ANNA KYLIN CHESTER"BEAUTIFUL NIGHT, INDEED," my wolf, Ava, scoffed at me as I made my way through the woods.After all these years. In my late twenties, and I am suddenly being told that I am a witch? Or worse, the reincarnation of the creator of vampires.I chuffed under my breath. Surely, if it was true what they said, I would have known or seen some signs over the years, but I did not see anything.Was it even possible to be a witch and Werewolf at the same time? I wondered. That would make me... a hybrid. A hybrid?My foot caught the edge of a low branch and I almost stumbled into a shrub, catching myself just in time before I fell headfirst. A clumsy hybrid, I chuckled as I tried to get my directional bearings correct. I turned around. I could see the faint warm glow of the fire in the canopy. I didn't know if they had all followed me out, surely Draco would. He was the Beta, and he took his duties very seriously.I sighed, seeing my breath frost up in the air. I wrapped my ar
MITCH CHESTERHE REMAINED WITH Lorna inside the canopy of plants while Draco hurried after Anna. They exchanged glances over the fire."You are supposed to be with her now," Lorna said, throwing some dry sticks into the fire and watching them burn. "Anyone would be overwhelmed by what she heard this evening."Mitch kept quiet. His gaze was fixated on the fire."She needs you by her side," Lorna said again."Are you still going to leave?" Mitch asked.Lorna sighed. "With what I've just heard?" She scoffed. "Leaving the borders of this kingdom would be like putting a red-hot target on my back..." she looked up. "... but I have to.""What?!" Mitch could not believe his ears."I will not allow the bodies of my sisters to rot on the ground and be feasted upon by vultures." She said in a strong voice."You'd risk your life for... for what?" Mitch asked, exasperated."It's tradition, Mitch," Lorna said. "One that dates back farther than the first Lycan ever appeared."Mitch scowled. "Your si
ANNA KYLIN CHESTERI MUST HAVE underestimated how tired I was because after making sure that the girl's vitals were stable, I only wanted to "rest my head" for a few minutes on the desk in the waiting room, but I dozed off soundly even though it was uncomfortable.I woke up and immediately checked the time on my watch; it was past 7 a.m., meaning that I had slept for about 4 hours. I rubbed my eyes and looked around, and almost had a heart attack at the black eyes staring at me from across the table."Don't do that!" I snapped. "How long have you been there?""3 hours maybe," Mitch replied."So you did not get any sleep, yourself," I said in a matter-of-fact manner."I don't need to sleep," He replied, leaning across and pressing a kiss on my forehead, which I found adorable. "How are you?" He whispered.I nodded dumbly, standing up, and stretching out the cramp in my neck. "I need to check on the girl," I said, coming round the table. He followed me closely as we went into the room.
ANNA KYLIN CHESTER "YOU SHOULD WASH up," Mitch said to me after the children were out of sight."You should, too," I replied. Still holding my hand, he led me into the palace. We passed by the dining room. Enrique sat down alone at the table, wolfing down his breakfast."We could wash up together," he mindlinked me. His words painted a stark image of naked bodies and soap that made me flush red on my neck. He noticed it and smiled. I slipped my fingers out of his and hurried up the stairs, feeling his gaze on my back.As I washed up, I half-expected him to come and join me in the bathroom, but I managed my disappointment when it didn't happen. I packed my hair in a tight ponytail and dressed casually before I went downstairs, suddenly feeling hungry. Mitch was at the table with his uncle; he looked freshened up, too. He must have taken his bath in another bathroom. I sighed in another bout of disappointment and sat down.He took my hand and mindlinked me, "You needed your time alone.
ANNA KYLIN CHESTER TREATING THE BEEPING from my phone as an emergency, I hopped into a small car in the parking lot of the palace and headed to the hospital. I read the details on my phone as I drove. The child's breath was picking up, and her heart rate was getting faster, too.She was definitely waking up, I said to myself.I screeched the electric car to a stop and hurried into the hospital, almost pushing Lorna to the floor. She was just about to come out. "What's the rush for?" She asked, surprised."The girl child found in the snow," I said. She dogged my steps to the girl's room. As soon as I entered the ward, I checked the monitors and then removed the oxygen mask from the rousing girl.Her eyes opened slowly and focused on my face. She did not give any reaction to being in a strange place with strange people. She looked... dazed. Like she was still under the effects of drugs."Hey there," I said softly, crouching beside her bed. She looked at me without saying anything. "Do
MITCH CHESTER"GOOD NEWS IS; the girl is awake now, and is ready to be dismissed from the hospital.""And the bad news?" Draco asked. "She has Amnesia. I think that means she can't remember anything."Draco nodded and mumbled something inaudible under his breath."I told Anna that you'll be coming to pick her up," Mitch continued. "You should take Hilda with you.""Aren't you coming with us?" Draco asked, standing up. Mitch shook his head. "There is no need to -""Lorna is here at the hospital too," Anna's voice floated into his head. He looked at Draco and added, "On second thought, I'll be coming with you. You, go get your mate."Draco chuckled. "For a second there, I forgot I can't mind link her." He said as they walked out of the dining room. Draco went out of the palace and to his house, which was just beside the palace, while Mitch went to his office and dialed the state office. "The governor's office, How may I help you?" The secretary asked."Mitch Chester here," Mitch said
MITCH CHESTER"ARE YOU SURE you want to see them?" Mitch asked, trying to block Lorna from passing through. The bus was parked a few feet away and the driver stood uncertainly beside the backdoor."Step away from my way, Mitchell," she growled. "I have seen more deaths than you can imagine."Mitch stepped aside and nodded to the bus driver. "Open it," he said.The driver bowed and fidgeted with his keys, Mitch noted that the man's fingers were turning white with cold as he inserted the keys and pulled open the back of the bus."Bring stretchers from the hospital," Anna called from behind. Some patrol guards nearby hurried to do as she said. She came to stand beside Mitch and whispered, "We need more hospital staff."Mitch groaned and rubbed his eyes. "Lorna needs your shoulder to cry on," He mindlinked.Anna nodded and stepped up to Lorna. She placed a hand on Lorna's shoulder and gave her a grim smile."Careful, ma'am," the bus driver said as Lorna climbed into the bus. She crouched a
THE SUN SET in a deep golden yellow haze, basking the whole city in its warm glow. In a half-empty nightclub, Vladimir sat on a couch in the VIP area. He nodded his head slowly to the rhythm coming from the loudspeakers."This is one thing I enjoy about this Era," he said, raising his voice slightly as he spoke to Vorenus. "The music. That was not something I grew up with.""We had some sort of music in old Rome," Vorenus muttered.Vladimir scoffed and turned to Alice who was by his other side. "Can you listen to him?" He gestured at Vorenus. "Calling some unorganized rambling of tambourines and hideous trumpets "music""Alice rolled her eyes. "It was more than that," Vorenus said, gesturing at a passing waiter for another glass of champagne."And they didn't dance at all," Vladimir muttered, laughing.Alice frowned. "I don't see why you are in such a good mood," she snapped. "It's been days now and we haven't seen anyone of that traitor's family.""Oh be patient, my sweet," Vladimir
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,