Alessia was clueless about the creature that had entered the clearing, but one thing was sure—they needed to escape. The only viable option was to leap into the water below, even though it was frigid and possibly unsafe for swimming.Having passed many frozen lakes on their way, she doubted the waterfall was any different. Without a moment to lose, she seized Janice's hand, but Janice still gazed at her."Janice!" Alessia hollered. "Fúcking snap out of your daze!"Janice's attention snapped back to reality, immediately sensing the terror in Alessia's eyes as they widened by the second."What's wrong?" Janice asked, her heart pounding as Alessia's fear enveloped her.Alessia attempted to speak, but the words wouldn't come. Janice followed the line of her gaze and immediately regretted it.Janice wished she hadn't zoned out earlier and had started to run the instant she had defeated the gang, for what she saw in front of her was beyond her worst nightmare.A monstrous beast towered befo
Sandro jolted awake as a sharp pain shot through his side, as though he had been pricked multiple times with needles.He gasped for breath, his eyes glued shut. When he managed to pry his eyelids open, his vision was still blurred.After blinking for a few seconds, he realised that he was still bound and trapped in the cage Ezra had kept him in, like a feral animal that should never be unleashed.Sandro winced as he sat up straight, feeling the discomfort of his restraints. He knew that he was harmless, but the ferociousness within him could only be kept at bay for so long. His wolf, Lace, sneered menacingly at the back of his mind, reminding him of the impending doom that awaited him.He needed Arabella... No, her freaking blood before it was too late, but his situation made it seem impossible to meet up with her. He had to escape from Ezra's territory first.As he sniffed the air, the scent of Thalia wafted into his nostrils, making him groan, and he tightened his hands on the chain
Thalia's body trembled as she struggled to stand up, her weakened state making it a difficult task.She gritted her teeth and pushed herself up each time she fell, determined to reach Sandro's cage. It felt like an eternity, but she finally arrived and clutched the bars tightly for support, trying to stand upright."Allesandro..." she slurred, slipping her hands through the cage and waving him over. Black dots clouded her vision, and she struggled to clear her eyes.She quivered, licking her bottom lip before letting out a wince as her tongue grazed her injury.As Thalia waited for Sandro to approach, she leaned against the bars for support.Sandro dragged himself away from the wall towards where Thalia was leaning on the bar; he put his hands over Thalia's and creased his brows while accessing her.Looking at her bruised face, Sandro marvelled at how she was still standing. He had thought Omegas were weak, but Thalia proved that Omegas could be powerful.Thalia's once beautiful skin
At noon, Sandro's wrists were cuffed, and a key locked them in place. Four of Ezra's most brutal guards escorted him to the execution site.One of the guards taunted him with a kick to the back, "You're supposed to be the strongest Alpha, right? Prove it. Get out of those cuffs and save yourself and your men." He sneered as he spoke.Another guard joined in, throwing his head back in laughter, "The strongest? Don't make me laugh. Soon enough, Ezra will be the only Alpha, and you'll be nothing."The rest of the guards snickered at his words.Sandro remained quiet, trudging forward without acknowledging their insults. He ignored the kicks and slaps to his bare back and focused on staying upright, refusing to fall to his weakened knees. He knew that falling would show weakness, and he refused to give up until his last breath.After a short walk, they entered another section of the hideout. The atmosphere immediately shifted, and the air grew tense. They stopped a few steps inside, and tw
Sandro's jaw tightened, and his lips twisted into a snarl. He willed his wolf lace to come forth, but it felt like an impenetrable barrier stood between them, preventing him from shifting.He growled, pushing against the invisible force repeatedly, but it remained unyielding."Shit!" He gritted his teeth. Failure to break free from the cuffs would result in his death, as Ezra said.He was fucking trapped and couldn't escape."Kneel before me," ordered Ezra, jabbing Sandro's chest with his knife.Sandro ground his teeth together, refusing to obey. "Never," he spat.Ezra's blood boiled at Sandro's defiance, and he glared at him with fury. "I said kneel!" he roared, his knife flashing as he sliced it lightly across Sandro's chest.Sandro winced as the sharp blade cut into his flesh, blood oozing from the wound. He clenched his eyes shut, suppressing a cry of agony that threatened to escape his lips. He didn't want to give Ezra the satisfaction of seeing him in pain."The boss said to kne
"Arabella, the trick is to grasp the force of nature in your subconscious and mould it into reality," Orga advised.Arabella nodded and took a deep breath before attempting to manifest her fourth aura power for the umpteenth time. She outstretched her arms, bringing them together and cupping her hands.She closed her eyes, trying to connect with the forces of nature around her and harvest their energy. She needed to gather enough energy to manifest the fourth aura power, represented by the colour blue.Arabella had successfully used three of the seven powers, the Red Beam, Orange Beam, and Yellow Beam. However, bringing forth the fourth Blue Beam was a challenge. Luckily, Orga was training with her in the Phoenix cave and was guiding and correcting all her mistakes, albeit annoyingly.But she didn't relent. She wanted to gain all the power with the hope of defeating the incoming evil as well as San...Arabella shook her head, brushing his name out of her head away.A flicker of blue l
Sandro was coming, the thought permeating Arabella's mind, refusing to leave. She paced about the room; her forehead creased with worry; she bit her lower lip before letting out a deep breath. Her fingers trembled as her mind swarmed with thoughts of all that could happen if Sandro appeared before her.She brought her hands together, interlocking her fingers; she hoped it would stop them from quivering. But it did little to alleviate her anxiety, as they shook uncontrollably, making it impossible for her to keep them still.Blaze observed Arabella with narrowed brows, wondering what was happening in her head. He had hoped Arabella would be more confident by now, considering she was mastering her powers. However, her display of panic was contrary to his expectations."What do you mean?" he questioned, and Arabella abruptly paused, turning around to face Blaze."He's coming," she intended her voice to be firmer, but the fear that had engulfed her turned it into a mere whisper.From her
For a moment, Sandro stared at Thalia, his expression a mix of shock and anger. "He's your what?!" His eyes narrowed, and his teeth gritted as a sudden rage unfurled within him. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. Thalia, always finding ways to get on his nerves, must be doing this on purpose. To provoke him, and she was succeeding. Not only was he furious about her mentioning Blaze's name, but he was also furious that Blaze had been absent without leave. Sandro couldn't fathom where Blaze might have been or if he had been caught in the same predicament that he himself had been sucked into."What do you mean he's your brother?" Sandro asked again, growing impatient with Thalia's silence.Thalia bit her lower lip, shaking her head. Her eyes widened with each passing minute as she realised the danger she had put herself and Blaze in. She struggled to find the right words to explain the situation, but the intense glare Sandro was directing at her made her tremble. A small smile e
EPILOGUEFOUR MONTHS LATERSandro stretched his legs, shielding his eyes from the sun with sunglasses. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. Arabella had suggested a vacation by the beach, and they had been here for four months now. He still wanted to fulfill all her wishes, agreeing to everything she desired.Lately, it had been peaceful. Since the altercation with Paolo, there was no imminent threat to Arabella, though he couldn't say the same for himself, which he didn't mind. He didn't believe his enemies would ever cease, as wherever he went, he seemed to attract more.He didn't want to involve Arabella in his dangerous lifestyle, but he also doubted his ability to shield her completely.Alessia had disappeared. When Paolo had died, Sandro had taken the time to scour the building for her before leaving for the Villa, but he hadn't seen any trace of her."Why are you staring at her?"Sandro snapped his head at the sound of Arabella's voice. She stood above him, arms folded. H
Arabella wasn't as tired as she expected. She continued battling, and almost half of the members of the Salvatore house were already down. Although she couldn't unleash her powers to the fullest, she had imbued her knife with magic, enhancing its effectiveness even more.The enchanted blade caused immediate falls to anyone it touched, adding up to a high body count. Despite her victories, the number of foes she faced showed no signs of diminishing.Sandro, absent since his departure, left her uncertain about his fate. Paolo's absence suggested he wasn't defeated, as Paolo would have returned if he had been. Alessia was also nowhere to be found; Arabella wondered if Paolo had taken her with him.Yet, she was glad the merge hadn't happened.***Running after Paolo led Sandro to an unfamiliar location. Uncertain of his whereabouts, he felt a rush of anxiety as his gaze fixed on what appeared to be a full moon at the room's far end, shining brightly. Sandro, feeling a tingling sensation,
Paolo paced nervously, his gaze repeatedly drawn to Arabella, securely bound to the chair. At first glance, she seemed unconscious, her head hanging limply, but a closer look revealed that she was simply staring down."How much longer do we have to wait?" he inquired of Alessia, who had resumed her position inside the pentagram."A few more minutes or the ritual will be incomplete," Alessia replied.Despite the requirement for a special full moon, she had assured them of conjuring the moon to ensure the ritual's success. However, the actual full moon was still two weeks away, and Paolo couldn't afford to wait."Should I resort to force to speed things up?" Paolo clenched his teeth and advanced toward Arabella."I'll break ten fingers and ten toes if you lay a hand on her," Sandro declared, suddenly appearing in the doorway."Sandro," Arabella smiled, relief washing over her at the sight of him. Although she had never been particularly thrilled to see him before, his presence now offer
Goodness!Sandro pressed the gas pedal, driving over the speed limit. Relieved that the road was empty, he was aware that if someone had been there, a collision was inevitable, and he wouldn't have cared.His sole focus was reaching Arabella."Is she foolish enough to go to that guy without telling me?" Gritting his teeth, he tightened his grip on the steering wheel.He had only left to settle some business deal with another pack that he had an alliance with, and it was to get them to fight in the war with him.Of course, he had done all he needed to do, albeit too late.Arabella, that he was trying his best to protect, wasn't even in the villa anymore.His phone rang, and glancing at the screen, he swiped to answer. "If you harm her, Paolo, I'll make sure you regret it. I won't hesitate to take you down with me!""She's still alive, De Luca. Why not come see her condition for yourself?" Paolo replied.Just then, a scream erupted from Arabella, further unsettling Sandro. "Let her go,"
No sooner had Arabella left than a loud boom echoed through the air. Though Thalia wasn't sure if it was an actual cannon, it sure sounded like one."Ah, darn!" she exclaimed, gasping and huddling against the wall. The cannon seemed to have targeted the building, affecting all the rooms. The meeting structure teetered on the verge of collapsing, with the pillars bending sideways."Are you okay?" Elisha asked, pulling her towards a corner."I am. How about you?" Thalia replied, scanning the area to see if others were in the same predicament."What's happening? And where is Bella?" she inquired."The attackers are here," Janice explained. "I overheard their conversation earlier, and I think my father spoke to her. It's why she left.""Why would she do that? That's so foolish!" Thalia hissed."My father is sly, Thalia. I don't know what he must have said to Arabella, but he can kill anyone he wants if she disobeys. She probably left for everyone's safety," Janice reasoned."That doesn't
TWO DAYS LATERThinking all plans would come easily as they were all gathered together, however, the reverse was the case. It was even more difficult to agree with all that was said, especially since it was the last day.Still, there was no attacker in sight, and it didn't seem like anything was going to happen. It was almost noon, and Arabella, Thalia, Elisha, Janice, and Annalise were in the meeting room.Some members were on guard, watching for any activity to report to those inside. However, Sandro, Arabella didn't know where he had gone. He said nothing to her and left the house."He should be here; at least, he's the alpha, and many of these people can listen to him," Elisha said, eyeing the other members in the room, acting as if they were bothered by the current situation."They listen to Bella, too," Thalia said. "She should say something to them."Say something? Arabella didn't know exactly what she was going to say. They weren't the phoenixes, and even though Orga and the r
Sandro awoke the next morning, groaning and turning to his side. "Arabella," he murmured, breathing in her scent before slowly opening his eyes. Using the pad of his thumb, he gently rubbed her cheek to confirm she was really in bed with him. He wondered why she hadn't left after he fell asleep, maybe because she had dozed off too.Gripping a lock of her white hair, he swirled it in his fingers. His free hand moved down to her stomach, caressing it. Sandro grinned as he felt a kick as soon as he touched, retracting his hand as Arabella groaned and turned."Sandro," she murmured, gripping his shirt.Raising his brow, Sandro watched as she began to unbutton his shirt slowly. Her hands slipped into his shirt as soon as she finished unbuttoning."Arabella," Sandro groaned as her hands moved further downwards.He didn't know what she was doing, and the thought of stopping her crossed his mind, but he didn't want to startle her. She seemed deeply asleep, and he hoped she would stop on her o
Sandro's condition hadn't improved; if anything, it had worsened. Arabella doubted it was due to the injury, which had already closed up two days since it happened. She had returned only yesterday to the room and found him sprawled on the bathroom floor.Initially, she thought he had stopped breathing, given his lack of movement, until she checked his pulse. Though she wouldn't admit it, she felt relieved. As much as she detested his behavior towards her, she was relieved he wasn't dead."I hate this," Sandro groaned, snapping Arabella from her thoughts. His lashes fluttered against his cheeks, and he opened his eyes slowly.Frowning, he murmured, "Bella?""Yes," Arabella said, placing her palm on his forehead to check his temperature. "How do you feel today?""Worse," Sandro mumbled, attempting to sit up. His eyes stayed on hers for a long time, making Arabella conscious of what she was wearing. She had opted for one of Sandro's T-shirts as she hadn't had time to do laundry. Now, she
Entering Thalia's room, Arabella made her way to the couch where Thalia sat."Trouble in Paradise?" Thalia raised a brow, sniffing. "I can smell blood on you. Did something happen?""In short, we were attacked by rogues, and Sandro decided to fight them off.""Typical Sandro," Thalia smiled. "But why the blood? Did you both engage in some kind of blood play?""What?" Arabella scoffed, "Never. Just because Blaze is no more doesn't mean I'll forget our moments easily. Besides, Sandro got injured during the fight, and I'm here because he said some really insensitive things.""About you not being receptive to him as you were to Blaze?" Thalia questioned."How do you know? Did you eavesdrop on us?""I'm a werewolf, remember? I can hear things miles away. Plus, your attitude towards him says it all. I've been watching," she said.Arabella shrugged. "I don't think you'd want me to relate with him either. He's been cruel to me, tried to kill me, and took me against my wish.""I know he did aw