He observed her new routine, as it was not the same as before; she was still working on the same bar, but no longer did she work at the Library. He thought it odd, she seemed like the kind of woman who would prefer the books than serving other people. Instead, she was working one shift but with extra hours. At least, she had been doing so for the last four nights. It took him that long to decide to go and introduce himself to her.She locked the bar as her shift finished, and with her handbag tightly pressed to her arm, she started walking to the bus stop, the one that was three blocks away.He watched her walk cautiously and rush her steps as she got closer; he didn't interrupt her at any moment, he wanted to make sure she got home safe.She walked out of the bus and headed to the humble apartment building where she lived; she made a stop on the first floor, where she gave Miss Hather a bag with leftovers for her dinner. The other bag had some for herself, and she felt more than ha
He continued to observe her and felt uncomfortable with the position he put himself in; he felt as if he was spying on her, and he felt that was beneath him.So he decided to do something different. When she finished locking the bar, he stood some feets away, and cleared his voice. "Ehm, would you mind if I walk you home?"She was startled, but the smile on her face pleased him. She walked towards him and stopped right in front. "Yes, please. I would feel safer with you at my side."He bowed his head, and she waited for him to move, but he was unsure of even how to walk her home, so after some uncomfortable seconds, she made the first step to him. He ended right at her side. She chuckled, and extended her arm just to slide it around his. It was a bold move, she wasn't sure he would like it, but he didn't object it, and he walked closer to her then she expected.She knew she was crazy, from a very young age, she had always been odd and peculiar, but with him, she felt normal. Even
He kept his unamused look as his brother chuckled. "You will kill everyone if you get on that bus. I don't get why you haven't indulged yourself in some human privileges… You have the gold, the money will buy you everything you need," He might not like it, but his brother was making a point."I did not know for sure how the new world would be. Now I see only a few things have changed," He answered."You will be fine in the new world, you have adjusted very well so far. I only want to meet her to see who she was…".Those words only made Kyrios frown."I don't even want to know how you met her in the past," He added.Aeneas chuckled again, but then changed to a more peaceful smile as Zareen walked into the room. He extended his arm and took her hand in his. Then he guided her to his side. "I am intrigued, that is all. But I am not going to push you for more. Do follow my advice, please. I can show you how, as I have been doing it for centuries."He then got up and bowed to Zareen. "T
The fact that she did not scream, hit him, or ran away, was a positive thing. She was not jumping happy in a jig, but she was not pushing him aside either. This simple fact, made him more than pleased to answer her questions."So I met your brother at some point, I had to interact with him in order for you to have smelled me on him, right? I just don't know who that might have been…" She pondered as she finally took a bite from her food. Only when she lifted her eyes to look at him, she noticed he was frowning and trying not to look at her. "Is everything ok?"He looked at the window and remained tensioned, of all the questions, she had to go to the sensitive ones. "I don't really want to know how. I rather not knowing."She pondered his words a bit longer then started to laugh, which made him look back at her with surprise. "Do you think I was with your brother? That I had some sort of intimacy with him?" She managed to say between giggles."I don't find that funny," He answered.
As soon as she sat, he took the seat in front of her. He decided he had to go on with all he had in his mind. "Eloise… after today, I will never bother you again…" He started, and her eyes widened, a new fear formed in her. "I am here to make sure you are safe, and you are well, but I noticed that the lack of humanity in me is only hurting you. I am not happy about this, and I wish I could change it, but it might be too late for a creature like me to change anything…" As he spoke those words, he felt more and more obliged to be honest. "I sensed your scent in my brother, and the essence behind it made me feel in a way long forgotten. I wanted nothing more than to meet you, be with you… I sensed what it is my soulmate in you Eloise, and that scared me…" He paused to let the words sink in for her, and she was absolutely shocked of what she was hearing. "The world was changing, and I was one of those fighting for that change… all while my mind was set in you… I am a beast, it is my nature
VOLUME TWO: SIMPLY BOUND"I would spit in your face if there was a possibility for me to produce spit… but for now, this is the best I can do…" Aeneas sank his fangs on the shoulder of his opponent and he screamed, just as he himself fought back and sank the talons in his chest. "That will leave a scar…""You and I both know good and well neither of us will win in this fight… why do you want to push the limit of my patience?" the attacker growled at Aeneas just as he received a hit in the guts."Back off from what you said you wanted to do… and I will stop…" Aeneas repeated just before he sent another hit to the man's throat.The man bent over and coughed; for vampires, a hit in the throat seemed to have the same result as a hit in the groin would do to a human. He started coughing blood and then he grunted. He tilted his head slightly to meet Aeneas' eyes and growled."Tis not what I want… tis what I will do… and you won't stop me from meeting my Anima Alterum…" His eyes glowin
*Caleb*Slowly I begin to regain conscience and my thoughts get completely centered in one person; Meadow. My eyes shot open and I growl as a sharp pain pierces through my skull. 'Meadow… where are you?' I try to reach her but I can't feel her.My eyes adjust to the light and I see Aeneas and another figure exchanging curses. I don't even care how or why they are here, I need to find Meadow. "Meadow…!" I yell and I see her peak from behind Aeneas, I relax after our eyes meet."Caleb… are you… are you ok?" Her voice is shaky and I slowly get up from the bed.What the hell happened? The last thing I remember was me closing the windows in our room and then, without warning, something broke in and I was never even able to sense it. This is not normal, even with my guards down I could always sense a creature of a different race approaching.I can see Aeneas standing protectively in front of Meadow and my rage takes over, without wasting time, I shift and become one with my wolf.I s
*Meadow*My wolf was beginning to hold a grudge on me, but now that I and Caleb are running around the island as our primal animals, she is happy and free.It feels different, I admit, the sand under my paws. It is almost like it gets into every part of my fur; it doesn't bother me, it just feels strange. We run past several palm trees and we reach a small waterfall and dive in; the place is beautiful but is not the same as our magical waterfall, where we went together so many things. I am more than certain that I am ready to go back; I miss my daily simple activities as a Luna, to talk to our people, to visit different locations and give my opinion about what I think we could do to improve our accommodations or simply make things better. Caleb has been the most supportive partner and the most attentive husband.'A penny for your thoughts...' He whispers to my mind as we both shift to our human forms; my mental walls are getting stronger.'I think this place is beautiful…' I repl
*Meadow*The sun casts a warm golden glow, as if trying to heal the scarred landscape left by the war. Fields, once lush and green, lie ravaged, but sprouts of new life fight their way through the wreckage. The earth seems to be slowly stitching itself back together, just as we are.I sit anxiously as I wait for Sol to walk down the flowered aisle. She chose this place as the setting for her wedding, and when I asked her why, she said she wanted to honor those people who fell during our battle."Look at that," Xavier says, pointing to a small group of deer grazing in the distance. "Life always finds a way.""Indeed," I reply, my voice catching in my throat. The sight is both beautiful and heartbreaking. It's hard not to think of those who never got to see this moment of renewal.Right after the battle, we spent our days rebuilding the world around us, not only the physical structures, but also the hearts and minds of those left behind. It's a slow and arduous process, but with each bri
*Solveigh*My consciousness returns slowly, as if emerging from the depths of a murky abyss. The voices around me are hushed and indistinct, like echoes in a fog. I strain to understand them, but they remain elusive.‘Sol,’ Seth's voice resonates within my mind, warm and reassuring. ‘You're going to be okay. You need more rest before your body can fully recover.’I want to respond, to tell him how tired I am, but my limbs are heavy and unresponsive. My eyelids feel weighed down, as if encased in stone. It's frustrating, this inability to move or communicate.‘Mom... Dad…’ I try to call for them in my thoughts, hoping Seth will relay my message.Footsteps approach, and I sense their familiar presence even before I hear dad's deep, calming voice. "Seth, how is she?""Her body is still too weak to talk or open her eyes or move yet," Seth explains gently. "But she can hear us."My heart swells with gratitude. They came, just as I knew they would. I wish I could see their faces or embrace t
*Caliope*I watch Amral crumple to the ground, his eyes rolling back as he loses consciousness. Panic surges through me like a tidal wave, drowning out all other emotions. The dark creatures circle him, preparing to tear him apart, and something inside me snaps."Amral!" I scream, my voice cracking under the weight of my fear and desperation. He can't die; not now, not like this. My love for him, my need to protect him, fuels my anger and pain. I have more to fight for than ever before."Get away from him!" I roar, focusing all my dark powers into a singular force. Shadows stretch out from my fingertips, wrapping around the monstrous beings that threaten his life. I tug at the darkness, sending the creatures flying away from his motionless body."Please, you can't leave me," I whisper, tears streaming down my face. Desperation echoes through my voice, and I feel it deep within my soul. "You can't die."The creatures recover quickly, turning their attention towards me. But I'm not afrai
*Solveigh’s*I step through the black hole portal, and my breath catches in my throat. The darkness enveloping me is thick, almost tangible, and I feel like I'm choking on it. Panic rises within me as I sense the presence of the creatures, born from the shadows and chaos that surround us."Sol," Seth's voice rings out, startling me. He's right beside me, his strong hand gripping mine. He steadies myself emotionally. My panic begins to subside a little, replaced by a sense of calm that only Seth can provide. "We'll get through this," he whispers, his eyes filled with determination."Where are they? Amrafel, Caliope," I call out, searching for our companions. Within seconds, they materialize before us, their powerful auras cutting through the darkness. Amrafel's eyes are like twin flames, lighting up his face, while Caliope's gaze is as sharp as obsidian."Ready to fight these dark creatures?" Amrafel asks, his voice low and steady. Caliope nods, her face set in grim resolve. I feel conf
*Solveigh*I feel like I am in a new state of existence, and every inch of my body is running with electricity; something else has replaced my blood, and the adrenaline is addictive. Seth’s hand presses on my back and I know the reason why I haven't fainted is that of him.A large creature falls close to me and I jump, but quickly regain my focus, not wanting to be distracted, but the smell that comes from its corpse is making me nauseous. I shiver slightly but lock my eyes on my brother Ian, and then I feel ready to try more.It is not the first time; I have done this before, transferring my abilities, affecting them in a way that helped them, enhancing them. I know I can do this, and so, I feel myself reach to Xavier and he shudders slightly, then his voice booms, and it starts to affect the lesser creatures that screech in what now has become a battlefield.I can’t erase the smile on my face; we are making things happen, they are stepping away, so many of them are on the floor alrea
*Xavier*‘They are here,’ are Ian’s words. Words that reach me just as I finish kissing my mates.I rush outside and I see Ian in the middle of the large field, he is looking up to the sky and my eyes follow his. A black pool of nothingness is starting to grow, and I see the elementals panicking as they whisper things in different languages and I know my brother feels them more than me.This angers me; it is not like we weren’t expecting them. Sure, we didn’t know specifically when they were going to attack again, but we had been preparing for them.I focus on the fire elementals and I let my command voice do its job. “Gather up! Get ready! Distraction is needed very fast! Chop chop!”Uncle Aen is quickly joining them, keeping his calm as he looks at me and nods, he knows the time has come. I turn to look at my mates and I feel caught up in the same panic; my mates need to be safe.“Don’t you stand there, you need to get over there and help take them down,” Dana pulls me out from the s
*Meadow*I rush into the cabin, and I find a small gathering in the living room. I don’t understand why everyone is here and not inside helping my Sol. Caleb quickly reaches me and we both walk straight towards her bedroom door.Until Xavier stops us.“Son?” I ask, confused and angry at the same time. “What is happening?”“Mother, wait… Sol is actually ok, she was taken to Caliope’s father to help.”His words feel almost like a foreign language to me. “I can’t feel her mind, what do you mean with all this?”I look at Caly and she actually looks back at me with a face filled with confusion and fear. It is Lucifer who speaks for her. “I have been many eons in my own prison, so I know what he is doing. He has felt a connection to Sol, so he has used her to send a message to us. He can’t hold it for long, so she should be back very soon.”Her words make some sense, and I understand why Caly is a bit shaken by this. I look at her and nod, trying to contain myself as well, showing her that
*Solveigh*I walk through a path of tall and untamed grass. Wild dandelions fly as I walk by them, and the sun shines at its peak, yet its heat is soothing, not overwhelming. The wind blows on my face, and there is pure peace embracing me.Am I dreaming?No, this is not a dream, it is so real. I feel the grass at the tip of my fingers and I sense the texture of them. I see a cabin, a very old one, and a scarecrow that is standing in the middle of the empty land. I frown as I notice that there are no crows nor any animals around us.Everything seems so eery and quiet. Too quiet.As the seconds pass and I keep walking, I get worried, something is about to happen or is happening. I am not sure what it is, even though I keep looking all around me, but something doesn’t fit. Is like I am inside a painting, a living painting.It is when I open my mouth to talk, that I realize that I have no voice as well, and now, I know this must be a nightmare.‘Seth, can you feel me?’ I try to reach for
*Caleb*I watch as Aen handles the elementals calmly. It is not an easy task, yet his experience in battle allows to use his command voice with every one of them. It is something out of an epic story, and yet we find ourselves helpless while we wait.Ebony and Ivory are having a small talk with Sol, the angels like her a lot, which ensures her protection. Is not like she would need so much of it, she is her own worst enemy. But to know they are fond of my daughter just makes me happy.“Where are your thoughts?” Amra asks me as I keep staring at my daughter and the angels.“My thoughts are a bit drifting, I don’t like the idea of coming to a war unprepared,” I admit to him. I know he is also worried, although he shows himself much more calm and collected.“I understand that, and it does bring me worries. I like to be in control of the situation, but nothing that is happening is under our control… in fact, I think the only thing under our control is the lack of actions.”I sigh and shak