Xander's POV:"Your claim to being the most powerful warlock seems like a bluff if you can't even open a portal for us," Adeline said while flaring her nostrils, her heated gaze on Ragnor.When the mind-link was shut down, I rushed back to the grounds. On my way, thanks to my super hearing, I could hear a verbal battle going on.Ragnor quivered his eyebrow, "Oh, so should I prove my abilities by turning you into a little, ugly frog?"Lucas stepped in front of Adeline protectively and screamed aloud, "Just stop it, both of you. Is it the time to fight like this?"Adeline raised on her toes behind him and blabbered over Lucas's shoulder, "Tell this to the 500-year-old childish warlock who knows nothing about maturity."Ragnor snorted sarcastically, "Says the girl who..."I growled while storming into the grounds, "Shut the fuck up, everyone."A heavy silence fell over the place as everyone clamped their mouths shut and they all turned to me in unison. Lucas stepped in my direction with
Xander's POV:Eyes on Lucas, I commanded him, "Let's go back and prepare the warriors before we leave for the Shadow Realm."Adeline wrinkled her nose, "It would take so many hours to go back to the mansion and return with the warriors."Ragnor barked a burst of proudful laughter, "That's why I always emphasize the importance of being in the good books of Warlocks." His eyes narrowed down at Adeline, "But you never bothered to listen to me, right?" He folded his arms in front of his wide chest and jerked his chin to the side.Adeline rolled her eyes, "Old, grumpy, and moody warlock."Before they could start hurling insults at each other again, I grunted in a warning, "Ragnor..."Despite their differences, Adeline seemed to have much influence on him as he too tried to roll his eyes like her, rather poorly, and huffed, "Talk about being grumpy..."As soon as I shifted a death glare in his direction, he waved his arms, "Okay okay, I never refused to help in the first place, did I?"Witho
Xander's POV:As soon as we stepped on the other side of the portal, we met with pitch-black darkness. Many of us were confused as we looked at our surroundings. Closing the portal, Ragnor informed us, "It's the Shadow Realm. The sun never rises in here."One of the warriors observed aloud, "So it's always night here."Ragnor corrected him, "The moonless night."Adeline came forward through the crowd, "Why would Asteria choose such a realm? There must be a reason, just like behind her every other act."Deborah let out a bitter chuckle, "Why else? It's because of that ancient vampire she is so in love with."Lucas joined the two and two together, "Vampires can't survive in the daylight. It burns them. As the sun never rises in this realm, it's the perfect hiding spot for Lucien where he can roam around freely." As soon as he realized it, his head flew in my direction. Our eyes met, understanding settled in, and we both smirked at the same time. While favoring Lucien, Asteria had dug he
Xander's POV:Ragnor used his magic to light up the empty and dark corridors. Rushing through them, we reached the grounds of the palace where a little army of vampires was waiting for us. They were tall and pale, their fangs were on full display, and with the hunger they were gawking at us, it was apparent that Lucien had kept them deprived of blood for quite a time now so they were all ready to feast on us.Lucas moved beside me. I opened our mind-link and he grunted, "They are thirsty for blood."Baring my sharp teeth, I hissed, "Well, in that case, I feel bad for them as they will not be getting much of it today."I did a quick sweep of the castle around me, assessing the surroundings, and then stared into the hollow, bloodshot eyes of the vampires, Blood was the only thing on their mind as they flung in our direction. They were fast, so very fast that when they moved, all we got to see was a blur of them. With the speed of light, they moved around us like blurry figures.Before m
Delilah's POV:I don't know for how long I had been unconscious. All I remembered was being brutally betrayed by Stella and it was a total blackout after that. And now I was feeling someone vigorously shaking my shoulders and frequently patting my cheeks. Somewhere in the distance, I could hear my name being called over and over in urgency.I tried to chase the voice and come out of unconsciousness but the more I tried, the more I seemed to drown in deep slumber. My whole body was feeling like a mass of jelly. It felt like I was locked up in my own body.And then, all of a sudden, out of the blue, I felt water splashing all over my face. I let out a sharp gasp as my eyes snapped open. My head hastily moved left and right and it only took me a moment to realize that I was in my hospital room. Taking a shuddering breath, I jerked up in bed and found a very shaken-looking Asteria beside my bed. I had never seen her so...afraid.Her wide eyes filled with horror roamed all over my face as
Xander's POV:Other than the sound of my hoarse breathing, the room was otherwise eerily quiet. Planting my palms on the floor, I tried to heave myself up. With painful grunting, I fell back, energy seeping out of me. There was only one thing on my mind; Delilah. I wanted to reach her by any means possible before that fucker could lay his filthy hands on her.Still trying and failing brutally, my head snapped toward the door as I heard quick footsteps approaching. As a dark figure emerged into the shadows, I sniffed the air. The scent was feminine but totally unfamiliar.With hurried strides, she approached me and crouched down beside me.In the soft glow, I searched her face. My forehead wrinkled at the way she was looking at me like she knew me but I had no fucking clue about who on earth she was. Grazing her fingers on my back, she assessed my injuries and remarked humorously, "Wow, he really did a number on you even though I warned him not to harm you...yet."Jerking her hand off
Xander's POV:Lucas's hands were shaking with fright as his eyes traveled between me and Stella. For 100 years of his life, he must have thought about this very specific moment when he'll finally meet his fated mate.For sure, things changed after he fell in love with Adeline but still, he must have constantly been thinking about the moment he was going to meet his mate and what he'd do after meeting her. But I was sure as hell that never even in his wildest dreams had he imagined meeting his fated mate like this where his Alpha was a moment away from ripping her apart. His eyebrows dipped lower as he asked in a hoarse whisper, "Who are you?"My lip curled up as I bit out with venom, "A traitor," at the same time Stella whimpered, "Your mate." Of course, now she was trying to gain his sympathy.Lucas lingered in the doorway and seemed too shocked to step inside. His thoughts were all over the place and as an Alpha, I could feel the storm brewing inside him. He must be feeling a rush o
Xander's POV:As the life was seeping out of Stella, her eyes flashed to Lucien still wriggling in my clutches. That was the moment she finally realized how bad her choice was to join hands with someone unable to even help himself.Then her gaze moved to Lucas who was hugging Adeline and shielding her from the gruesome and bloody view. Lucas didn't give a damn about her as he comforted Adeline. Regret glinted in Stella's eyes, probably thinking about what she could have but chose to miss.The injury proved fatal, indicating that the dagger was made of silver. My head flung to the door where Asteria was smiling with satisfaction. Lifting her chin, she said with zero remorse, "I feel no shame in destroying those who betray me."Deborah crippled her way into the room just in time to retort, "And what about those whom you have betrayed?"Asteria's eyes moved to me as she answered blankly, "I know what is coming for me and I am ready for it." She took a few steps toward the lifeless body o
EPILOGUE AFTER 7 YEARS: Delilah's POV: "But Mommy, I asked for the chocolate cake. I do not like pineapple one." Elina stated with finality. "Why does it matter, Ellie? It's okay if mommy couldn't get a chocolate cake," responded Liam. At that, Elina narrowed her eyes menacingly at her brother and reprimanded the innocent soul, "Some of us do have tastes and standards, Lee. It's my birthday, I get to have all that I want today." "As if that doesn't happen every other day of the year," Adeline chuckled. Elina pretended to gasp and hooked her hands on her hips, "Aunt Addy, that's not fair. You ought to be on the girls' team." Liam reminded her as an afterthought, "By the way, it's my birthday too." Eline tried to roll her eyes, another thing she had learned from her beloved Aunt Addy, "Ugh, please don't keep reminding me that. I don't like the fact that I even have to share a birthday with you, Liam." I have no idea how I got to have two kids with completely different personali
Delilah's POV:A moment later, the whole lawn glowed in the soft, golden glow. The whole setup was looking even more beautiful at night, exceeding all of my expectations. His footsteps halted as Xee was taken aback by the arrangements. Tilting his head to the sides, he assessed the whole area twinkling in the fairy lights and fresh flower decor. And then, his eyes widened as they landed on me. He took his time to gawk at me from head to toe multiple times, reincarnating all the butterflies in my stomach. Resuming his steps, which were slower now, he walked over to me. Grabbing my hand in a gentle hold, he lifted it and placed a soft kiss on its back, "I am 100% sure that I am not forgetting any important date. It isn't your birthday today nor any important day for us." I let out a soft chuckle, "You are kinda right." Letting go of my hand, he wrapped his big palms around my waist and whispered in my ear, "Then to what do I owe the pleasure to behold such a glamorous beauty today?"
Delilah's POV:It was that time of the year.The Claiming Ball was to be held by the Lycan/ Werewolf Council so that all the unmated males and females come in proximity and have a chance to meet their fated mates.As a member of the council, I and Xee were invited to attend the Claiming Ball and we had a good chuckle at the remembrance of our bittersweet memories of the last Ball.I was standing at the side while unmated males and females indulged themselves in the dance as per ritual. My eyes spotted Xee busy in a conversation with the other members of the Council.I was just about to make my way over to him when a tall figure blocked my way. I lifted my head to find a young man whom I had never seen before.I tilted my head to the side, "Have we met before?"He kept staring at me and then finally shook his head, "I hate to say this but no, we haven't met before."My eyebrows creased together. He was probably from some other territory who was attending the annual ball in the hope of
Delilah's POV: The next morning, I woke up to the sound of commotion. My eyes peeked open and I yawned, already feeling the soreness in my body. I winced at the pain when I stood up and slowly walked to the window. My eyes widened with shock as I saw Ethan standing in front of the mansion, hollering at the top of his lungs, "I don't give a fuck. Let me go inside this instant or otherwise..." He clamped his mouth shut when a new guard stopped by the gate, "The King said to let him inside." The guards opened the gate and Ethan huffed angrily before making his way inside the mansion. What the hell was he doing here? Quicking donning my PJs, I made my way downstairs slowly, thanks to the soreness. I arrived in the hall just in time to see Ethan entering. Xee was sitting on the couch in a suit, sipping his black coffee whereas Ethan was looking all disheveled and upset. He stopped in front of Xee and yelled, "What the hell is wrong with you?" Xee kept his calm and only raised his eye
Delilah's POV: As a wedding present, Xee had gifted the Europe tour for Luke and Addy. Due to some issue with tickets, they had to leave the night of the wedding day. After the reception was over and the guests were gone, we returned to the mansion. Everything seemed to happen in a fast motion and none of us rested until after bidding farewell to the newlywed couple for their honeymoon. It was only once they were gone had I returned to my room. It was such a hectic day and I couldn't wait to don my comfortable PJs and hit the soft mattress. Standing in front of the vanity, I was removing my makeup when the door flung open. In came the Lycan King, looking heavenly gorgeous in the black tuxedo. Hot lava spilled inside me as I noticed his eyes traveling down my body. His hand curved around the nape of his neck and he smiled, "You were looking so beautiful today that it was practically impossible to peel my eyes off of you." I knew he was right. I had constantly felt a pair of eyes g
3 Months Later: Delilah's POV:"I am really getting concerned about you, Delilah," I heard Xee behind me.I looked over my shoulder and found him with a tray in his hands, "Why is that?"He placed the tray holding a glass of milk and cookies on the coffee table and walked over to my desk, "Because for the last 3 months, you've been working nonstop."I let out a soft chuckle, "Now you are exaggerating."His eyebrow quivered higher, "No, I am not. Can't remember the time when I've not seen you hunched up on the desk, sticking your nose in all those books, jotting down your notes, and whatnot."Well, he was kind of right about that. Lately, I have been having a really hectic routine. After waking up early in the morning, I'd go to training. After breakfast, I'd be in the clinic that Xee had recently built me in his territory. I have been working hard to polish my skills as a Healer.I have started treating patients and I loved interacting with all the people. Occasionally, I'd even go on
Delilah's POV:Once again, I became the target of everyone's attention but I didn't let the nervousness or panic get hold of me as they all turned their eyes toward me.Instead, I took a deep breath and got up from my seat. Addy rushed in my direction, "What happened, Dee? Why are you interrupting?"I made a mental note to have a proper talk with Addy after returning to the mansion but for now, I had something more important to take care of.Without responding to her, I turned around and jumped down the stage. Gasps chorused around me as I landed on the Duel Ground but I paid none of it any heed.I kept walking to where Xee was pinning Ryan to the ground. The frown between Xee's brows deepened. He opened the mindlink, "What are you doing here?"He didn't sound pleased at all. Well, we were on the same page then. Shutting the mindlink down, I reached him. I tried to keep my calm but my nostrils still flared when I ordered Xee, "Get off of him, Alpha."A flash of betrayal shone in Xee's
Delilah's POV:"What have you been doing all day?" Addy asked curiously.I closed the journal I was writing on and shrugged lightly, "Just working on a few important things."Her gaze shifted to my study table but she passed no comment. Nodding her head, she said, "I am waiting downstairs. Be quick."Resisting the urge to roll my eyes, I turned toward my closet and took out a pair of black jeans and a black shirt. It took me no more than fifteen minutes to get ready.When I climbed down the stairs, I noticed that the mansion was eerily quiet and empty. My eyes swept the area, "Has everybody gone to the duel?"Addy raised her eyebrow and remarked, "Who exactly would want to miss the chance to experience such a duel?"At this point, I was confirmed that my best friend had gone crazy just by living among the lycans for a few months.The car was already waiting for us outside the mansion. As soon as we settled inside, the driver revved up the engine and started driving toward the Council
Delilah's POV:In the room, I kept pacing the floor restlessly with a thousand thoughts swirling in my mind. It was only when I heard a knock on the door I took a breath of relief.I rushed to open the door and inhaled sharply at the sight of Isabella standing on the other side with a cup of coffee.I ushered her inside and closed the door behind her. She smiled lightly and placed the cup on the coffee table. She was about to go back when I blocked her way to the door.She eyed me nervously. I wondered whether she was thinking the same thing that I was.My eyebrow quivered higher as I inquired, "What do you know about Ryan Hooper, Isabella?"Her eyes widened as she swallowed the lump in her throat, "We are not to talk about him in this mansion."I closed my eyes for a moment and tried to make her understand calmly, "I don't care about that, Isabella. Just know that it is very important for me to know all that you do."She fidgeted her fingers together nervously, weighing her options.