I sat on in my comfy chair in the corner of the library, when I heard her come in. I was sure she’d been seeking me out, just to torment me. I watched as Amy approached me with a malevolent grin."Oh, Beryl, dear, looks like your precious papa bear is away again. How convenient for me," she sneered, her eyes locking onto mine with malicious intent. “What’s the worthless piece of trash doing hiding in here today?” "Leave me alone, Amy. I've done nothing to you," I pleaded, my voice trembling with exhaustion and frustration. This had been going on all week, or maybe longer, the days were running together.“No, you horrible thing, you haven’t done anything to me because you’re stupid and useless, and have no idea what you’re getting yourself into.” She was talking about mine and the triplets attempts to tell Armand that she was working with his brother to over throw Armand.Each day Armand would leave and Amy would find me, no matter where I hid. Amy seemed to feed off my anguish, taking
As the sun bathed my old family home in warm rays of light, the triplets and I busily unpacked boxes, making the place feel more like home with each passing day. Each of our personalities shone with the decorations and knick knacks we placed throughout our home.As much fun as I was having making this space our own, I was having trouble keeping my eyes open, and staying focused on the tasks in front of me. I’d never been so worn out and it was making me cranky. Nicholas noticed my fatigue growing, and with concern etched on his face he gently touched my arm. "Beryl, you should take a break. Moving is hard work, and you need to rest," he urged me.“Hmm, I think you’re right. I’ll go lie down for a bit.” I walked away from them, but I could feel their concerned looks following me out of the room.I could tell the triplets were confused by my lack of energy, but after everything I’d been through recently, it seemed as though they wanted to give me all the time I needed to get through thi
In our lovely new home, Nicholas, Cheney, and Brian, were constantly hovering around me, their protective instincts in overdrive. While their intentions were pure and filled with love, it made it increasingly difficult for me to keep my pregnancy a secret from them. One evening, as the sun set and painted the sky in hues of pink and gold, I found myself surrounded by the triplets once again. They sat on a plush sofa in the living room, their watchful eyes never leaving me.It was like they were waiting on me to do something. Or maybe it was that their instincts knew there was something going on with me that I hadn’t, or didn’t, know. I understoo
Beryl:My heart swelled with joy as my mates, these powerful werewolves, expressed their desire to mark me as their mate. The bond we shared was strong, and I felt an overwhelming sense of belonging with them.Without a thought, I wholeheartedly accepted the mark, knowing that this union would be forever cherished.&n
It was becoming increasingly difficult to keep my secret from Amy. She had been acting strangely, undoubtedly feeling the pressure of Armand’s distance, and I couldn't shake the feeling that she was plotting something against me, specifically. As I caressed my slightly rounded belly, I knew I had to protect my unborn child at all costs.One evening, as I walked through the vast garden that connected our house with Armand’s mansion, I overheard whispers carried by the wind. It was Amy, talking with Bob. My heart pounded in my chest as I hid behind a tree, li
Within a week, they set up a meeting with Armand and requested Amy and Bob attend as well. On the day of the meeting, we all gathered in Armand’s office, and the brothers presented their evidence.Everyone was there except for Armand, who was running unusually late. Not able to wait, the triplets confronted the traitors.As the accusations and information was displayed, I watched as Amy grew p
Armand:To unify the pack, I knew I had to explain everything to them. They needed to understand the situation, and see that we were handling things properly. That meant bringing those that betrayed us all before the pack.I ordered a tribunal and demanded that everyone be present. The entire pack was to be in attendance. We needed there to be no misunderstanding. We needed to show no weakness.
While Amy had frozen time around her, Bob had taken the chance to call his army forward. As the time spell shattered, he leapt at the chance to attack. Armand’s army was more than ready to defend him and our pack.My personal guard surrounded me as my mates each kissed my cheek, ready to fight at their father’s side. Amy in her madness, lay chained at my feet, crazed, teeth clenching.&l
Beryl:The air in the room felt thick with tension as I lay on the examination table, the cold surface sending shivers through my body. Dr. Matthias and Elara stood on either side of me, their expressions a mix of concern and determination.Something was wrong, and we hadn’t figured out what yet. A tremble ran through me. I was both cold and stressed. Elara noticed my shiver, and moved to cover me with an extra blanket. She propped me up on another pillow, trying to help make me as confortable as possible.I let out a soft sigh, trying to ease the discomfort that had become a
While I had been asleep, they had decided to plan an all out attack on the vampires and the dissenting pack. The plan was to hit them soon, before they had a chance to move too far away from their current encampment.The overall consensus was that we were ready to go now, so they had decided to gather our forces and proceed with the attack the very next day. With Amy under heavy guard, and unable to use her magic to bolster their forces, they would be weakened and unready to withstand this kind of assault.My mates were invigorated, ready for the battle, but I was wary and t
The plan to surprise and trap Amy, the vampires, and the dissenting pack was a simple one. We finally had the advantage, and were going to use it to the best of our abilities. Our numbers were larger than they had been in years, and we were finally ready to be done and over this distress in our lives.One group would be with me, my mates, and a large guard, waiting for the vampires and werewolves who would attempt to rescue Amy. I would be ready to use my light magic if Amy tried to use her dark magic.At the same time, one group would travel to where the prisoner had told u
Beryl:After our sweet moment, my mates were able to tell me what was going on with the prisoner, and we headed to the dungeons together. Nicholas and I walked hand in hand, and he kept glancing down at me as if I might fade away into the night.As we approached the dungeon, I could feel the dark magic at work. When I entered the cell that held the prisoner, I could tell that he was connected to the darkness in a much stronger way than Nicholas had been. It would take much more than a touch to release him.
Beryl:I knew that Nicholas didn’t know about my little library escape area, so that’s where I headed. I had to gather myself and think. Was that really my mate? How could he hurt me like that? There were so many thoughts running through my mind.As I settled myself into the comfort of my tiny secret corner of the library, weeks of habit took over and I began to drift off to sleep. It was as though the moon goddess was beckoning me to her.“Beryl, my dear...&rdqu
Beryl:I had gone in search of Nicholas, wanting to finally put to rest whatever it was that had come between us. The baby was going to be here soon, and I didn’t want whatever this was to dampen the happiness of our impending child.As I had wandered the grounds looking for him, I had run into one of the dissenting pack members who had lingered after another discussion with Armand and Solomon. He looked at me, with a smirk and asked if I was alright.“Yes, I’m fine thank you
Armand:The echoes of the past had lingered in my heart for far too long. Amy's betrayal had wounded me deeply, and the scars it left seemed permanent, but Seraphina’s presence had been a balm on the pain I felt.One evening after a long day, she and I found ourselves alone on the moonlit terrace outside my study, the distant stars overhead like watchful sentinels. Seraphina was quiet and her eyes held a gentle understanding as she watched me."Armand," she began softly, "I can see the w
The tensions in our world had reached a breaking point, and it was clear that we needed a united front against the looming threats. The meeting between the packs had reconvened, the weight of our discussions heavy in the air.Solomon stood beside Armand, showing how united the two of our packs had become. The two of them exchanging solemn glances as the other leaders filled in around them.They had just been deep in conversation, discussing the logistics of our alliance and the potential for peace among our kind. They had hopes of finally coming to terms with the other packs today.The dissenting pack was a problem. Their desire to mate Nicholas to one of their females had faded away into the background, or at least I had assumed it had, since I hadn’t heard anything else about it.Armand's voice resonated through the chamber as he addressed the assembled alphas and their representatives. "I understand that this arrangement is new and uncharted territory for all of us. But I believe t
The distance between Nicholas and I grew with every passing day, but I didn’t understand why. I could see the frustration in Nicholas's eyes, and it weighed heavily on my heart, and even though I asked him time and again what I could do, he just pushed me further away.I thought that it was to do with the fact that I was continuing the magic lessons, but one evening, I overheard a conversation between him and his brothers.Cheney and Brian had cornered Nicholas, their voices determined yet gentle. Cheney spoke up, "Nicholas, we can all see that this situation is tearing you apart."Brian added, "But Beryl's never wavered in her love for us. We need to trust her."Nicholas's shoulders slumped, and he let out a heavy sigh. "I know, but it's hard. I feel like I'm losing her."Cheney placed a reassuring hand on Nicholas's shoulder. "You're not losing her, brother. We're just facing a challenge together. We should talk to her, communicate our feelings."It seemed like he had taken their wo