LYDIA "We should not be doing this," Alexios pulled back, acting as if any of this had been my choice. He was the one who came up to him. There was a high probability he did it only because he was drunk. Yet, I found it hard to believe that a drunk Alexios Rose would choose to kiss me when cold blooded murder was an option. "Fiona wouldn't like this."I agreed. This needed to be kept a secret. All I needed to do was leave. I was certain we would never have to bring it up ever again. "I'll just go." I swallowed. Remnants of his essence still tingled my mouth. It made my wolf whisper profanities into my heart. My wolf wanted me to go for a second kiss. It knew Alexios wouldn't stop her. The Alpha was very susceptible and while his hazy moral ground still stood tall. I knew I could shatter it without even having to try. Blame it on the alcohol but the Alpha Alexios that stood opposite me this fine morning wanted me. But I wasn't someone to take advantage of someone under the influen
FIONA When I was a little girl, my mother had told me how the universe worked. While other children probably got fairytales sung into their ears at night. My mother taught me how to use a killing spell using a mouse I had saved from the clutches of my brother. While other children won little things and their parents praised them, my parent scorned me for not going a step further. Sometimes I believed it was all because I came out with a different genital but my awakening came when a very angry witch placed a killing curse on me thinking I was my parent's beloved. It was then I realized that my mother's teachings albeit flawed held truth. They tossed me aside like a broken toy. In their eyes, there was no saving me and as the days grew longer, I accepted it. There was no saving me. On cold nights, I wished the clock would tick faster so the day would come when I didn't have to worry about disappointing anyone simply for existing. But that was long before I met Alexios . That was ages
LYDIA My legs wobbled as I climbed upstairs to Clara's room. What if she saw us, I wondered. I didn't want to give her hope. I certainly did not want to be Alexios' mate. It was better for us both to believe that there was no saving Hunter. It was easier. I stopped in front of her door and took in a deep breath before knocking. The door creaked open the second my hand slammed into it. "Who is there?" Clara asked."It's me...Again. It's Lydia .""Come in darling. I've been expecting you."I obeyed and pushed the door fully open. Clara was dressed and when I say dressed, she was outfitted like someone going to an elite circle. Her lips were blushing red, her cheeks were rosy and her eyes were gated by the darkest mascara and eyeliner I had ever seen. She looked beautiful and youthful for her age. Clara whacked her powder box on noticing my presence."Where have you been all day? I sent a guard to your room and the pool. You were MIA.""I... Well... I had to help the women in the kitch
FIONA The girl reached out for my hand before our fingers could touch, Curtis slapped her hands out of the way."What the fuck Curtis! What did you do that for?"Curtis rolled his eyes. "I saved your utopia. What makes you think it is going to be good?""I'm hopeful.""Fuck that! Not to be a killjoy or anything but half the prophecies her kind gives are not forgiving on tender hearts. Do you really want to fuck up your utopia right while you are enjoying it?"The inner corner of my eyebrows rose. Curtis was right. It was stupid. Not to mention it could ultimately ruin a potential future with Alexios . But thinking over it, I wondered if hearing a piece of bad news would even be a bad thing. Knowing what would happen beforehand could help a great deal in preventing a tragedy. I faced Curtis. "I still want to know. What use is staying in bliss if it just collapses in your face one day? I would rather know a grim future than live in ignorance. At least, I'll have a chance to deter a har
LYDIA"What about this one?" The tired stylist’s voice was encouraging but I could tell she was beginning to get frustrated. "It will make sure attention is on you at all times." She said enthusiastically, holding up a tomato red knee-length gown that showed cleavage to my face. I stared uneasily. My dark eyes were already an attention magnet I had recently become accustomed to. A bright red gown showing non-existent cleavage was like jumping from the frying pan to an open flame. Especially when I was going to be wearing it to a celebration I wasn't even invited to. The stylist, sensing it was too bright for my pain in the ass dropped it and sluggishly swapped the red with a black dress. The new velvety black dinner gown wasn't as tight as the red one looked. It had spaghetti straps but showed little to no cleavage and I personally liked the color. Upon further observation, I realized that the gown wasn't even black. It was blue. A very darl shade of blue."Or this one?" She asked,
FIONA My mother had once told me when your future is read, it was set in stone. The prophecy from the girl of the eye of Cassandra was simply gut-wrenching. The ground seemed to vanish from beneath my feet. I fell to the floor as remnants of the words that spilled from her mind poisoned my soul. "The love of those that adore you will trickle down and in the end with your own hands, you'll be your ruin."I wasn't the brightest witch but nothing sounded good about that piece of information. It only assured me of one thing. Alexios would lose love for me. Curtis came to my side, perhaps to pacify me but that wasn't what I needed at the time. I stood up before he came close and slowly backed away from the bedroom arena."Fiona, calm down," Curtis said. "You told me you could handle this."That was true but apparently, I was in the wrong. I thought I was prepared for anything and in some sense, I had been prepared for everything. But this had to do with Alexios . Alexios Rose was my kr
ALEXIOS When I returned to my quarters, I got on to the bathroom and turned on the valve. Strings of cold water cascaded down my body as I slowly tried to clear my head. I remembered the taste Lydia left behind. I knew I should be disgusted but it did not speak well of me. I was the one who initiated the kiss. The girl had nothing to do with it but she had not made an attempt to stop it either. I dared say she enjoyed the kiss. I slicked back my wet hair so I could look in the mirror. I wondered what would have happened if my sanity hadn't returned. What if we did the deed? I couldn't really blame her. The new moon was coming. With it came the heat. I needed to have a plan before things got worse. As droplets of the nasty water spilled from my body down the gash below. I remembered what the Seer had muttered. "A blooming rose attracts two maidens. The scent of it shall cause the cherry blossoms to flourish and the Belladonna to wither. Love will find one and break the other. You,
CLARA"What would a girl her age like?" I pondered as I scanned the pieces of jewelry adorning the necks of perfect mannequins scattered across the store. "...what would Lydia want?" I wanted something expensive yet elegant. It was the type of person she was. I did not want the girl to believe for a second that I was beginning to manage her. Half f me suspected she was only being this way with me because of the power I held and the kindness I had displayed to her and while I did feel a slight prick by the heart for my supposed selfishness, I knew I was doing the right thing."Clara, tell me you do not intend to use Lydia to bait your son in tonight's banquet?"I flicked my head to the side and what did you know, it was Elliot tossed to the side like the devil on my shoulder. Why was he here, I wondered as I lifted a piece of jewelry that caught my fancy to the face. The necklace was a simple silver chain with a scarlet stone as big as a grape dangling at the end. It would contrast Lyd