When Caleb came to consciousness, he found himself sprawled on an unfamiliar couch, in an unfamiliar house outside Brighton's territory.Shirley and a woman he didn't recognize were arguing."You trust him? He's like you. He's using you the way you're using him. I'm sure he's planning to double-cross you. Let me make this known to you here and now, whatever deals you're making with demons is going to backfire. They have already tricked you once and are going to do it again. Because, though he who dines with the devil should use a long spoon, the devil might have an even longer spoon and may just scoop him up. You're going to bring mayhem to our clan, Shirley."Shirley chuckled,"I see that the effect of that slam has worn off. Need I remind you that your words are reducing your daughter's chances of survival? Stop yapping your mouth and pray that I don't change my mind concerning that brat of yours. You're lucky I'm presently occupied. Besides I'm not dumb like those mangy werewolves
Mendez sat on the floor of his cell, drawing lines with his fingers and muttering to himself.Dominic watched him for some time before signaling to the guard on duty to unlock the cell door. As the guard opened the locks, he wondered if he was making a big mistake. He'd observed Mendez for more than an hour and the more he watched him, the more he doubted his instincts. Mendez was acting crazy, talking to himself and playing with inanimate objects. It seemed like a waste of time, yet his instincts pushed on."He's been talking crazy." The guard said as he stepped in, then fastened the locks immediately."The evil that men do… He's obviously gone rogue. If it were up to me, I would've killed him a long time ago. Anyways Alpha Andrew is a cool guy. He believes in fairness that's why he's giving him one last chance to talk trash. Be careful he's a trickster."Dominic didn't agree with him, he'd been a guard all his life and knew when to trust his primal instincts. And now they told him t
Two days. It had been two whole days since Emily had set eyes on Andrew. At first, she'd told herself that it wasn't a big deal and that he probably had a ton of things to deal with. After all, a lot had happened since he left his pack in search of her. Plus she knew that he had to deal with Karen Elrold, who looked like she might go on a killing spree if allowed to stay in Brighton for another second. When he hadn't shown up the next morning after their return, a little doubt began to trickle in and she shoved it aside and busied herself with speaking to Jacqueline and filling herself with everything that had happened. When that was over she stared listlessly at her father's spell book before an idea lit up in her head.After several tries, she was able to create a bond that allowed her to be in superposition at the Scarlet coven. It was like a pathway or portal that led her back to them.Emily had promised them earlier on that she would visit regularly and since she was far away i
"Seize him!"Dominic briskly dove off the platform into the crowd of stunned werewolves that stood before it. "Fuck fuck fuck." He cursed as he wove through the crowd. Claws dug in and tore his flesh as some members tried to grab him, but he shook them off easily. The ordinary pack members didn't have as much strength in their grips as the warriors and scouts. His goal was to get as far away from the warriors or guards as possible and then disappear into the forest as Mendez had advised.After their long discussion, he and Mendez were still surprised that he was still alive until the time of his execution. They even made subtle jokes about it. "Why did Caleb make you be the one to ensure that nothing happens to me?" Mendez asked just before the guards came to lead them out.Dominic shrugged,"I spoke up at the panel? I'm the chief guard?""Before last night's panel did you question or challenge him?" Mendez probed."Nope, I think his witch noticed my suspicion. He was acting very ou
"Are they all like this? Demons are grotesque then." The high priestess commented, "Ugh, I'm disappointed. I'd always imagined them to be like the undead. Like vampires, they're just too beautiful, you know?"Shirley ground her teeth in unbridled anger. She'd once again fallen into the High priestess's trap. She should have known. She thought bitterly. She should have known that the odds of the most powerful witch in the outlands of Brighton sitting alone and unprotected in her living room were zero."Lift her up." The high priestess said sharply. Shirley was immediately raised and was suspended in the air. The room was filled with witches who flickered in the air.Shirley couldn't believe that she'd fallen for one of her own tricks. She was supposed to be the master of illusion.The high priestess gave her a knowing smirk.Shirley immediately caught what she was insinuating. She heard it loud and clear.'I know what you're doing in Brighton.' she seemed to say.Shirley's head fell i
Emily took a long breath, allowing the surreal calmness and scent of the trees around her to swarm her senses. The silence, the damp scent of decaying leaves on the brown earth, the sweet scent of fruits, and the occasional rustling of leaves were the perfect tool to clear her mind from all the unwanted thoughts that had been bothering her.It was peaceful in the forest. It was so peaceful and beautiful that she realized that she'd missed the solitude and tranquility she had enjoyed when she was with the coven. It was glaringly different from the crazy, busy New York, which was without peace or quiet. She loved it too, the sirens, loud voices, occasional gunshots, and the mesmerizing scents from the food carts. It struck her that she could love two opposites when she had always believed that she hated everything about the small villages and close-knit towns. But as unbelievable as it was, she'd missed home. Memories of her taking walks with her father alongside the scent of her mothe
Satisfied with the havoc and terror she'd caused in the coven, Shirley left them immediately after dawn broke and went to bed. It had been a long night. Though it was fun to watch them squirm, knowing that Caleb was probably on the other side, fucking up things for both of them distressed her. Before the High Priestess's interruption, she had planned to sacrifice a bunny and find him herself. She'd pretended not to be interested in what the old Gamma Mendez was saying because she wanted to have leverage over Caleb. When he screamed at the panel the night before, she'd known that he was saying the truth. It intrigued her that there was a possibility that Caleb didn't have any rights as Alpha. She smirked at the thought. If she obtained such information, it would be a great tool in Brighton's destruction. The High Priestess had scattered all her plans and the fact that she could sense that Caleb was already losing his mind in Brighton without her was stressful.Throughout the night, s
Dominic burrowed deeper into the underground tunnel that was supposed to lead to Mendez's bunker. He'd been at it for hours now, trying to dig through the tunnel blocked by sand. He wiped his mud-caked hands on his trousers and proceeded to wipe his sweat-sheathed face with his arms.Above him, he heard the footsteps of the warriors and guards who had spent their whole night searching for him. He could feel the tiredness seeping out their pours. It was backed up by a little frustration at Andrew and him.They had no idea. He chuckled. Their inability to figure him out showed that none of them had paid attention to anything he'd been saying, not even the new chief warrior. In their last meeting, he'd talked about reconstructing the tunnels he was currently lurking in because they were a perfect element of surprise. He'd even taken them down to the different openings and yet no one had thought to look for him in them. They'd been super close to finding him, 'twice.' The first time had
"Did he agree?" Emily asked as soon as her mother reappeared. "Yeah, after a lot of persuasion."Emily released a shaky breath. Her body was burning like she'd been bathed with acid. "Let's get into position then." She said, lifting herself up. The pain was too much had she found herself unable to stand. She staggered backward and fell to the bed. "Emily! What's wrong?" "It's like my body is on fire." Emily hissed,Vanessa came to her and inspected her body."It's the mark from hell. He's suffering from the mark from hell. Are you sure you can do this? I can tell Andrew the plan, I'm sure he'd be happy to do it in your place.""No." Emily said forcefully. The truth was that no one could execute the plan effectively apart from her. Even if they collected the totem from Caleb, she was the only one powerful enough to destroy it. Andrew's strength couldn't break it, and neither could her mother's magic. But her body burned and she wanted to crawl into bed and cry. She'd have to make
Emily purposely ignored Andrew.She also purposely ignored the nudges her mother was giving her, as she narrated her experience to everyone. She also tried to ignore the sparks that were ignited in her body when he pecked her and whispered that he had to go but he'll be back.But when her mother, who'd been attentively listening to her, rose up, dragged him by the side, and hugged him. Envy, heavily laced with anger as she'd never felt before, coursed through her body. It felt as if her mother was betraying her. Jacqueline was the first to notice the change in her countenance.She smirked,"Girl, that's what you get for ignoring your man. Now he's in the arms of another woman." Emily growled and Jacqueline burst into laughter."When did you start behaving like a she-wolf? Hold your horses Em, it's only your mother. It makes me wonder what you'd have done if it was another female."Amelia laughed,"She would have probably hexed her entire generation." She said,"Nah, Em's feeling m
Emily had given up on trying to escape her imprisonment before she realized that it wasn't real. It had been days, yet she'd not felt hungry and she woke up the exact way every time. The sun didn't set, her clothes didn't change, she didn't want to use the bathroom and everything was still and lifeless.The only thing that changed each time she awoke was her strength. It was as if something was sucking out her energy. On the second day of her entrapment, she remembered wandering around the sheet/film that locked her in search of a weak spot or way out until she got bored and forced herself to sleep.Now she could hardly move a limb. Anger at Andrew and his Kingdom burned within her chest. She allowed it to blind her reasoning and she began to blame him for everything that happened.She promised herself that she would hunt Andrew if she died there.She'd been making such plans when she noticed the potted gardenia again.With a lot of effort, she stood up, walked to it, and lifted it of
Andrew and the Compliant narrowed their eyes at Vanessa."Do you understand it? Can you see how clear the prophecy has become?" Vanessa asked,The Compliant and Andrew glanced at themselves and then back at Vanessa."You," She pointed at Andrew, "became the enemy, you were the destroyer. He used your body to commit all these atrocities. Right now your people do not trust you. You'll need to do a lot to regain their trust. The second prophecy has come to pass. Can't you see it? You aligned with the enemies, you brought harm to your people and if I didn't save you, you would have perished.""Oh." Andrew agreed, nodding. "Now I'm very curious about the 3rd and 4th ones. I wasn't one to believe in those prophecies. My husband did and I often mocked it for it. I didn't think the prophecy concerned us witches and hoped you didn't find the key. I even hexed you."Andrew shrugged, he didn't understand where she was going or what she was trying to say.Vanessa chuckled mirthlessly, "And afte
"Where am I?" Andrew growled. His eyes were still shut and he wasn't fully awake.Vanessa, who had been standing behind her kitchen counter from the moment she dropped him, shivered. He's not going to rip you apart. You saved him, remember? She repeated in her head."Where am I?" Andrew asked again, propping his eyes open, then shielding his face with his arms.His wolf prowled around restlessly in his head. It wanted blood and it wanted it now.Vanessa steadied herself by gripping her kitchen counter. Her knuckles turned white and the bones in her fingers threatened to snap.Andrew jolted up."Where the fuck am I?"A shudder ran through her body and she swallowed involuntarily."My home." She said, her voice sounding more confident than she'd expected.Andrew's head snapped in her direction and he growled. Vanessa could see the malice in his eyes and feel the anger rolling out from his pores. Gathering as much courage as could muster she stepped forward. "I've been waiting for
The first thing Shirley did when the bodies exchanged was to try to get hold of Caleb before he fell to the ground.Later on, she would regret it deeply and ask herself why she didn't disappear like she normally did. Maybe it had something to do with the mark from hell that she'd seen reappearing on Caleb's body.Shirley's illusion flickered and she could feel her powers waning out as she bent to check on Caleb and wondered why. After confirming that he hadn't been knocked dead, she vented out her frustration on him and tried to wake him up. After trying several spells that didn't work she shook him roughly and punched and kicked him but he remained unresponsive. She'd also said another couple of spells that were supposed to be potent and yet the effect remained the same."Coma!" She yelled, "You're in an induced Coma you son of a bitch! Motherfucker, you get to sleep while I think of a way to save us!"If she had stopped screaming then and paused to do the actual thinking, she would
The next morning Vanessa snuck into Brighton and stood amidst the crowd of werewolves standing before the platform in the form of a man. She had to dig up her husband's old spell books and read and practice them throughout the night before she was able to perfect the spell. She stood within wolves knowing that any mistake she made meant death. She trembled, her hands were balmy and her forehead was clouded with sweat. Although she was terrified about being exposed, she was more terrified about failing. It seemed like the fate of the whole world weighed on her shoulders and that was enough to make her shake. Before leaving Andrew, she'd given him a sleeping potion and was glad that it was still in effect when they dragged him out of the dungeon that morning."Who are you and what have you done with Vanessa?" She muttered under her breath. Never in a million years could she imagine that she, Vanessa, would dare to do what she'd been doing in the past few hours. It was very out of char
It was the time of reckoning. Caleb thought, trying as much as he could to keep a grim expression on his face when he was bouncing with excitement inside him. The platform had once again been set and the pack members gathered beneath it chatting away as they awaited the death of Brighton's number one enemy. The gates of the dungeon creaked open, shushing the crowd of onlookers. The advisors and some stakeholders, followed by a barrage of guards and warriors who dragged Caleb's unconscious body processed solemnly to the platform and ascended it. Caleb had never felt so powerful in his entire life and he loved it. Thrills of victory ran down his spine and he clasped his eyes shut and struggled to keep at bay, the smile that had been threatening to break out from his lips. "I still don't understand why we are hurrying his death." Someone murmured dispassionately.Caleb scowled as his head snapped toward the direction of the sound. It had come from one of the stakeholders.He sneered
A thrum of energy buzzed in Shirley's brain signifying that some of her spells had been activated. And she knew the exact ones, it was those she'd said to trap the moon witch.A slow smirk spread across her face and she ignored Vanessa's righteous rant. She'd come on her own with the idea of threatening her into submission. But the once pale woman had suddenly developed a backbone of her own and was now shooting back and matching Shirley word to word.Of course, Shirley was irritated and had started thinking that maybe it was time to slice her throat. Shirley's threats were like water on a rock to Vanessa and it amazed Shirley to see her fired up like that.Unexpectedly, the new members of the circle swooped in, grabbed her, and secured her. They'd been hunting for a few days now. Yet, instead of Vanessa cowering like she normally would, she screamed some more and accused Shirley of doing everything under the sun. It had started grating Shirley's nerves when her spells suddenly activa