"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS DEREK??" Clarissa voice rang inside the dinning room, she couldn't take it anymore.
The fork I held in my hand fell back on the table when I heard the queen's angry voice. The question was directed to Derek but her eyes were staring at me angrily.
When I looked up to meet her eyes, they were already red as her hand turned to fist, I quickly looked away. Maybe I shouldn't have come here, maybe I should have just been with Elia in the room.
If not for the fact that I have nowhere to go, and Derek was the one who saved me from the slaves prison. I wouldn't be here in the first place, atleast I wasn't the only human in this city.
" what is it mother?" Derek answered his mother in a calm voice not even bothered if she was about to explode on her seat.
"Eat my love" Derek said to me as he picked the fork on the table and gave it to me. I smiled and collected the fork and but I didn't eat immediately.
My gaz
"Ignore him my love" I heard Derek said to me. Him?? And then I saw the woman shifted into a man , she was a shapeshifter too wait? Magnus , I should have known better. " Magnus " I called his name. " Hello dear did you miss me" he said smiling showcasing his perfect white teeth. "You decived me" I said frowning. "Did I?" Magnus said to me feigning an innocent face. Derek who sat on the chair didn't like the way his mate was conversing with Magnus stood up and walked towards his mate who crouched down still holding the pink flowery dress in my hand. "Stop disturbing her" I saw Derek stood in between us . " oops sorry, I was just telling her that the pink dress will look good on her" Magnus said raising both hands up. " My love did you find the one you want" Derek said to me ignoring Magnus who went to seat on the chair I sat before. " Yes I like the pink dress" I said showing it to him.
By the time of the morning I was woken up by the aroma of food, my gaze moved to the dinning table and I saw lots of food on the table and some fruits with two glasses of water. I heard running water coming from the bathroom, it was then I noticed that Derek wasn't in bed with me, I got out of the duvet that covered me as my feet touched the white marble floor, and before I could take any step, he came out of the bathroom with his hair dripping water , he had a towel round his waist and a towel on his neck which he used in drying his wet hair. When our eyes met , he smiled at me " good morning my love , did you sleep well?". He asked me. "Yes " I said nodding my head as my gaze landed on his bare chest, his mouthwatering strong abs calling for me to touch them. His strong arms, broad shoulders, I noticed that he had a bird tattoo that has it wings spread across his chest, I quickly tore my eyes away from the breathtaking view before me looking d
"Yea , you're right." I said " that's Prince Liam's mate". "Mate?? What's that" Elia said. " It's like a partner or wife as you said, someone who you spend the rest of your life with forever" I explained. " How did you know about that" Elia said still looking down at Magnus and Liam who were saying something we can't hear. "Derek told me" I said and I felt something touched my feet and I jumped out of fear. "Oh my God" I said holding my chest when I saw that it was my rabbit. "What happened" Elia asked me "Sorry, the rabbit rubbed it's back on my feet" I said walking closer to the rabbit and picked it up and caressed it's back "hey there you must be hungry" I said . "How are you going to feed it" Elia asked me as she moved away from the window and sat on the bed. " I'll ask Venetia to bring me carrots" i said as I rang a little bell connected to the wall, Derek said I could use the bell to call Venetia whe
" Follow me " Liam said still carrying Aria in his arms, she was so little in his arms, like he was carrying a baby as he was in his giant form. He walked pass his mother who was fuming in anger.Elia quickly followed Liam, as Aria has told her about him, she knew she could trust Liam.Magnus who was also walking in the in garden heard the conversation going on between the mother and son duo , he stood at a corner where they won't be able to see him.And just then he saw Liam carrying Aria who looked like she was sleeping in his arms ' what happened to her' he asked in his head, Magnus didn't notice the other human who was standing a little bit far from the mother and son.It was when Liam told the little human who was Elia to follow him, that's when Magnus noticed Elia, when his grey eyes settled on Elia, his heart skipped a beat.He held his chest ' what just happened, what was that?' he asked in his head. He found himself staring at Elia t
After Magnus left the garden, he went to his room as he stood by his window, thinking why his heart skipped the moment he set his eyes on Elia.He hadn't paid attention to Elia, even after they saved her from the slaves prison.He hadn't think of having a mate now, could it be that Elia was his mate? It can't be. He will have to check it out again by opening up his heart to be sure.And if his heart skipped a beat again, then she's truly the one, thus Magnus left his room to go to the room where Elia and Aria were staying.When he got to the room, he didn't even bother to knock on the door as that's how he usually bagde into Derek's room forgetting that this was girls room.When he opened the door of the room, he met two pairs of eyes staring back at him, one green and the other black.He didn't even knock ' how rude ' I said in my head. " Magnus" I called his name."Hi" Magnus said scratching his head grinning."Do
Today been one week since Derek took me to rohir cave, and me confessing my love to him, and today was the queen's birthday. Servants were decorating the hall as the birthday will be be taking place in the evening. I stood at the balcony staring at the giants and giantess moving in and out of the castle. Some servants cleaning the walls of the castle, some plucking out weeds that has grown, some trimming the grass that beautified the castle. And then I felt strong arms go around my waist, I knew it was Derek as he rested his chin on my shoulder. "My love what are you looking at ?" He asked me. "Uh nothing" I said. " are you sure" " Yes" I answered. " You're worried I can see it on your face , tell me what is it" Derek said as he lifted his chin off my shoulder and turned my face so I could look at him. "I.. I don't think I want to attend your mother's birthday, like she hates me so my presence won't
Leonard took Aria all the way from Naal city to Blurg town, when he got to the mansion. He took Aria to a cell room in the building, locked her up after chaining her feet with shackles which was connected to the wall. Leonard removed the mask from his face with a smirk playing on his lips " I've got you now, you will wish you were never born" he said to the unconscious Aria. He left the cell and walked to the room where Alan stays, before he could knock on the door. He heard sound of moans coming from the room, Leonard retracted back his hand and pinched his brows. He turned around and left as the man doesn't like to be disturbed whenever he was with a woman in the room. *** I woke up feeling pains all over my head, I could hear ringing in my head. I sat up as I looked around ' where am I ' I said in my head ' I was in a cell , but how?' And then everything that happened came back to my head, me going to the door and chec
As soon as Leonard kissed me, I don't know what happened but I was no longer on the bed but in a different place entirely. Like I was in the middle of a ocean, everything was blue in colour, where the hell am I? How did I get here? I asked myself, I was indeed in the middle of the ocean, but how is it that I'm breathing. "You're here finally" I heard a woman's voice behind me. When I turned around to see who it was, I saw myself floating towards me. Like another me again, but how? Am I twin? What's going on?. "Who are you? How did I get here? Where am I ? I asked the girl who looked like me, she was even prettier. "Calm down, I'll answer your questions" she said, her voice calm and sweet in the ears. " First of all my name is Aria too. I brought you here , we're both one person but seperated" she said. " What do you mean , how's that possible? " I asked confused. " I'll tell you about everything late
The shadows exploded outward, swallowing the room in a suffocating wave of cold. The torches flickered wildly before snuffing out, plunging them into near darkness.Elia clutched Elizabeth tightly to her chest, backing away as Magnus’s body convulsed, his form twisting unnaturally. His once-familiar features contorted with something inhuman, veins pulsing like blackened roots under his skin.Derek gritted his teeth and moved between Magnus and the others, summoning his power in an instant. His hands glowed with crackling energy, ready to strike if needed. “Magnus, listen to me! You can fight this—”But the voice that came from Magnus was not his own.“Fight?” the distorted voice mocked, echoing through the chamber. “There is no fight. There is only surrender.”Then, the shadows moved.They lashed out like living tendrils, striking at Derek first. He barely had time to react before he was thrown backward, crashing into the stone wall with a brutal force.“Derek!” Aria’s voice rang out
The weight of Magnus’s confession settled over them like a thick fog. Alan’s power wasn’t gone—it had shifted, latched onto Magnus like a parasite waiting to consume him. They couldn’t afford to keep this to themselves.Derek was the first to move. He helped Magnus to his feet, his grip firm. “We need to tell the others. Now.”Magnus flinched at the thought. His body still trembled, his skin clammy with sweat. “Elia…” His voice cracked. “How am I supposed to tell her?”Aria’s chest tightened. Elia had already suffered enough—first with Alan’s magic corrupting Magnus, and then watching her husband struggle to control himself. Now this?“She deserves to know,” Aria said gently. “All of them do.”Magnus ran a hand through his hair, exhaling shakily. “What if I lose control in front of them?”Derek shook his head. “Then we make sure you don’t.” His tone was absolute. “Let’s go.”Aria hesitated, her hand drifting instinctively to her stomach. Something about all of this felt… wrong. The da
The weight of their decision settled over them like a storm cloud, thick with unspoken fears. Aria’s fingers remained pressed against her stomach, as if seeking reassurance from the life growing inside her. She could feel her magic humming beneath her skin, stronger than ever—but also unpredictable.Derek crossed his arms, his gaze sharp. “If we’re going to do this, we need to be careful. Alan’s magic didn’t just disappear. It’s somewhere, lingering. And if we go looking for it, we need to be prepared for whatever we find.”Magnus leaned against the stone wall, his expression unreadable. “You don’t think I know that?” His voice was rough with frustration. “It’s inside me. I feel it every second. And every second, it’s getting harder to fight.”Aria studied him closely. The way his hands trembled, the slight flicker of shadow clinging to his form—he was holding himself together by sheer force of will.“We can’t wait any longer,” she said. “We need to find a way to trace the remnants of
Magnus took a step back, shaking his head. “No.” His voice was low, strained. “You’re wrong.”Aria felt a cold weight settle in her stomach. “I want to be wrong, Magnus. But I’m not.”He clenched his fists, his breathing heavy. The air around them shifted—charged with an unseen force.Derek reached for his sword instinctively. “Magnus, stay with us.”“I am with you!” Magnus snapped, but the darkness in his veins pulsed. His pupils dilated, and Aria saw it again—that flicker of something inhuman in his eyes.Derek moved between them. “Aria, if he loses control again—”“I won’t,” Magnus ground out, but even he didn’t sound convinced.Aria reached for him. “Magnus, listen to me—”He flinched at her touch, and suddenly, a force erupted from him, slamming into the walls with enough power to shake the room.Books flew from their shelves. Candles flickered and died. The air turned suffocating.Magnus gasped, doubling over as if in pain. His fingers dug into the stone floor, his breathing rag
Morning came too quickly. The tension that had settled over them the night before hadn’t lifted, and as they prepared to leave for the archives, Aria couldn’t shake the feeling that they were walking into something they weren’t ready for.The journey was quiet, save for the sound of their footsteps against the cold stone halls. Aria kept a hand on her stomach, a subconscious habit she had developed since realizing she was pregnant. She hadn’t told the others—not yet. Not until she understood what was happening to her.Magnus walked beside her, his movements more controlled than before, but there was still a weight to them, as if he were forcing himself to keep the corruption at bay. Derek led the way, his grip tight on the hilt of his sword. He was always prepared for a fight, but this time, Aria knew his concern was for her.They arrived at the archives, an ancient chamber buried deep beneath the castle. Dust clung to the air, illuminated by the soft glow of enchanted lanterns. Rows
Aria sat beside Magnus, exhausted but determined. The session had drained her, and yet, she knew this was only the beginning.Magnus exhaled heavily, his fingers twitching as he clenched and unclenched his fists. “I almost lost control again.”“But you didn’t,” Aria reminded him, her voice gentle but firm. “That’s what matters.”His jaw tightened. “What if next time I do?”Aria hesitated. There was a next time. There always would be.But she wouldn’t let him fall into doubt.“You won’t,” she said, gripping his wrist. “Because I’ll be here. We all will.”Magnus looked at her, eyes clouded with uncertainty—but there was something else there, too. A flicker of belief.Before he could respond, the chamber doors swung open.Derek stepped in, his expression grim. “We need to talk.”Aria turned to him, immediately sensing his unease. “What is it?”Derek’s gaze flickered to Magnus, then back to her. “It’s about you.”Aria frowned. “Me?”Derek nodded, stepping closer. “I’ve been watching, Aria
The next morning, as the first light of dawn painted the sky in hues of gold and crimson, Magnus and Aria stood in the clearing beyond the castle walls. The air was still charged with tension from the previous night, but this was the first step toward reclaiming control.Magnus flexed his hands, feeling the restless power still writhing within him. He was afraid. Afraid of losing himself again. Afraid of hurting someone. Afraid that no matter how hard he tried, he would never be the same again.But then he looked at Aria.She stood before him, steady, unshaken. There was a quiet strength in her now, something deeper than before. Her presence alone was grounding.“Alright,” Aria said, drawing a slow breath. “First, I need you to close your eyes.”Magnus frowned but obeyed.“Feel the magic inside you,” she continued. “Don’t fight it. Just listen.”He tried. At first, all he could sense was chaos—wild energy rushing through his veins, sharp, erratic, unpredictable. It was like a storm he
Magnus collapsed to his knees, gasping as the remnants of darkness flickered around him like dying embers. The magic inside him had not vanished—it still pulsed within his veins—but it was no longer in control. The corruption had been tempered, its hunger subdued by Aria’s power. He trembled as he lifted his head, his once-shadowed eyes now holding a glimmer of clarity. Aria stepped back, her breathing unsteady. Her body swayed slightly, exhaustion weighing her down. Derek was by her side in an instant, his strong arms steadying her before she could collapse. He gazed at her in awe, then concern. “Aria, that was incredible,” he murmured. “But you shouldn’t have pushed yourself so hard.” She shook her head, pressing a hand to her belly. “I had to. It was the only way to reach him.” Frederick took a cautious step toward Magnus, his fists clenched at his sides. “Is it over?” Magnus let out a shuddering breath. “No,” he admitted, his voice hoarse. “I can still feel it inside me…
Amid the chaos and the crumbling stone, a deep, resolute calm began to emanate from Aria. Her eyes, wide with determination, fixed on the writhing, tormented form of Magnus. The dark energy that had taken root in him pulsed like a malignant heartbeat, threatening to consume everything in its path. But in that moment, something within Aria stirred—a power she had never fully acknowledged before. Her hand pressed against her belly, and for a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath. A soft, luminous glow began to spread from her, as if her unborn child were a beacon of hope amid the encroaching darkness. The golden light was warm and steady, contrasting sharply with the inky shadows and her she thought of Magnus and decided it time to step in, at the same time she’s scared of the dark power surrounding magnus and not wanting anything to harm her unborn child. She left her room for the dungeon upon seeing magnus in this state her heart sank and she couldn’t take it. She saw how exhau