(Quinn's POV)As the final particles of the supernatural fade out of sight, I am left standing open-mouthed. I have no idea what the gift is that she gave us, where she went, or how she knew about our encounter with Arion. Then again, nothing in this place has been straightforward. Actually, it’s like the entire universe has gone crazy since the eclipse. Hopefully, when we find the obsidian veil, things will return to normal when the sun is back. “Come on, let’s head deeper into the forest to see what we can find,” Salvatore says. “Alright,” I reply, but I am not sure if I want to explore anymore with all the strange things we have found so far. We move further away from where we met Arion, and I hope we are on the right path. The relic he said we needed to use the veil is the most important thing right now. There are way too many things that we have to do, and it’s best to focus on one thing at a time. I’ve come a long way from my mission to bring back the sun. I knew it would be
~*~Warning the following chapter contains a sexually explicit scene. ~*~(Salvatore’s POV) We follow the path around the village until we reach an old abandoned mine shaft. It’s the most random place for a library I have ever seen, but the supernatural said it was here and I have to believe him. We venture inside the tunnel that runs into the cave, following the old cart tracks that run underground.Wherever this secret library is inside the maze of tunnels, the tracks will lead us to it. As we move deeper into the tunnels and further underground, the air is heavy with the scent of dirt and dampness. How anyone could have spent their lives working underground in such harsh conditions, I do not know. It is difficult enough for me to breathe easily in here, so I can only imagine how hard it must be for a human. We walk in silence, focusing on trying to find the hidden library. I use my vampiric sight to scan the area, looking for anything out of place, and then I see it.“Over there
(Quinn’s POV)We get dressed quickly. The air in the library is freezing against my clammy skin. Salvatore watches me as I put on my jeans. I check my pocket to make sure that Arion’s relic is still tucked safely inside. When I feel the small, solid pendant, I let out a sigh of relief. We are going to have to be more careful now that it is in our possession. It’s so tiny that it will be easy to lose, and although what just happened between us made me feel amazing, tossing my jeans on the floor with the relic in the pocket was kind of reckless. As Salvatore and I leave the mine shaft, I feel like everything is finally falling into place at last. We have something that will help us use the obsidian veil. Although we don’t know exactly how it works, I have faith that the relic changes everything. As we make our way through the dense forest, we try to be as quiet as possible. I move with caution. Every step I take is calculated. My heart pounds in my chest and adrenaline courses through
(Quinn's POV) Pulling the blanket over my naked torso, I glance through the bars of the cage at the clock on the wall. Fuck. I should have known it was going to be a bad day. It usually is, and now I am late for class again! I have labs this morning with Ms Meera, the queen bitch of all my tutors here at Oak Park University. She doesn't like me, and now she is going to kill me. If by some sheer stroke of luck I make it through the lesson, I will probably end up wishing that she had. Today is the last mock practical assessment before my final exam. I am nowhere near ready because I have been partying all week instead of studying. Last night was a full moon, so technically that one isn’t my fault. I rarely hit the clubs so hard, but we are going home at the end of the term, and I am doing everything in my power to get everything out of my system. When we get home, I need to be the women that the pack needs. Which is anyone but the real me. I groan and turn to grab my clothes from th
(Salvatore's POV) The air is thick with the stench of blood, it fills my nostrils as I walk across the carpark towards the abandoned warehouse. The light of the full moon streams through the shattered windows casting shadows on the walls. This place is sinister enough without me being here. My brothers are already sitting at a long wooden table waiting for me. “Ah, Salvatore,” Dante greets me with a sinister smile, “You made it.” His dark eyes penetrate through me to the place my soul should be. “Of course,” I reply, the bitterness clear in my voice. I scan the room, taking in the other members of the seven. I don’t know what possessed Dante to choose such a derelict meeting place. As the longest ruling vampire mafia, it isn’t like we don’t have the money to pay for a more civilised meeting place. “Brothers,” I greet the rest of my family, and take my seat at the table. The cold metal chair presses against my back, reminding me of my place at the bottom of the order of the seven.
(Quinn's POV) Goosebumps rise on my skin the second I step out of the dorm. Shivering against the freezing cold, I curse Emmerson for making me wear this skimpy dress. So much for it almost being summer, I think miserably as we walk across the street. England, never hot and I'm always pale. I long for a place with some colour to it. Somewhere tropical, where life would be so much better.Living in the UK is like living in a world of washed-out colours. The sun seems to only offer its light in watery patches. The streets are lined with dingy brick buildings, dull grey skies sit heavy above them, as if they have been waiting for a lifetime of rain. Even the grass and shrubs appear drained of colour, no more than an afterthought painted in dirty watercolours. A feeling of sadness settles over me whenever I pass through these areas. It seems to be a permanent reminder of my own lack of freedom.But when I approached the edge of the city, something changes. Instead of being surrounded by
~*~ Warning the following chapter contains a sexually explicit scene. ~*~ (Quinn's POV) The man stands before me, naked and magnificent. I'm mesmerized by his beauty as he strides towards me with a predatory grace that's almost unnerving. Usually, I'd be turned off, but right now, there's something exhilarating about the way he moves. My inner wolf basks in the power of the situation. I can feel her delight at my choice of partner. I pretend to follow his lead, letting him think he's the one in charge, while I relish in my power and revel in this moment. When he reaches me. He grabs me around the waist and lifts me off the ground. We move towards the only empty wall. I'm glad that we didn’t go to the bed. Missionary is not on the menu tonight. I wrap my thighs tighter around his hips and pull him into me. I don’t need foreplay. I am already wetter than a swimming pool, and ready to get this thing moving. Tracing his ink with my finger, I wonder if there is any meaning behind th
(Salvatore's POV)As soon as dusk becomes darkness, the city comes alive with a pulse of its own. The busy streets of London are buzzing with excitement. My senses come to life as I pick up on the supernatural world that coexists in secret alongside the humans. Despite the noise, I can hear everything around me. Each heartbeat is a symphony playing just for me. It's my siren’s song calling to the monster within, beckoning it to let loose and feed. I stay hidden in the shadows and observe the scene around me. There are so many people out tonight. I can smell their desperation. Their only desire is to escape their mundane lives for one night. The darkness is a cloak, hiding me from the prying eyes of the more curious humans. The beast inside me is hungry. No matter how hard I try to ignore him, I know I can’t suppress his desires for much longer. My nostrils flare as an intoxicating scent catches my attention. The smell just makes the beast more excited. I give in to the primal urge
(Quinn’s POV)We get dressed quickly. The air in the library is freezing against my clammy skin. Salvatore watches me as I put on my jeans. I check my pocket to make sure that Arion’s relic is still tucked safely inside. When I feel the small, solid pendant, I let out a sigh of relief. We are going to have to be more careful now that it is in our possession. It’s so tiny that it will be easy to lose, and although what just happened between us made me feel amazing, tossing my jeans on the floor with the relic in the pocket was kind of reckless. As Salvatore and I leave the mine shaft, I feel like everything is finally falling into place at last. We have something that will help us use the obsidian veil. Although we don’t know exactly how it works, I have faith that the relic changes everything. As we make our way through the dense forest, we try to be as quiet as possible. I move with caution. Every step I take is calculated. My heart pounds in my chest and adrenaline courses through
~*~Warning the following chapter contains a sexually explicit scene. ~*~(Salvatore’s POV) We follow the path around the village until we reach an old abandoned mine shaft. It’s the most random place for a library I have ever seen, but the supernatural said it was here and I have to believe him. We venture inside the tunnel that runs into the cave, following the old cart tracks that run underground.Wherever this secret library is inside the maze of tunnels, the tracks will lead us to it. As we move deeper into the tunnels and further underground, the air is heavy with the scent of dirt and dampness. How anyone could have spent their lives working underground in such harsh conditions, I do not know. It is difficult enough for me to breathe easily in here, so I can only imagine how hard it must be for a human. We walk in silence, focusing on trying to find the hidden library. I use my vampiric sight to scan the area, looking for anything out of place, and then I see it.“Over there
(Quinn's POV)As the final particles of the supernatural fade out of sight, I am left standing open-mouthed. I have no idea what the gift is that she gave us, where she went, or how she knew about our encounter with Arion. Then again, nothing in this place has been straightforward. Actually, it’s like the entire universe has gone crazy since the eclipse. Hopefully, when we find the obsidian veil, things will return to normal when the sun is back. “Come on, let’s head deeper into the forest to see what we can find,” Salvatore says. “Alright,” I reply, but I am not sure if I want to explore anymore with all the strange things we have found so far. We move further away from where we met Arion, and I hope we are on the right path. The relic he said we needed to use the veil is the most important thing right now. There are way too many things that we have to do, and it’s best to focus on one thing at a time. I’ve come a long way from my mission to bring back the sun. I knew it would be
~*~Warning the following chapter contains a sexually explicit scene. ~*~(Salvatore’s POV) The icy chill of the air surrounds us as we stand at the edge of the secluded forest. I lock eyes with my Quinn, her piercing blue eyes seem to glow in the strange light emanating from the trees and plants inside the clearing. It is a stark contrast to the darkness that has sucked the life out of us. Quinn is determined to complete our mission, but as she looks out into the unknown, there is a vulnerability there, buried beneath her fierce exterior. We move deeper into the forest in search of the being who is allegedly causing problems for the other supernaturals who call this place home. There is something about this place that feels different. It is almost like the air around us pulsates with an energy of its own. The whole area, in fact, seems to have its own heartbeat. We don’t even know what this creature we are hunting looks like, which could cause problems if we run into more than one
(Quinn’s POV)Even though it’s dark everywhere, somehow it seems to engulf us as we follow the path further into the dense forest. It isn’t easy to do, even with my shifter eyesight, because the path isn’t straight. It weaves through the trees, over ancient roots, and fallen branches that are thicker than my thighs. I’m glad that Salvatore is by my side. I can lean on him when it is too difficult for me to navigate. Ever since the eclipse, my senses have become more heightened in the darkness, making every rustle and whisper of the wind feel like a threat.“Are you sure this is the right way?” I ask, as we pass by a large tree that looks exactly like one we walked by five minutes ago. Even though I’m panicking, I try to keep calm despite feeling like we are lost in the middle of nowhere. I’m half expecting something to jump out on us any second. Salvatore looks at me, his eyes glow, even in our black surroundings, he presses his lips tightly together so they form a thin line as he tri
~*~Warning the following chapter contains a sexually explicit scene.~*~(Salvatore’s POV)As we sit amongst the trees, a sense of hope washes over me. There was never any doubt in my mind that we can do anything together. But with the odds stacked against us, it seems at times an impossible task. When we walked away from the first trial unscathed, I felt a sense of accomplishment. Our strange encounter with Arion, and his words of belief, makes me feel a little lighter. I can’t help but feel like the universe has given us a push in the right direction. Maybe we aren’t as alone in this as we thought. I glance over at Quinn and she appears to have a similar belief. The fierceness that has been engraved in her aura since my brothers captured her seems softer, and there is a glimmer of optimism.I turn to Quinn, “We should get moving. We still have to find the relic.” She stands up, and we move deeper into the dense forest. As we walk, I am on high alert, looking for any sign of the nex
(Salvatore’s POV)The loud clash of power echoes through the glen like thunder. Quinn stands by my side, ready to fight with every inch of her being. Her presence is like a beacon fuelling my strength. Together, we will do whatever it takes to get to the mysterious relic, that is supposed to be the key to unlocking the obsidian veil. The grotesque figure looms before us. Its size makes it a formidable adversary, but we won’t back down. We have faced so much the past few weeks and we have overcome every single one of them, even when they seemed impossible. This fight is no different. I look over to Quinn and see a fire in her eyes that mirrors my own. In this moment, she is more than a powerful shifter. She is the woman I love. She is a warrior and a force to be reckoned with. Her strength fuels my own, pushing me forward.We launch at the figure, and it moves with agility that contradicts its size. It takes all of our strength just to keep it away. I watch closely as it moves, lookin
(Quinn’s POV)We move deeper into the glen, guided by Arion’s prophecy. The air inside the ravine is filled with magic and mystery. The powerful energy I felt at the glowing rocks grows stronger with every step we take.“Quinn, look,” Salvatore says, pointing towards a clearing along the overgrown path.I squint, and notice what looks like the crumbling remains of an immense structure that seems to have been hidden from the rest of the world.“We should go check it out,” I suggest, and Salvatore nods. I’m on high alert as we carefully manoeuvre through the dense trees. Not only are we stepping into sacred ground, but I’m also on high alert. Arion said the relic was heavily guarded, and I have to be ready for anything. As we enter the clearing, I’m amazed at how beautiful the ruins are. Ivy covers the once magnificent walls. Between the vines, there are several intricate carvings poking through, and the images seem to depict some sort of great battle.“This could be where the relic is
(Quinn’s POV)As we leave the cabin, the chill of the early morning air nips at my skin. Today’s plan is to head deeper into the forest so that we can make our way to Wales undetected. The sky is a canvas of muted greys, blues and purples that should give way to the warm hues of dawn, but since the eclipse happened, we haven’t seen the sun. It feels like a lifetime ago, but it’s only been a few weeks. My heart sinks at the thought of this never ending night being a permanent thing. As much as we have been trying to stop it, it feels like we keep hitting dead ends. We stick to the dusty track, following a bend in its path, until we reach a secluded glade that seems to appear out of nowhere from deep within the shadows. As we get closer, I can feel a shift in the air. Someone has cloaked this place in ancient magical. That has created a mystical aura that sends a shiver down my spine. It’s as if time stands still inside here. Even the trees seem to whisper secrets, and I’m strangely dr