THE PRESENT,VLADIMIR RUBBED HIS chest, feeling the bump of the knife the cursed witch had plunged into his heart. Even after all these centuries, the scar still remained.He walked out of the dilapidated cabin where he and Alice just finished having the roughest sex in all his life. The cabin was barely standing as he walked out. As soon as he stepped into the sunlight, his skin sparkled like diamonds, lighting him up like a beacon. He gazed at the sky and at his surroundings. The view of the terrain reminded him of the night he was changed and cursed to roam the earth forever and live only on the blood of humans."Let's go," he said, allowing the wind to carry his soft voice to Alice, who was still indoors. The smell of burnt flesh and corpses hung heavy in the air, and the blood stains had turned black. He could see some vultures hovering around, waiting for him to leave before they descended.He scoffed as he got into one of the cars and turned on the engine. Alice joined him in t
ANNA KYLIN CHESTERAFTER THE CALL with Mitch, I went about my morning duties mechanically without putting my heart to them. It was like I was in autopilot mode."Good morning, mom," My children greeted me simultaneously as they joined me at the breakfast table."Good morning, babies," I fondled the hair of the one closest to me without knowing whom it was."When will Dad be back?" Addison asked with a mouthful of bread toast."When he finishes what he's doing," I replied."I do hope he finished very soon," Addison said, "I don't want him to miss my birthday."Birthday? I was taken aback. I frowned and remembered that she was right. Their birthdays were coming, and I would have completely forgotten about it. What sort of mother was I? I queried myself."He will be back before your birthdays," I reassured, praying silently that it would be so."What is he doing?" Aiden asked. "And where did he go?"I sighed. "He went to my father's pack.""Where you were born?" Addison gasped.I nodded,
ANNA KYLIN CHESTERI INVOLUNTARILY TOOK a step back, bumping softly against a shelf. I gripped it to steady myself, my eyes flashed to Lorna, who was still sleeping soundly.Enrique sat up with a grunt, he looked at Lorna softly and then looked at me. His lips downturned softly, but he didn't say anything. He gave me a small nod, which I returned curtly before walking out of the ward and leaving the hospital.I released a shaky breath, watching my breath go out in a white mist in front of my face. My heart was racing, and blood rushed my ears. Coming into such close contact with Enrique was like being locked in a room with a grizzly bear. It was unpredictable and could snap me in half easily.I walked down the stairs, taking off my latex gloves and disposing of them safely. I went to the construction site. The moving truck was just leaving. I could see and hear Draco inside, organizing and giving instructions on where each piece of furniture should be placed.He gave me a tired smile
ANNA KYLIN CHESTERTHE CALL WAS answered on the third ring, and Reine's soft voice came through. "Hello?""Hello, Reine," I coughed out. "It's me. Anna.""Luna Anna." She gasped.She still called me with my Luna title. She still respected me. I closed my eyes to gather my thoughts. "Reine," I simply said again. "I am sorry for how I spoke to you on our last call."Reine kept so quiet that I thought she had ended the call if not for her steady, slow breathing."I know it was not your fault, and you didn't plan anything," I rubbed my eyes tiredly. "I reacted in a way I should not have. I hope you can forgive me. "She sniffled and I realized that she was crying."Oh, please, stop crying, okay?" I said softly. "Do you forgive me?"She sniffled and I heard her nod. "I could never be angry with you, Luna." She said. "I was ready to have Rick reject me..." She blew her nose into a tissue."No, don't do that, okay?" I sighed. "You deserve to be happy. And there is hardly anything that would
"THIS PLACE IS so quiet," Alice said from the window. "Nothing. Not even the sound of crickets."Vladimir nodded. "If you were a cricket, would go stay anywhere near someone like you?"Alice chuckled. "I guess not." She walked away from the window and gazed at large picture paintings that showed Vlsdimir through the years. On some oil paintings, he had curled blonde hair, similar to those the elegant English men of the early 19th century wore, on others, he was bald, with a mustache, clean-shaven. His looks varied like seasons of the year. "I like this one more," Alice said, pointing at a large and prominent painting. It was one of Vladimir in the 16th century. "The linen suits you...""They don't tell you this, but the linen of those times was very uncomfortable," Vladimir muttered. "It cuffed your neck and gave you callouses." He came up behind her and sniffed her neck. "I like the sideburns too," Alice said. She turned. Their bodies were a few inches apart. Her fingers came up to
MITCH CHESTER "SO ANNIKA CREATED the first vampire, Vladimir," Mitch said.The old man nodded. "And she did it for the protection of her coven," Mitch added. "Vampires were supposed to be like the bodyguards of witches covens from humans...""And any other race that wanted them dead," Beta Jones muttered. "What went wrong?""Annika died," Mitch said. "And with her death, the bond of vampires to witches died too. It left them free to create chaos as they liked.""The witches could have really used the protection a few centuries ago when witches were being hunted," Jones said."If I recall correctly, the vampires also joined in hunting the witches," Mitch muttered. "Some vampires developed special taste buds for blood of witches."Jones nodded. "Thank you for your time," he told the old man as Mitch stood up and went to the window."I am glad to help," the old man said. "These are stories that my father told me. His father told him, and I am going to tell my grandson very soon. It is
ANNA KYLIN CHESTERI KEPT THE information to myself. I didn't know how to break it to Lorna that more of her sisters had been killed. I remembered how she took the news last time when Mitch told her. She locked herself up until Enrique came at the perfect time to pull her out of her grief. Now, Enrique was sick and injured too. The news would crush her so I kept it to myself and went about my duties - overseeing the new buildings at the western border, reading through some medical journals sent to my mail from the board of doctors, and replying to my emails.When it was afternoon, I dragged myself from bed finally noticing that I had not eaten anything except the tea that Loz had forced into my hand hours ago.As I went downstairs and headed to the garage, I saw Lorna coming in the front door. I flashed her a bright smile to avoid any suspicion that I was hiding anything.She frowned slightly and asked, "What is it?""What is what?" I asked with the smile frozen on my lip."What are
MITCH CHESTERTHE DISTANCE FROM the red moon pack to the Mountain Alps kingdom was a very delicate matter. Especially for someone like Mitch who was in desperate need to be back in his kingdom as soon as possible.The distance was not so far that a private jet was needed. Besides, there were no suitable amenities like a good runway to host the planes. And at that moment, going by road would take so much time for him. The time that he would spend thinking and worrying.He stepped out of the study and dialed Draco. The call was picked up on the first ring."Yeah?" Draco grunted. "Is that a way to answer the call of your king?" Mitch asked.Draco snorted.Mitch chuckled. "Send a chopper to the red moon pack right now. I need to back home in the next few minutes.""What's the rush?" Draco asked."Just do as I say, will you?""On it," Draco replied. "I have alerted one of our pilots. He will be with you in a short while.""Good," Mitch muttered and hung up."Leaving now?" Jones asked. Mit
FIVE MONTHS LATER,I RUB my belly fondly. It has become a subconscious habit of mine since the belly bump sprouted. On some nights, I wake up from the nightmares and horrors of being locked up in the prison underground. It has been 5 months already, but the remnants of what we lost were still vivid. Every fallen warrior was given a befitting burial. After the death of the vampires, Paige started having recurring dreams of her lost memories. I had Lorna suppress it again. i also had Lorna wipe out the memory of Janet the mistress, now she was a servant in the palace... "Are we almost there yet?" Addison asked from the back seat. Mitch grunted. "Almost." I turn and look at him. The scar he had gotten from the battle that ran across his eyes was now white, it was healing well. The cut missed his eyes by less than an inch, but the scar added to his dangerous look. I reach out and touch his hand. He turns and looks at me, but I can not decipher what is going on in his head as his eyes
MITCH CHESTERAS HE TORE through the vampires, his eyes wavered back, and he looked at Anna. He could not believe she was nearby again, even as all the odds were against him all this while. Arranging the warriors for battle on such short notice was not an easy feat as most of his warriors were not familiar with guns, but he had made them ready and prepped for battle under a few hoursHe grunted as a vampire sank his fang into his arm. He growled grabbed the vampire by its head and slammed it into the ground."Keep your head in the fight, Mitch," Draco snapped. "Don't die when she is just a few feet away."Mitch chuckled. He turned and looked at his mate again. She was holding her own well against the vampires surrounding her and Alphonso."Do these things ever finish?" Mitch asked, looking around at the vampires still swarming over the field."We have to take out the elder vampires, or Vladimir himself," Draco said, stabbing a vampire dead on the floor. He shook his spear loose and lo
ANNA KYLIN CHESTERI WATCHED THE moon rise to its peak and anticipated when the witch Agatha walked up to Vladimir and said, “It is time.“Vladimir nodded and came to stand beside me.I closed my eyes, resigning myself to my fate as Agatha came closer, muttering a long string of spells under her breath. “I will offer the blood of the current grand witch…” She grabbed Lorna's hand and slit it at the wrist. I saw Lorna clench her jaws in pain as Agatha squeezed her blood into a cup, which she mixed with some herbs and gave to Vladimir. He drank it all in one gulp. Dark red veins streaked up his neck, and his eyes went bloodshot.She walked to me and added, “I will offer the life of the reincarnated grand witch, Annika, and use it to bind the soul of the vampire king, giving him immense power and immunity to the mountain ash wood…““I heard her raise her hand. The air stretched with tension, and time seemed to slow down. I opened my eyes, expecting to see my life flash before my eyes, bu
ANNA KYLIN CHESTER“COME HERE!“ THE grating of the cell on its hinges made me look up. One of the vampires was on the other side. She reached in and pulled me out harshly. My knees scraped the rough floor; I bit my lips to keep the pain in. Another one reached in and tried to grab Lorna but gasped in pain, pulling back immediately. “I will come out myself,“ Lorna said coolly. “But try to touch me again, and it will be the last thing you ever do.“ The vampire stared daggers at her but did not move to grab her again. She cradled her hand, rubbing it fondly. Lorna must have secured herself with some sort of spell. “And you will unhand the Luna immediately too.“ Lorna said in a cold voice to the vampire who had her fingers wrapped tightly on my upper arm. The vampire looked uncertain, but she saw the cold and threatening look on Lorna's face. I was also shocked, but it did the trick. The vampire released me. “Where are we going?“ Lorna asked, but I could guess already. “It is time for
THE FIGHT WAS OVER almost as quickly as it started. We did not stand a chance against Vladimir and he was already getting empowered by the forthcoming blood moon. Lorna was sprawled on the floor, blood seeped from her mouth and her back was twisted in an unnatural angle. I was on my feet, but it was threatening to give way any second.And Vladimir?He did look like he had done anything. No sweat. No hair out of place. He had his sinister smile plastered on his face as he walked towards me. He stopped a few feet away and brushed my cheek with his icy-cold fingers. “Your last few hours should have been enjoyable, Annika.“ he said softly. “But instead, you let that witch,“ he turned and looked at Lorna before he continued, “...to spoil it. Tch.“ she chuffed and walked away. “It is back to square one now.“The woods around were suddenly alive, and things moved in the shadows. I thought I was hallucinating; maybe I had hit my head harder than I thought, and I was concussed as we were surro
ANNA KYLIN CHESTERI SAT UP in my bed, my heart was racing, and adrenaline surged as my wolf leaped to the surface, enhancing my vision, but I could not still make out the shape of the person in my room. I was about to jump through the door, not minding that I would alert the whole mansion, but I felt a pair of fingers wrap around my upper arm. Gasping in shock, I turned sharply, trying to wrestle my arm away from the stranger's grip, but to no avail. I am being attacked by two people, I thought anxiously to myself. I started to yell, but the person holding me stepped out of the shadows and my scream died in my throat."Lorna?!" I gaped.She put a finger to her lip to keep me silent. Then she cocked her head. I swung my legs out of the bed. My mind was spinning with imagination. I still felt like I was in a dream. I reached out and touched her. She was real."Quickly," she said to me. She muttered some words under her breath and the lock in the door snapped apart. The door opened
MITCH CHESTER “HAVE GUARDS PATROL the area,“ Mitch said, trying hard to rein in the panic he was feeling. “Quickly.“ Draco nodded and gave out his commands to every available guards to be on the search for Lorna. “No one knows how long she has been gone for. She might be out of the kingdom now.“ Mitch growled. “Just tell them to search.“ “We should probably get back,“ Draco said, turning to look around. Mitch nodded. He looked at Vorenus. Draco could see the hesitation in Mitch's body language. He knew what mitch was about to do. He dipped his hand into his pocket and tossed a small object at Vorenus who caught it easily, confused at what it was. Suddenly there was a sizzling sound and vorenus dropped the object quickly. The smell of burnt flesh filled the air and Drcao nodded in satisfaction. “What was that?“ Vorenus growled. “Silver, “Draco said. “Silver bullets. It is going to be our trump card.“ Vorenus shook his palm gingerly as the wound healed back immediately. “I can i
MITCH CHESTER“YOU ARE GOING to crash the car,“ Draco said, holding on to the side of his seat as Mitch drove like a blind bat.Mitch scoffed without slowing down. He pressed down on the pedal, and the car shot even faster. “This fucking snow,“ he growled as he screeched to a stop. The tires of the car were stuck in the thick layer of snow. He got out of the car; his legs sank almost to his knees.Draco came out too, cursing under his breath. “I wonder whose idea it was to get electric cars to drive over snow,“ he looked at Mitch and added sarcastically. “Oh wait, it was your brilliant idea.“Mitch rubbed his chin and said, “Maybe I should have gone with your idea and bought electric sleds instead.“Draco scoffed, kicking at the snow.Mitch looked around. His breath vaporized from his mouth as he breathed out. “Come, we are not far,“ he said to Draco.“Sometimes I wonder why I follow you,“ Draco said as they walked away from the stuck car. “This is crazy. You can't just stand up and w
MITCH CHESTERMITCH KNEW HIS mind should be at rest now that he had reinforcements, but his mind was still worried. He had no doubts that it was because his mate was still out there in danger, his son was lying in bed, unconscious and blind, and his kingdom was on the brink of civil war.He paced the length of the room anxiously, his eyes drifting into the dancing fireplace as he walked past. A small knock came at the door. “Come in,“ he called.The door opened, and Draco came in. He took a look around the small, almost empty room and shook his head, saying, “You are still sleeping here.“Mitch chuffed and nodded, “I can't stay in the master chambers alone. Anna should be with me.“Draco nodded and said, “I understand that, but…“ He looked around again. “I am sure you can do better than a tiny room. There is even no air conditon -““No one uses air conditioning here, Draco,“ Mitch said. He sat on the bed heavily; it creaked under his weight.“There is no ventilation,“ Draco continued,