voice low and unrecognizable.My heart pounded against my ribs. "Mom, it’s me. It’s Sierra. Put the knife down. Please." I stepped forward slowly, hands raised, trying not to startle her.She flinched, gripping the dagger even tighter. "No! You don’t understand. I have to do this. They said I have
SIERRAThe darkness wrapped around me like a second skin, thick and suffocating. The cold air of the cave seeped into my bones, making me shiver. I was back. Back in the cave with them.The vampires stood around me, their red eyes glowing in the dim light. Their faces twisted with anger and impatience, their expressions a mix of hunger and frustration. My breathing quickened, my pulse racing. I had escaped this place. I knew I had. But here I was again, trapped like an animal in a cage.One of them stepped forward—the elder, his sharp features unreadable. He looked at me like I was nothing more than an inconvenience, something standing in the way of his freedom. His cold, thin lips curled into a sneer."You think you can leave us here to rot?" he hissed, his voice smooth but laced with venom. "You think we’ll just sit back and do nothing?"I swallowed hard, forcing myself to stand my ground. "I don’t know how to help you," I said, my voice unsteady but firm. "I barely understand what’