~ Raven's POV ~Raven had been anticipating this moment for what felt like an eternity. She had barely slept the night before, consumed with the weight of what she had discovered. As the cab stopped in front of the nursing home, her heart was racing.Her decision to take a cab instead of driving herself was a wise one. The events of the past 24 hours had left her feeling disoriented and scattered. Raven knew that she couldn't trust herself behind the wheel in her current state of mind. She needed to focus on the task at hand - finding the answers she desperately sought.The cab ride had been a blur, her mind consumed with thoughts of what she might find inside the nursing home. The mark on her shoulder throbbed, a constant reminder of the reason why she was there. She couldn't shake the feeling that this was where she would find the answers she had been seeking.As she paid the driver and stepped out of the car, Raven took a deep breath and steeled herself for what was to come. She k
~ Raven's POV~Raven's eyes widened as she tried to take in the enormity of what her grandmother was telling her. She had always thought of her granny as just an old woman who loved to knit and bake, not a warrior fighting against evil creatures. She had so many questions swirling in her mind, but the biggest one was, "Why didn't you tell me about this before?"Granny sighed and looked away, "I didn't want you to get hurt, Raven. The world is a dangerous place, and I wanted to keep you safe. But now that you have the mark, there's no hiding it anymore. You need to embrace your destiny"Raven scoffed, so much for destiny. Everything sounded like a fairy tale from a book. She was a Night Watcher? Who fought vampires?. The only fucking thing she knew how to do was teaching, she was a professor for fucks sake." You died years ago after a battle against the Vampires…it just happened, I was there when they brought your body back to the clan. You were one of the best warriors we had, everyo
~ Lumiére's POV~Lumiére's heart was pounding in his chest in anger as he tried to make sense of the chaotic scene before him. His living room, which was typically a haven of order and cleanliness, was now littered with papers and books.As he took in the disarray, Lumiére felt his frustration building. "What the hell is going on here!" he shouted, his voice echoing off the walls. Reagan, who had been lounging on the couch the whole time, finally spoke up. "Don't look at me," he said with a shrug. "I just got back and found him and the living room in this state." He said with a hint of amusement in his eyes. Noah, who was hunched over a pile of papers, didn't even seem to notice his outburst. It pissed him off the more. The guy was still reading whatever was in the paper he was reading.He took in two steady breaths and caught Reagan watching him, "is he deaf or something…?" He fired.Reagan chuckled, "Hey, I don't see what the big deal is. It's just a little mess. Noah's a genius,
~ Lumiére's POV~Noah sighed for the umpteenth time that day, " I've promised this already, I'll still say it again… I won't be this reckless again…I promise…" he said in a solemn voice."I don't need your promises…I need you to stay where you're safe," Reagan repeated, snapping Lumiére back to the conversation at hand."You do know that I'm safe in my own home that's just one floor below the High Lord's and on your damn floor too. Reagan, I'm safe…" Noah's voice was strained, as if he had been arguing this point for hours.Reagan rolled his eyes, "We've been over this, Noah. I need to make sure you're protected. There's been too much unrest in the vampire community lately." He said.With the way Reagan was sounding, it seemed like he had been on this for days.he couldn't help but wonder what was really going on between Reagan and Noah. He had been so caught up in council meetings that he hadn't had the chance to catch up on what had been happening in his own home. Reagan's firm ins
~ Lumiére's POV~"So Arin told me that you're seeing someone..." Reagan started, without warning. He immediately noticed the shock on Lumiére's face after he had spoken. The High Lord had clearly not been expecting him to know about this or discuss it.Reagan could see the confusion in Lumiére's eyes, and he knew he had to explain how he found out. He recounted how after their outing the other day, Arin had called him and told him about a certain lady in Lumiére's life who he had no idea existed.Lumiére's expression turned to a frown as he arched a brow at Reagan. "Arin told you this? Why would he say something like that?" he asked in a low, careful voice.Reagan knew he had to be honest with Lumiére, so he replied, "Kind of... not exactly his words though."Lumiére nodded gently and swallowed before looking at Reagan. "I'm not seeing anyone, Reagan. I don't know where Arin got this idea from, but I assure you it's not true," he denied.A lie.Reagan sat on the edge of the bed and wa
~ Reagan's POV~Reagan smirked, good, he was getting on the guy’s nerves now. He needed to make sure that Lumiére knew what was at stake here.“ I just reminded you, because you seem to have forgotten. Now is not the time to be dating a human secretly Lumiére. It’s against the rules, it’s forbidden.” He said.Lumiére should know, he was the fucking High Lord.“ … I’ve said this earlier, I’m not seeing anyone or dating, Reagan… I know the rules… “ Lumiére spat.He sure hoped so, that what his cousin was saying was the truth. They had made this mistake before that had almost cost them the entire vampire race. Even though Lumiére couldn’t remember since his memory was wiped. Reagan could still remember.“ But there’s someone of interest… “ he continued, arching a brow. “ yes” Lumiére replied in a quiet voice, “ Yes, there is… “ he added, shifting on the bed.“ And nothing has transpired between you both… “ Reagan went further to ask.Lumiére sighed, rubbing his left brow again
~ Raven's POV~As Raven slowly opened her eyes, she couldn't help but feel a sense of disorientation. "Where am I?" she thought to herself. She had been bracing herself for the worst, expecting to be greeted by the sight of dank, musty walls and the cold metal of chains on her hands and legs. But instead, she found herself in a spacious room that looked almost luxurious compared to her own rooms in her house. The memories of the previous day came flooding back to her, causing her heart to race with a mix of fear and confusion. She was a Night Watcher, a fact that she still found difficult to wrap her head around. The idea that she had been reborn and had lived a previous life as a strong warrior and future leader of a sect seemed too fantastical to be true.Despite her doubts, Raven couldn't help but feel a small glimmer of hope when she looked down at her shoulder and saw the symbol still etched there. It was no longer throbbing with pain like it had been before, but the mere prese
~ Raven's POV ~Jansen, with a serious expression, gestured to the elevator and led her to a new destination. As they rode the elevator, Jansen remained tight-lipped, leaving her with a head full of questions. She couldn't help but wonder where they were heading, as the floor number was not displayed on the elevator. They proceeded down a quiet hallway, each step taken in complete silence. Her mind raced with inquiries, including why Jansen was being so cryptic and where they could possibly be going.Within a matter of minutes, they reached another set of doors. Jansen stepped forward and placed his hand on a security panel beside the door, and the entrance immediately opened. The level of security that they had encountered was astonishing, with numerous locked doors they had to pass through. Jansen's security clearance seemed to be endless, making her contemplate Nolan's prior statement. It made her wonder if what Nolan had said earlier was actually true. They had too many security
(10 months later)Phoenix watched Lumiére through the window as he gazed into the distance. He had been doing that for months, and she was starting to get worried. She missed home too, just like him. She missed uncle Ben, Jansen, Achim, Nolan, hell, even the cook, but she hadn't abandoned everything, including her duties to her kind, to run away with the man she loved.She sighed and walked out the door to meet him outside. He turned when she opened the door, "Hey, I thought you were sleeping," he said, pulling her into his arms.She rolled her eyes, "I've been awake for a while," she said, resting her head on his shoulder.He sniffed her hair and smiled, "Are you okay?" he asked.Phoenix nodded, "I am, and yes, before you ask, the baby is fine too," she said, placing his hand on her swollen belly.He sighed in relief, "I can't help it. I'm tense. The full moon should have come out five months ago, but it didn't. Not knowing why is killing me," he whispered to her.She hummed a reply
Lumiére's POVHe should have been the one groaning in pain, but it wasn't him. Instead, Heather was coughing up blood. Lumiére was confused, and when he looked down, he saw that Heather's heart was missing. What on earth was happening?Heather fell to the floor, and Lumiére saw Reagan standing behind him, holding Heather's heart in his hand. Lumiére was relieved and happy to see his cousin. He hugged Reagan tightly, feeling a sense of safety in his presence.“ What took you so long…” he mumbled.“ I’m sorry…” Reagan muttered, returning the hug.They stayed in that embrace for a while. When they finally let go, Lumiére felt tired, and he would have collapsed if Reagan hadn't supported him.He didn’t know how long they had stayed that way but when he released Reagan, he felt very tired and almost collapsed if Reagan had not been holding him.“ you need to feed…” Reagan said, lowering Lumiére down and handing the blood bag to him.He didn’t want to do this, but had no choice, so he sucke
Lumiére's POVAt first, he stumbled as he tried to stand up, but he kept going. Slowly, he made his way out of the room. The hallway was empty, which was strange, but he didn't have time to think about it. He wanted to find Phoenix.His vampire senses were weakened by the Allicin in his body, so he couldn't rely on them to find her. He chose to turn left and walked down the hall, leaning on the wall for support.As he passed by each room, he opened the doors, hoping to find Phoenix. The alarm was still blaring, and he wondered if it was a trap.He spotted Maria and another woman leaving a room, and he knew that Phoenix might be there. He waited for a moment before cautiously approaching the room.His heart filled with relief as he saw Phoenix inside, connected to tubes and wires. Seeing her hurt made him furious with those who had done this to her.Lumiére stumbled into the room, knocking some things over because he couldn't stand properly. Phoenix noticed him and smiled weakly.He ma
Lumiére's POVLumiére winced in agony as Heather injected him with another dose of Allicin. The pain was unbearable, pushing him to his limits. Most Vampires wouldn't have survived being exposed to Allicin every hour for weeks, but he was different. He was stronger, or so he believed.But as the days turned into weeks, doubts began to creep into his mind. How much longer could he endure this torture? He had lost track of time since his capture, possibly a month or more. It was all a blur.He let out a weary sigh, bracing himself for what was to come. No matter how many times he resisted, Heather refused to believe him."Where is the sword?!" Heather sneered, the frustration evident in his voice."I've already told you, I don't know," Lumiére snapped back, meeting Heather's gaze defiantly.Heather scoffed, grabbing another syringe filled with Allicin. Lumiére raised an eyebrow, surprised at the sudden escalation. Two shots in such a short span of time? This was a new tactic."I see you
Raven's POVRaven felt cold water splash on her face, waking her up with a gasp for air. The memories of her past life caused a heartache and regret that she wished she hadn't remembered them. Recovering her memories was painful, and she wasn't even fully there yet.Somehow she wished that she had not remembered this piece of her past life. She hasn’t fully recovered her memories and it already hurt this much, she thought.She knew she had tears running through her eyes, but because she was now drenched in water, it was not noticeable to the ordinary eyes, except one looked deeply.She had known Lumiére in her past life, and they were lovers. The realization that she had betrayed him felt like being stung by a thousand bees at once.Ophelia's presence was no surprise anymore. It was clear that she was working with both the witches and outlaws. Raven couldn't help but mock Ophelia's comment about beauty sleep, feeling the anger and pain in her heart.“ I think you need to redefine your
Raven's POV"Hurry up, Miére!" Raven playfully shouted, waving him over to where she was sitting on the picnic mat.His rich laughter filled the air as he ran to join her. "Seriously! I told you to let it go," she said, teasingly scolding him.He rolled his eyes, sitting down next to her on the mat. "I couldn't help it; it was beautiful… not as beautiful as you though," he added, playfully sniffing her neck.Raven chuckled and gently pushed him away, though she secretly loved his affectionate gestures. Being close to Lumiére made her heart skip a beat. She smiled at him, and he seemed to be lost in the sunset that was now painting the sky with beautiful colors.They had spent a long time out there, enjoying each other's company, and though it was time to head back home, she didn't want to leave this moment behind."You think we could build a house here to watch the sun set in the horizon?" she murmured, voicing her dream.Lumiére scoffed gently, "Oh, Phoenix, I wish we could do just t
Raven's POVOakhurst? Raven's mind was buzzing with questions. Why was Lumiére in Oakhurst? It was the same place she had been abducted by the witch. It had to be a coincidence; she couldn't fathom any other explanation. But she didn't want to reveal her own presence in Oakhurst to Lumiére. After all, it was almost an hour away from her home and university.Just as she was about to speak, the door creaked open, saving her from any potential lies. Finally, someone was coming in, and maybe they would get some answers to their bewildering situation.She wondered what the guys would be doing now that she was missing. Would they see this as a collateral loss and forget her or would they search for her.In her mind, she worried about Achim, who had been with her when she was taken, though unconscious. She hoped he would have been able to provide some valuable information to the others.With bated breath, she watched Lumiére, who seemed equally anxious, waiting for the newcomer to enter the
Lumiére's POV"Are you happy?" Raven asked, her voice soft and filled with warmth as she turned to face Lumiére. The afternoon sun painted a beautiful glow on her face, making her green eyes shine brilliantly, the brightest green eyes he had ever seen."I am," he replied with a content smile, feeling a sense of peace and joy being with her. After all that had transpired recently, knowing she was happy made him even happier."I am happy too," she said, and he could see the genuine happiness in her eyes. It warmed his heart to know that he could bring her joy."I like being with you," she added, and Lumiére couldn't help but chuckle. He felt the same way – being with her was something he cherished deeply.Raven reached for an apple from the picnic basket, taking a bite before offering it to him. He playfully teased her, "Feeding me now, are you?"She rolled her eyes playfully in response, "Well, you need someone to take care of you since you don't like eating. I guess that's my job now
Reagan's POVReagan winced as he felt a pang of pain shoot through his head. It was as if a massive weight had fallen on him, and he couldn't help but groan. Slowly, he opened his eyes and took in his surroundings.He found himself in a room, and it didn't take long for him to recognize that it was Lumiére's room in the fortress. How did he end up here? The last thing he remembered was... he stopped himself from thinking further and turned his attention to the door as it opened."Oh, you're awake now... how's your head?" Noah asked as he entered the room.Reagan furrowed his brow, trying to recall what happened. "What happened?" he inquired, attempting to sit up on the bed. Noah quickly moved to his side, helping him to sit up before settling back on a nearby chair.Noah let out a sigh. "You don't remember?" he asked.Reagan knew he wouldn't like what he was about to hear from Noah. "Lumiére knocked you out earlier and left the fortress with Arin and the others," Noah explained.Groan