Hope POV - Early Monday morningI took a deep breath, so much had happened in the last week, so much had changed, I was no longer the same as I had woken up last Monday and don't know if I would be the same next Monday.I closed my eyes and touched the mark on my right wrist. It was an intricate design, in the place where I had the marks of Lestat's fangs two red rose petals came together and formed an M, around them, making a design around my arm, as if it were a bracelet, the design of a rose bush around, which twisted and released small tips of red petals that resemble drops of blood.I shuddered, feeling my heart racing, I had let Lestat mark me, even if it was a temporary mark. I had gone into Heat. I cared about Dylan.How many days had I cried over this, feeling through the bond how betrayed he felt? Marcus was more reserved, understanding my motives, from him, I just felt acceptance.Would that be enough? I needed to get myself back on track. I had to get out of this spiral th
Prince Erick POVI looked outside, with a glass of mead in my hands. Many things had changed in a few days, in one week I discovered and learned more about the Gods than in all my years of life.My father was not back yet, but our discussion over video chat was intense. I had already become responsible for Hope, and now my life was linked to hers. My father didn't care that she was Marcus' Destined or that she was called by Lestat, all my father saw was a girl who was defying the Gods.The King, my father, is someone completely devoted to the Gods, which is why they say he rules to this day because the Gods let him live so long. The Royal family has always been blessed, and we are always receiving new gifts and presents from the Gods, from being able to choose a Fated, to even being Fated to great wolves and Lycans. Our blood is one of the purest there is, our lineage goes back to the very beginning when the species decided to come together and form alliances of peace.So the only thi
Kendrick POV"The Prince has ordered your presence in the office, Mr. Miller."I listened to Hope's voice so emotionless being addressed Dylan, so formal, in her eyes there was no extra sparkle. I could feel her pain a few hours ago when she arrived at the castle, it was a different pain, it was like regret. I looked at Marcus who made a face like he didn't understand what had happened either.Dylan walked into the office, but his aura was low, depressed."Hope, what happened?" I asked, my hands in my pockets so I wouldn't hold her back."I spoke the ritual of rejection," Hope answered me and I couldn't help but let out a surprised yelp."What?" I asked stunned, Marcus looked as surprised as I was."Honestly? I'd rather talk in a more private setting." Hope had her hands in her pockets too and was extremely calm."Sure, my office is nearby." I agreed.We walked in silence, as we entered the office Hope went straight to the liquor cabinet, she took out my bottle of dragon fire wine, on
Hope POVIf I didn't know better, I would think I would still be in the thick of Melvin's death, so much was going on right now early. I didn't have time to show up to practice in the morning, between arriving, talking to Dylan, and talking to Prince and Kendrick, it was already time for lunch.But before going to the cafeteria I needed to get my things from the dormitory, walking around the castle and seeing things with new eyes was making me a little anxious. Noticing the vampires bowing seemed different, I could feel that many of them were angry, and that was strange because I didn't understand exactly what they were angry about. Because I was Delta? Because I was part of the Werewolves? Some of them showed genuine respect and few seemed happy.I entered the dormitory and went to my bed. It was a different dormitory, I could see that there were fewer beds, only 6, one being mine and one Dylan, so in our class now there was a vampire, a witch, a dragon and a fairy, when he said he p
Hope POVI spun the karambit around and felt the weight of them, analyzing if there was any magic in it and what I could do, but from the looks of it, for now, the weapon was just tougher, with nothing special.I'm unconnected to Dylan with the mental message, so any orders would have to be given out loud, at least until it synced up."I'll be in the gallery." The Priestess spoke and walked up to the gallery. I turned to my opponents.They had already taken positions farther apart. I looked at Dylan, I already knew the way he fought, and I had seen his training a few times, but I don't know how much he had evolved in these two days.Dylan looked at me and opened his mouth to speak loudly, but I realized that the protection runes activated, soon after the 4 were coming towards us, I can feel the water in my body wanting to move, and at the same time, my muscles seemed to start on fire.I stretched out my hand and realized how the shadows moved, in an instant I was behind the dragon, I
Hope POVI walked out of the training room and so far I don't know how to feel, my body is heavy, and it's sore but it's nothing I can't handle. The problem is my mind. It hurts to know I'm hurting Dylan, it's in a way that I didn't imagine would happen. The link is in pieces, held together by a thin thread that is almost bursting and yet...'Oh, dear... What do I do? Is there anything that can stop this pain?'I thought.It's almost the same as when Melvin and I used to fight, only more intense. I can't love Dylan."I can't..."How do I convince my heart? Can someone tell me how to forget? Even now, as I walk toward my practice with Prince Erick, I remember what it feels like to have Dylan's warmth against me, to feel the touch of his lips against mine."God!"I scream in my mind, but I know that the Gods are pleased with my pain, because for them my being with Dylan was what mattered, but it was better to feel this pain than to feel the pain of death.I arrived at the entrance of th
Hope POVAfter that kiss, we didn't need to talk anymore, we just stayed hugging, until I felt well enough and with his help I got up. Standing up was still tricky, I still felt a little dizzy."Those bracelets..." Kendrick began, but I spoke first."The Prince gave them to me to train..." I replied and slipped my hand around his waist, as Kendrick held me too, and we started walking towards the exit of the dojo.As we stepped outside the dojo, I felt a pressure on me again and I would have surely fallen if Kendrick hadn't held me. The guards' auras alone were already overloading my senses."Hope, you won't be able to continue in class 102. You can't even stand up straight." Kendrick is worried.I know he's blocking some of the outside influences, so I can at least keep moving, even if it's hard."I have to!" I whisper. "I could do it before, so I can do it again.""In the pack, you were in a controlled environment, here there's a lot of different aura..." We stop in front of the elev
Kaiden POVI took a deep breath, looking at the scene in front of me and feeling uneasy. Benny is holding Jenny in his arms, lying in the middle of a completely messy bed, with glasses, open packages, leftover food and stains of semen and other unconventional liquids. The smell of the place was intense and for werewolves even worse."Jenny! Benny!"I yelled both their names and saw them jump out of bed, but when they realized it was me, they rolled their eyes and I controlled my wolf not to come forward. It was a gigantic disrespect. I am not an Alpha, but I am a Beta, they are Gammas, and they should pay more respect to the hierarchy.As much as we were friends, we were warriors and they were trained to behave. I understand what happened, I don't know the pain they are feeling with the whole Jenny only living 4 more years issue, but it had been days since they were there.Kendrick had given them a discharge, but that discharge ran out earlier today and they didn't show up at the trai
Hope POVI know what I need to do, and I don't regret this decision. I know they will cry, but I can only pray that the Gods guide their next steps. I hope they find their second chance, that they can be happy without me.As I grab Melvin's collar, pushing him back and bringing the darkness along with me I see him smile in a corner, but that smile will disappear, because I use my left hand to pierce the place where his heart is and I see the surprise appear and die in those eyes that I once loved. I loved Melvin and not this corrupted version of him.I can feel the darkness around me surrounding me, hurting me, breaking the armor that covers me, and falling into that endless pit and I don't know how long I fought and defended myself, but I finally hit the ground. I've gotten used to the taste on my lips. Finally, I raise my eyes and I want to bow before the beings that are in front of me, the power that emanates from them is so gigantic that my soul shudders, and doubts begin to arise
Note: This chapter will be written in the third person because there are so many characters involved.There couldn't be any soul that didn't feel the grief, for even the Gods are crying, that heavy and freezing rain is leaning on their bodies and their souls understand that this day is a day of Mourning.For those who can see the other world, they could see the Harvesters walking over the battlefields collecting the souls that were making their way to the Mekai.The tears of children who had lost their parents and parents who had lost their children mingled with the Divine tears as if trying to console each other...That night had been exhausting, it had been heavy, it had been a disaster and as much as it was known that the Corruption had retreated, there was still no feeling that it had been won.It was simply all about loss because those who survived now had to bury those who died and had to mourn for those who were lost.The feeling of no winner is so dense that you can't hear the
Erick POVWhen my brother finally realized what a foolish thing he was doing, I saw that Kaiden was fighting a she-wolf and I knew that the two of them had been destined, my Beast told me what had happened.I approach Hope and soon I can see several smaller creatures piercing the blockade that is around as the other four chosen are focused on defeating Melvin. Using the movements of my hands, the chains that are at my feet begin to move to wrap around, trap and exterminate those smaller creatures that dared to approach.It wasn't tiring to do, just boring, because none of them had any power to compare to mine. I notice Hope is standing still, looking at the movements of her chosen ones, she is smiling happily, with a dreamy expression.She's seeing what the end of that fight will be like, and from the looks of it, it's going to be a good one.I turn my attention to a shadow that manages to gather closer, it had fed on the corruption that had not been annihilated before and that rain o
Dylan POVI don't want to believe what's in front of me, when Melvin's name echoed from Hope's lips I wanted to just explode with rage. How was this possible? I almost lost my Mate several times because she was afraid of what would happen if I marked her...I almost lost her because she had killed Melvin... I almost lost her because there is a curse on the place where my mark will be on her... I almost lost her because of that?!'No!'Sin shouted in my mind, our anger turning to Wrath as the images of the distant future flash by and I can sense that Marcus and Lestat share the same sentiment. Yes, I would have respected Hope's oath in that other future, because I would have seen that she was already on the right path, that she was already happy in her world...'That creature in front of us will be erased from existence!'Sin told me and I agreed with him, because after all when I met Hope I had seen a girl who used various tricks to hide how broken she was. Hope didn't want to get clo
Kendrick POVI didn't get to have much contact with Melvin, sure I had trained with him, but we weren't friends or close... When the first reports came out that Hope and Melvin were dating, Night immediately wanted to go back to the pack, but what were we going to do? Stop Hope from dating?That wasn't an option, so I focused on training, trying to forget that the person I loved was with someone else... Then came the news of Hope's first temper tantrum... I didn't see it, but from the reports, I knew she had been distraught and again Night wanted to go back to see her, but again, what could I do?What I did was just promise myself that I would stay strong enough so that Hope would never have to fight again in a way that could lose her control. That's how I began to unlock the powers Night had and after a year I was kneeling before the King reciting the Oath of Loyalty and Protection.I didn't do this at all without my father's permission, back then how could we have predicted that Hop
Marcus POVIt is no longer news that I am old, that I have been walking on this plane for many, many years... I have had opportunities to choose to die, rest and then reincarnate... I have had loves and enemies, family and loneliness...You all know that I no longer have descendants, that I chose not to bond with anyone anymore, and that I was simply being an observer on this plane, concerned with protecting humanity since I was Created for that.So I felt again, I lived again, I desired again... The one responsible for that was a girl who invaded my base and looked into my eyes saying that I would train her. The SilverRage pack had already requested a Delta who showed exceptional skills and had some Divine gifts. I denied it. How many times had I heard of some "saint" and it was nothing but nonsense?One afternoon the alarms at my base went off and no one could locate the person responsible, but the runes my sister had placed all over the place indicated that there was someone underc
Lestat POVWhat is the sun? It seems like a simple question, doesn't it? Some would say that it is the star that makes up the solar system... Others would say that it is a red dwarf, a classification of the types of stars that exist... Many would still say that it is what gives life to Earth...For me, the Sun is something greater, something that has brought me Light in times of Darkness, it is what has made me continue to have faith in the Gods, the One who blessed me and accepted me as I am... The Sun can be welcoming or simply burn everything!Right now I am the Son of the Sun, but I don't want to welcome, I simply want to burn! I want to consume and see that creature disappear amid My Light!I comforted Hope several times, even though she was appearing to be whole, I could see her pieces and the way she was bleeding. I could see through her soul, and I wanted to show her the beauty that was in the Light!I didn't know what I needed to do, but the Beast that dwells within me had al
Kaiden POVHow? Why? When? Even standing in front of me I don't want to believe it, it can't be real, Melvin would never become what I'm seeing. The boy that I knew, that I lived with, that was my best friend! That boy would never have chosen to become this creature so... so... I can't even find a word.Everything seems to be slowing down, and it really was, one second stretched into so much more and as I hear and see what my beloved is suffering and how the future could have been my disbelief turned to anger.'We will avenge her!'I heard my wolf speak, and I shuddered, I don't just want to avenge my beloved, I want to destroy that creature because that being was not my friend and never would be! Melvin, the warrior within the SilverRage pack had died and that was an aberration!I don't fight this pressure that is around. I don't want to, because I know that when I get free I will turn and I don't know if I will want to control myself.I let Lestat and Erick keep that bubble of time
Erick POVSomething inside me wants to get out, my Beast is restless, as those images pass, this sensation, this feeling increases and it is like a poison because I need to release it.What that boy had chosen was much more than just choosing the wrong side and I want to exterminate him. Yes, I don't just want to kill him. I want to eliminate any trace that he ever existed on Earth.I'm shaking, and I can feel my aura expanding and the space between everyone became heavier and yet when that creature screamed I wasn't able to protect Hope as I saw her fall to her knees and the smell of her blood spread to a catalyst for everyone to want to move and counter-attack but we are still "trapped" in this little bubble of time, not because of Hope but because of my aura.Not just mine, Lestat's aura is gigantic and blends with mine in such a way that even gravity begins to bend, just as it bends before the sun. I manage to walk over to Hope and help her up."You tried," I spoke calmly, a calm