LYDIA Being rejected by your mate was the greatest pain in the universe. A suffering that had somehow managed to evade me. A mutual one was never written in the books because being denied was always one-sided. I was not sure what to expect. Heartbreak? Physical pain? Not that I cared. My heart was already broken. My body was already in pain. The proverbial rope that was tightening earlier loosened. I felt the alien emotions that were pungent in the air just a few moments ago vanish. It was successful. I wiped the tear off my face and dared to look into Alexios's eyes. He was dejected. Not quite what I was expecting. I had freed him. He could go back to hating me. A life where he did not have to make a choice that most probably led in my direction."You can keep me here if you want," I told him."But is that what you want?" He questioned me. No, I didn't want that. I wasn't even sure what I wanted now. I didn't want to remain a slave. I didn't want to be close to this man who had hur
LYDIA As I opened the doors I was met by the confused and terrified face of Clara. She had been listening. Too awestruck to move and do a thing about it. In a way, it did make things better. I didn't even know I would have been able to face her and tell her that I was leaving. Clara grabbed me by the hand and dragged me towards her son. With tears in her eyes, she proceeded to speak. "Rebuke the rejection!" Alexios looked at her then back at me before giving his reply. "That is not my choice to make."His reply caused Clara to look at me. She pulled me even closer, her hands cupping my cheek as a mother would to her child. "Child," She began. "Believe me when I say this because everything that is leaving my lips right this instant is nothing but the truth. Do not let your hate fester on your eternity. Second chances are not always guaranteed."I wanted to so badly give her the answer she wanted. If I could, I would but I had made up my mind and there was no changing it. "This isn'
FIONA I rose to the sound of the house gates creaking. My eyes fluttered open, and I blinked, feeling out of sorts, wrong. I drew the knitted blanket draped over my body close. It wasn't usually opened this early so it did ruin my sleep. I staggered towards a covered window and flicked it aside. The gates were indeed open and strange enough, they were opened for Lydia . I wondered why that was so. Her eyes searched around until they found mine and eventually, we made eye contact. She smiled. The disgusting whore smiled. As if to imply that we were friends of some sort. I scored and put the curtains back in place. "Why was she leaving?" I wondered. Normally I would assume she had charmed a guard or something but the girl was no witch. Neither was she a seductress of any caliber. The only answer that seemed to suffice was that Alexios had let her go and that only brought up more questions. Why would Alexios ever let her go? He hadn't reached out to me since last night. Even his moth
FIONA "Wow," I chuckled, laughing at the euphoria that followed. "You think we should break up?" It felt like the things that haunted my nightmares. Did Alexios really think I would just hear that, give him a smile and call it quits? "That is very noble of you Alexios. Why? Why should we break up? Because you think we are toxic? We are not Alexios!""I am doing this because I love you, Fiona." He told me. Hecate! Did he think I was so gullible! His words seemed to open my eyes. They were closed before. Yes, they were. If not, I would have seen this from a mile away. This wasn't a breakup. No. This was a setup. How could have not seen it before? Alexios noticed my demeanor and tried to move closer. As he did, I looked him square in the face and said. "That is why you sent her off didn't you?" "What...do you even mean by that?"Oh, he was playing dumb. Men. I did love him but I was not stupid enough to ignore the game being played in front of me. Clara paying me a visit and telling
LYDIA I had taken three rides to reach Nightshade territory and for the rest of the journey, I had to manage my foot. It took two days before I arrived right at the gates of the packhouse that once belonged to my family. It looked so different. Perhaps I had been away too long but I remembered the gates to the iron colored black and wreathed to adorn the passageway of the giant mansion that housed the minimum of fifty important werewolves. The hierarchy went from the Alpha and his family to the beta of the pack, powerful sentinels, Deltas, and of course the elders. What however stood in front of me was a giant twin oak door that looked sturdy. I rubbed my finger against the smoothened wood and by the goddess, it felt thick. I doubted a single soul would hear me even knock. I didn't let the thought drag me down however. The new gate was probably erected as a better means of protection. I knocked on the door. A task that hurt my hands and eventually a part of the door flicked open.
LYDIA And there he had me all tongue tied. I wondered if I had been stupid enough to walk into a trap. I didn't know this man. I had never set my eyes on him before. Sure our pack was a relatively big one but there was no way I wouldn't have met a potential Alpha candidate all my life in the Nightshade mansion. I chose the easy way out. I had to deny it. "What the hell are you going on about?" I nervously laughed. "Who is Lydia ?" Shifting forward in his chair, the strange man looked at me intently, his brows drawn together. Sniffing the air, his eyes flashed a glittery blue, and a growl rippled from his lips. Swallowing nervously, I eyed the Alpha wolf shifter in front of me and tentatively sniffed the air. There was a pungent smell that felt familiar. Ginger and turmeric filled my senses, the scent of the spices saturated with a strong cologne that clung to the man before me. Lust hung and shimmered in the air, nearly tangible. It was thick and heavy, sparking jolts of heat and a
LYDIA He nibbled and licked with his lips and teeth, every touch melting my defiance and liquefying my sanity. The surrounding office melted away, the sounds of the guards on the other side of the door ceased to exist, and there was only him. Pulling me closer, he molded my soft frame to his unyielding one. Feeling him thick and hard, thrusting against my soft stomach, I moaned. I gasped into his mouth, and, echoing my groan, he plundered deeper, licking and tasting while our tongues danced and dueled. Clasping my butt in one swift movement, he pulled me against his hard cock, kneading and thrusting in imitation of the act. My core pulsed in response, an emptiness wanting to be filled, to be taken. Inside, my wolf pranced, yipping and howling, rubbing against my skin, wanting to be close to this man. He broke the kiss and circled his tongue on my neck. The hunger in his mouth was evident as his saliva trailed down my skin. I felt his teeth sink into my skin and that was when common
ELLIOTIt’s a cool, cloudy day in July. I’m driving through rural parts of Havenbourne, doing some sightseeing of the autumn leaves. I was lying. I came here to think and clear my head. Being returned to the pack did me no favors. It only made me angrier. The easy way out would be to leave but I couldn't. I had promised Alaska that I would protect Lydia till I breathed my last and I intended to keep my word. I loved Alaska. It hurt that I could not protect her from Duncan. However, this was an opportunity for me to change things. I could protect Lydia . From the sins of her bastard father and of course the clutches of Alexios Rose. Driving down a long stretch of road, I stumbled on the bane of my drive. It was not something fascinating. It was not even a place that would give most people peace but it was different with me. The old cemetery, located in the middle of nowhere brought me peace and returned sanity. There are no small towns nearby. It was very far from the packhouse.
LYDIA This was madness, wasn't it? As our tongues tangled together, playful one moment, hard and desperate the next. I had never been kissed so thoroughly or gloriously in my life. I knew it needed to feel wrong. Goddess knows I wanted it to feel wrong but when his body touched mine, when his lips plundered mine, the gap within me seemed to close up. I dared to believe at that moment that Alexios completed me but it was immoral. Yes, It shouldn't have felt good when felt his hands drifted to my waist and in seconds, my promise to hate this man perished as the stiff denim material I wearing fell to my feet. If I felt nothing for him, why did I toe off my sneakers and slip off my shirt giving him unbroken access to body, mind, and soul? His hands fingered through my panties and brassiere and with a single flick, they become nothing but shreds of clothing on the graveyard floor. His strong hands lifted me to a gravestone and I welcomed him between my legs, pulling him closer. His hand
ALEXIOSImmediately the ritual was over, Fiona's body was dropped by my feet. They were kind enough to say a last prayer to the woman who had caused them harm in the first place but they weren't about to bury her in a sacred place for their people and I understood that. "I apologize again for this. If it was in my power to bury her here, I have no problem doing so but as a Beta installed Alpha, my stance is not to be questioned." Vitale told me.I looked up at him blandly. I couldn't even focus on his words because all that dominated my heart were the things that Lydia had said about me. She was right. I was an arrogant idiot and a murderer. Those two things were the personality traits I had garnered since my childhood was taken for me. They were the only thing I could grasp on to at the time because those aspects of myself wouldn't leave me as my father had done."I understand." I finally replied. "I have an idea of where to bury her. I have a feeling she would like it there.""If t
LYDIA"You didn't have to do that," I told him. "It doesn't matter what anyone thinks of me. The bodies will be buried after the rituals are completed and I will be out of town. But a thank you is deserved I must say. Now that you are here again, I am reaching out to that stubborn part of your skull to see past the bond that is blinding you and see common sense. Alexios Rose, it would be in your best interest to reject me.""You act like it's only my wolf that will be eternal torment. We both will so instead of placating to my stubborn skull, you should be subduing your headstrong attitude. I will not be rejecting you. If we must suffer together, then so be it.""The rules might not apply to me, Alexios . My mom made the goddess promise her that I end up happy. Whether I choose you or not, it doesn't matter. The rules do not apply to me anymore. So please, reject me." I forced myself to ignore my wolf and my body’s demands even when Alexios stepped even closer. One of his hands cage
LYDIA I stayed. Not because of any of the things that Alexios had spewed. I did it for myself. Okay. Maybe I wasn't being completely honest. Alexios 's words did make some sense. I couldn't trust the Nightshade to give Elliot a proper burial. They couldn't even do it for my mother who was part and parcel of the pack and a goddamn Luna at that. Elliot had been an outcast at the time he died, as much as I viewed him as a hero, it was really tragic that plenty had no idea what sacrifices he had to make because I didn't matter, and neither did Elliot. The clean-up process had been fast. Swiftly wrapped up compared to the tragedy that befell us during the aftermath of the divine justice that befell my father. I couldn't quite tell if this was because of better leadership or prior preparation. By evening time, the bodies had been wrapped up and brought to a platform where the traditional rites of soul passage were read out for them. It almost brought tears to my eyes seeing Elliot's body
ALEXIOSMedics from the Nightshade finished strapping the last of their bloodied, defeated pack members onto stretchers. They were being taken to the pack's healer for treatment. I stared at the bodies on the floor. My eyes lingered where my mom stood, an inch not too far away from where Fiona's body lay. The medics around walked towards her body. Some of them had been rounding the bodies. But when they got to Fiona. I notice the scowl and disdain they all had on their faces. They all ignored it. In their eyes, Fiona was Blossom trash and I was torn. I did pity Fiona. I couldn't hate her. No matter how rational I tried to think about it. Not even when she had summoned a ball of fire to kill me as I continued to protect Lydia . But Fiona had been a true Blossom at the last moments of her life. She has become the very thing she hated about her family and that was the legacy she had left for herself. I felt guilty for that. Because as much as I tried to water it down. It was still my fa
ALEXIOSI had never shifted to my wolf form fully unless it was serious business and this was serious business. After being left stranded in the middle of nowhere by Fiona, I was pissed and downright worried. One of my pack members had been murdered by Fiona. I didn't know how to get out of that. As my mother and I sprinted on all fours, I made time to ponder on a truth that bothered me. I wondered if Fiona was worth saving at this point while also cementing the fact should the scenario eventually occur, Fiona posed a danger to Loretta. I couldn't let that happen. After running miles, we eventually made it to Nightshade territory. My keen senses caught the chaos. I could hear screaming the closer we got to the gates. It was not the scent of fire, smoke, and wood burning that made my wolf skid to a halt. It was the horrific sight in front of me. Lydia had pinned Fiona down. Her right hand was clasped to Fiona's throat. Her windpipe was blocked ensuring she couldn't cast any spells. H
FIONAWhy did I stop? I asked myself looking at the girl I was supposed to kill. My chimera had paused too because it sensed my hesitation. I did want to kill Lydia but that moment when she dropped to the floor and fetched Elliot's body shattered me. It brought back something I believed I could keep buried inside me for as long as I needed to. My humanity. Tears streamed down Loretta's face as Elliot breathed his last. Lydia remained rooted where she kneeled. She was cold and stiff as marble but beneath the surface, I could sense anger surging out of her frail little self like jolts of electricity consuming everything in its path. Her gaze rose from the body below her and she chuckled between gritted teeth. Eyes the color of a dark storm landed on me, twinkling with malice. I swore that the color of her irises altered. A menacing silver gleamed my way. I couldn't be seeing things because moments after Lydia Nightshade's irises turned ghost white. Her hair did too. "What the..." I t
NOTE: This conversation takes place mere seconds after our FL (Female lead) ascends to the second dimension. Time works differently here. However, this conversation is important for readers to understand what is about to happen soon after. The wolf stepped forward. The hair on its skin moving in molasses. Each stand moved like seaweed in the waters. Beautiful and mesmerizing. It didn't speak but I could hear its words loud and clear. I didn't quite understand it but neither was I so wary about it. "Do you know your mother was here last time?" The creature told me. "She stood at the very spot you are now. Covered a pool of her own blood. Yet all she did was think about you."I looked at the floor. The earth was filled with fine sand. Each smithereens looked like crushed glass. To think about that awful memory yet again brought me nothing but suffering. I swallowed a lump in my throat and looked at the ethereal beauty before me. "That is why I am here." I mused. "You want me to ask f
LYDIA Whatever fantasy I had conjured in my head died when I arrived at the gates. The great oak that had once barricaded the entrance had been shattered to smithereens. I saw bodies scattered across the ground. Some were missing heads. Some legs. The singular thing the bodies did share was that they were extinct. "Run!" A sentinel shoved me away from his path. The distress in his face was eminent as he raced for the creature his brothers were also fighting. Whatever it was, it looked like a man. It was double in size and riddled with tattoos that glowed red hot and singed deeper into its blue skin every passing second. The wind that blew my way confirmed that the enemy was anything but human. My nose simmered just inhaling. The air surrounding us smelled like sulfur and rotting meat. Behind the creature was a smaller figure unbothered by the chaos enveloping them. I squinted my eyes a little and realized the figure was that of a woman. Her hair danced in the hot whiff that encompas