VERENAMy gaze falls on the woman whose body is half-burned. Her closed eyes snap open, making my heart jump into my throat. Shit. Then, with a sickening crack, the first tube shatters. A torrent of liquid cascades down, the thick, viscous substance quickly pooling on the floor. Panic surges through me as I realize the danger we're in. I grab Joshua and Drake's hands, pulling them towards me. The liquid is rising rapidly, and we have to move.As we stumble through the rising tide, the Ashwalkers emerge from the cracked tubes one by one. Their eyes turn hollow, and they transform into wolves before my very eyes. Their howls echo through the flooded lab, sending shivers down my spine.“There are too many of them.” Drake says as they surround us. With the thick liquid stuck to my feet, it's getting hard to move around. What do I do now? The world is a blur of motion as I swing my fist towards the Ashwalker charging at me. The air is thick with the scent of sweat and fear, and the soun
VERENA“Well, your mother isn’t as innocent as she looks.” Regef starts to chuckle and I feel my chest heave in anger. Nixie smirks at me. “You must have known that your mother dearest and I had a relationship before she was mated to my brother. Now, here’s the thing. Your mom had a little secret that your dad didn’t know. Only I knew it.” “What…secret?” I ask, my voice trembling. I don’t know if I can take any more revelations right now. “She has always been a part of the Green Moon’s cult.” He answers and my face turns pale. “What?!” I look at Mom who stares at the floor. “Why?” She frowns. “Because Lord Umbra gave me everything I wanted. I wasn’t happy being just the beta’s daughter. I wanted more and I didn’t have enough. Worshiping the Moon Goddess gave me nothing. She’s just a pathetic Goddess who has no powers and creates stupid rules. She mated me with a man I had no interest in.“But dad saved you when Regef tried to hurt you.” I say. She scoffs. “That was all an act to
VERENAI need to do something. I look at the chains that hang me to the ceiling. They are tight and hurt every time I try to move my wrist. “There’s no point in resisting it.” Nixie says and I stop. She smiles. “I made sure they are filled with poison and soon it will kill you.” she says in a sweet voice, hiding her despicable nature beneath it. I can’t help but laugh as Nixie watches me with a mix of amusement and disbelief. “You think these chains can hold me?” I scoff, my voice filled with mockery. “I’ve faced far worse poisons than this. This is nothing, thanks to you attacking me with poisons and getting me used to them.”As I speak, I feel a surge of celestial power coursing through me. My aura flares, a blinding light that fills the room. Nixie recoils in fear, her eyes wide with terror. I focus my energy on the chains binding my wrists, and with a grunt of exertion, they snap like twigs.My boots slap on the floor as I land on the polished tiles and immediately head over to
DORYI grunt as my body hurts from all the beating I got today. Even my back hurts as I try to rest it against the dirty wall. The stench is overwhelming. It’s a nauseating mix of decay, sweat, and something I can’t quite place. Maybe urine. Ew! I gag as I try to breathe through the thick, heavy air. The cell is small and cramped, the walls damp and moldy. Cobwebs dangle from the ceiling, and rats scurry across the filthy floor.The light is dim, filtering through a small, barred window high up on the wall. It casts eerie shadows that dance and flicker across the grimy walls. A single, rusted bucket sits in the corner, its contents a murky, foul-smelling liquid. I shudder at the thought of having to drink from it.I’m trapped. A prisoner in this disgusting, filthy dungeon. And I have no idea how I’m going to escape.“Sweetie, are you alright?” A faint sound breaks through the silence of my cell. It’s a voice, soft and hesitant. I strain to hear it better, my heart pounding in my che
DORYThe men enter the cell, their faces etched with cruel amusement. I try to fight back, to resist their grasp, but my strength is fading. Nixie watches me with a cold, calculating gaze. “There’s no use in fighting,” she says. “You’ve been injected with something that will keep you weak.”I feel a surge of panic as I realize the truth of her words. “Is injecting people all you can do?” I taunt and her smile fades. She steps closer and slaps me across the face. I feel the sting of the slap but do not show that I’m feeling the pain. “I’m glad that you are here in this condition. For all that attitude you gave me back then, you deserve this!” she spats. “Now I’ll make sure you see what hell looks like.” She warns and a chill runs down my spine. What are they going to do with me? Nixie turns to her guards. “Take her,” she commands, her voice cold and emotionless.I struggle against the men’s grip, my heart pounding in my chest. Where are they taking me? What are they going to do to
DORYHe stares at me for a few seconds before he releases and I sigh in relief. The man turns his attention towards Nixie. “She looks clueless. Are you sure she can do it?” Nixie seems taken aback by the question and a little frightened. Is this guy her boss or something? “I saw her wounds heal very quickly. It means she has the ability to do it.” She answers and I frown. “Do what? I don’t understand anything.” I mutter and the man kicks me in the gut. I drop to the floor, holding my throbbing stomach. “Speak only when you are asked to.” He commands me and I scoff. As if I’d listen to him. “Take her back to the cell and kill her. She’s of no use to me if she doesn't know how to modify her.” “Wait, she’s useful,” Nixie argues. “She might not know it but if we push her, she’d be able to do it.” The man seems to ponder what Nixie said for a while before he replies. “Fine. It's your responsibility to force the abilities out of her.” The heavy iron bars slam shut behind me, plungin
DORYI’m shocked to hear what she says. A celestial wolf? Ruth?“Wait… you? But how? And what’s a healer celestial wolf?” I ask, my mind reeling with different sorts of answers.Ruth stares at the dirty floor and sighs. “Celestial wolves have different types and forms. One of them is a healer celestial wolf. Just like Verena, I have powers too. But all I can do is heal.” She lifts her gaze and looks at me. “Maybe they sensed it when the Ashwalkers attacked my pack. Ashwalkers and celestial wolves are sworn enemies, so they can sense each other.”My jaw drops. “That’s… crazy. I never thought you’d be a celestial wolf. Why didn’t you tell anyone?” I ask.She shrugs. “There’s no point in it. I am a celestial wolf, but I’ve lost my healing powers. Just like some celestial wolves shift late, I shifted early and received my powers. But after Carlisle was born, I lost them.”I frown. “How did you lose them?”She shakes her head, the doubt clear on her old face. “I have no idea. Wish I knew w
DORYSome of them give me a crooked smile as they stare at me. “She’s kind of cute. We can have some fun before we kill her.”I hear Ruth’s voice from the cell next to mine. “Leave her alone! You monsters!” she yells and rattles the cell bars violently with her hands.But the men ignore her. They move closer, their eyes glinting with a sinister light. I try to back away, but there’s nowhere to go.As one of the men reaches out to grab me, I act on instinct. I reach into my waistband and pull out a small blade I took from the lab earlier. I’ve hidden it under my top, hoping it might come in handy.With a swift motion, I lunge forward; the blade glinting in the dim light. The man lets out a startled cry as the blade pierces his arm. He stumbles back, clutching his wound.His companion jumps at me, but I’m ready. I sidestep his attack and drive the blade into his shoulder. He howls in pain, his grip on his weapon loosening.I grab the opportunity, disarming him and knocking him to the gr