Lucy
Ginny looked back at David as we reached the stairs. “I’m trusting you.”He saluted her with a grin. “I promise not to let you down, captain.”She pulled me adown the deck’s steps towards the beach. Her mother and father followed behind us with Sarah and Amy. Duke trailed behind Henry and Julian, but David gone somewhere else. I looked back, searching for him as she slowed to a stop away form the others and far enough from where the water met the beach.“This place is perfect!”Jenny stuck an umbrella in the ground. “Perfect indeed. Come here, button, and let me put some more sunscreen on you.”Ginny went to her mother as her father set up a few loungers and claimed one right next to the cooler. Julian and Henry set up their own loungers as Sarah stripped out of her cover-up.Henry let out a low whistle. “You wouldn’t happen to need some help with sunscreen, wouldLucyThe setting sun cast a warm, golden glow over the beach as the party started to shift. “I’m stuffed,” Sarah said. “Not too stuffed, I hope,” Julian said tossing a ball up and down. ‘How about a game of volleyball?”“What do the winner’s get?” Sarah asked slyly. Julian flushed at the way she looked at him. Henry leaned in with a grin and a low tone. “Whatever you want.”“You’re on.”I looked at David as he shook his head. “The rest of us will probably just enjoy the game?”Julian nodded sharply as Duke got up. “I’m game. Lucy?”I worried my lip. “I don’t… know how to play.”David smiled and stood offering me his hands. “Then, it’s the perfect time to learn, isn’t it?”I smile up at him and took his hands, letting him pull me to my feet. We foll
LucyI hesitated but nodded and took his hand and let him lead me out of back doors. He stopped and grabbed a long thin towel to wrap around me as we walked down to the shoreline. The sun began to set, painting the sky in a dark reds and blues. The sound of the waves was soothing, and the scent of the ocean filled my senses. “It’s so peaceful here,” I said. “I can see why you spent so much time here.”David hummed. “There’s not a day I’m not grateful that I had this place to go to when everything was crazy.”“Thanks for bringing us,” I said. “Everyone seems to really love you.”“They’ve done a lot for me.”I licked my lips. “They’re… all human right?”He chuckled. “Most of them are, yeah. I’m hoping to be able to claim the town as an affiliated territory of my pack.”I frowned. “What does that
LucyAs I slowly blinked my eyes open, the gentle morning sunlight warmed my face. The scent of the ocean and something warm and musky filled my nose. I turned over and tried to get closer to the warm thing I was beside as the cool morning wind washed over me. Then, I felt something around my waist. My heart leaped into my throat as I went still. I jerked my head up as David’s eyes woke up, gleaming a vibrant purple as he looked down at me and held himself perfectly still. His gaze drifted over me briefly before the light began to fade. “Are you alright?” David asked. His voice rumbled through his chest and sent a shiver through me. “I-I’m okay. Just startled.”He nodded. “Sorry. I should have carried you inside, but…”I shook my head. “It’s okay. I—It’s fine.”He smirked. “You were clinging to me… I suppose you were cold.”My
LucyI changed into the swimsuit a came downstairs. David looked up from his phone and smiled. There was something in his eyes. The look made me nervous, but I wasn’t afraid. “This one suits you better, I think,” he said. “Though… it’s hard to say for sure.”I ducked my head and shuffled my feet in my sandals. “Tha-Thanks… Sarah picked it out.”He chuckled. “I’m not surprised.”When everyone else came downstairs, we got into the car. Uma drove us into town. Before we got to the pier, I could hear children laughing and the sound of music. Uma stopped on the other side of the barricade and we got out, heading towards the crowd that seemed to be growing by the second.There was so much going on it was hard to know where to focus. The scent of food lingered in the air. Sarah went darting off into the crowd. “Seems like she and Henry found each other,&rdq
LucyThe water was cold around me as I continued to sink. Fear gripped me. I had never learned to swim. I thrashed desperately, trying to go up toward the surface, but a current caught me up and spun me around. The light flashed once, twice, then went dark as if someone had simply turned it off. I felt a presence nearby, but I couldn’t see anything. I could barely feel the weight of the water as I flailed, trying to escape as the current carried me. The darkness lightened, revealing a hard wooden pole. I clung to it, holding on despite the pull of the current on me. My hands slipped and burned as I was ripped away and whirled around underwater. My lungs burned as I tried to fight the current. I couldn’t breathe. If I breathed in, I was going to drown. I had to get to the surface. I tried to grab onto something nearby, but my fingers slipped off the surfaces as I was carried further away from the pier and further down into the water.Suddenly, I went still in the water, and I felt some
LucySlowly, I opened my eyes and realized that I was in a bed. I looked around and realized I was in the same bedroom that I had been given at David’s beach house. The sun had started to set outside, but it wasn’t nighttime yet. I guess it had been a few hours since I’d been pulled out of the water.“Hey.” I looked over and saw Duke sitting at my bedside with a small smile. He was changed out of his trunks into jeans and a plain t-shirt. “How are you feeling?”I sat up slowly, feeling a little dizzy. I looked down at my anchor and found it dim. I winced and wrapped my hand around it. I wouldn’t see Luke again until Monday afternoon. Would it last until then?“You have an anchor?” Duke asked. I nodded. He tutted. “I don’t suppose David has a fancy fountain like Luke does.”“I don’t know.” I pulled my knees to my chest. “What happened?”
TonyThe Council was useless, and I hadn’t cultivated enough of the right pull in the human world to help us much. Thus, there was only one way forward. It was a lot of hassle, so a lot of me was wary about it, but my contacts in the Council assured me that this was the right path since David had refused to aid us or cooperate. I almost growled, but the pain from where that witch had cursed me pulsed with a warning. I was told that it was a good sign that the curse was heading toward the end, and I would be able to shift again in a few weeks. They also said to try to refrain from getting angry as it would only grow more agonizing. Somehow, Matt was already through most of it, I believed. It seemed that he would be free within a few more days. It was probably because he didn’t let himself get angry often. We hadn’t spoken since the ride home from the Council meeting. I huffed, shrugging into the clothes I’d bought for the evening a
Lucy As we drove back to the city, the air felt heavy in the car. I sat in the passenger seat next to David, wrapped in a thick blanket. Though I had showered and dressed, I couldn’t shake the chill that had gripped me. David drove. He didn’t say much of anything as he stared ahead into the dark night. Duke was in another blanket, leaning against the door and fast asleep, but I could hear Amy and Sarah in the backseat talking about something. The witch’s message was still on my mind, and I couldn’t help but feel scared and worried. I kept wondering why they wouldn’t leave me alone and what I could really do about it. Suddenly, David reached out and gently held my hand. He laced our hands together. “You should rest,” he said. “You’ve been through a lot.”I swallowed. “I’m okay for now, I think.”He nodded slowly, but he didn’t let go. His warmth seemed to spread
LucyThe morning sun, a mischievous wink through the blinds, painted golden stripes across our bed. I snuggled deeper into the warmth of David's embrace, the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest a soothing lullaby. He slipped his hand across my lower back. The warmth of his bare skin against mine set a spark of pleasure through me. He rumbled low and content into my hair. “Wake up,” David rumbled. He kissed my head and twined a curl around his finger. “We have things to do.”“You shouldn’t have kept me up all night.”He chuckled. “You didn’t say that last night.”I nudged him. He dipped his head to nip my lips. “You know, if it’s too much, you can always tell me to slow down.”He’d been saying that for five years now, and I never found a reason to tell him to. He knew that. His eyes flickered between colors. I nipped his lower lip. “Give me a reason.”He smirked and rolled me onto my back. “To slow down or…”“To get up,” I said as he kissed
LucyI sat on the cold stone, watching her, but she didn’t move another muscle. I didn’t know how long it had been, but it didn’t matter. The spectral glow around her was starting to dim, and my mind was just too stressed to do too much thinking. The light of the ritual, the spell I’d used, the blood on my hands all flashed through my mind, and part of me wondered if it was all just a dream. I looked down at the stained and ruined gown. The armor was as pristine as ever, but most of the embroidered roses were torn or stained. This dress would never be white again, let alone whole. I flicked a piece of the long, gossamer fabric and shook my head. I really liked this dress.“Lucy!”I turned my head toward the sound of David’s voice, wrung out and relieved to hear him. He was rushing through the air towards me. He dropped down a few feet from me, looking so worried I could cry.I smiled at him as he dropped to his knees beside me and threw his arms around me,
LucyI sailed through the air, landing with a jarring thud within the ritual circle. With a trembling hand, I pushed myself up, my senses on high alert. A figure, cloaked in darkness, appeared in front of me. My blood ran cold. Selene."Well, well, Lucy," her voice, honeyed yet laced with venom, slithered into the darkness. "Thank you ever so much for making this easy at last.”I grit my teeth. I wouldn't go down without a fight. Straightening my shoulders, I met her gaze, my voice shaking but resolute. "You underestimate me.” “No, Lucy,” her voice dropped, and a cruel smile twisted her lips. "You underestimate me.” The chanting grew louder around me. I lunged for the necklace, my fingers grazing its cold surface before Selene snatched it away, a triumphant gleam in her eyes. But that touch, fleeting as it was, ignited something. I felt her pushing at my mind. I felt her shoving me back until I could see the forest from before, and we were fighting in a ci
MattMy vision pulsed and flickered, a strobe light of pain blurring the edges of reality. Tony rained blows down on me, slashing with claws. Each hit chipped away at my resolve and my control, leaving behind a raw desperation to end this quickly. My armor protected me from most of the damage, but still. He was always the stronger of the two of us. I thought it was just because he was the older of the two of us, but this was different. I thought for sure he was going to bite off my head. Then, a flash of golden light arced through the air, and a spear lanced past my shoulder, catching Tony square in the chest. I turned back to see Ginevra hovering in the air. Her golden dress glowed as she passed me with a glowing winge spreading from her back. What the absolute fuck?Tony staggered, falling to the ground, and Dad darted forward, encasing Tony in a shimmering web of light. The wave turned to chains. He thrashed and howled, straining against the magical bonds, but t
LucyPeter's breath hitched, rasping, and shallow, then deepened into a cough that wracked his battered body. His eyelids fluttered, eyelids so pale they were almost luminous in the dim torchlight. He struggled to get up, leaning on his Spear and on Michelle. The light pulsing through the Spear rippled over his skin. He let out a soft sigh and stumbled a little. “Peter?”“I... It’s gone.”“What?” Michelle gasped as his hair started to change, losing the gray color and growing dark. His face turned younger until I was sure that he was all of twenty-something. He grew a bit taller, too, bigger until his shirt strained against his chest and his buttons popped. He flushed. “Well… that’s not…” He cleared his throat as Michelle smiled up at him. “So this is what you looked like in your youth?”He scoffed. “I’m much younger than you think.”He grunted, pressing a hand to his side. “Wish the Spear would heal the wound, though.”I winced. “Sorry… it’s a
PeterMy feet pounded a frantic rhythm against the uneven earth, branches whipping at my face, thorns tearing at my clothes. How long had I been running? How much further did I have to go? I didn’t know, and it didn’t matter so long as I got there. My lungs burned, legs screaming in protest, but still I ran. The trail of blood behind me and the patchwork of wounds across my body, chunks of missing and regrowing flesh, weren’t my concern right now. The creature—the wolf was after me, and unlike before, it didn’t seem willing to back off or slow down. It was going to kill me, and what happened after that was anyone’s guess. Behind me, the guttural snarl of the wolf echoed through the trees. Too close to be comfortable. Too close to make sense. This was too much like that dream, but worse. So much worse. The sky was a kaleidoscope of images I could barely make out. They flashed in the sky and in my vision, making it hard to see. I saw Lucy. I saw Michelle. The long
LucyAdrenaline surging, I grabbed Michelle and pulled her after me deeper into the inky depths of the tunnel.“Quick!”She panted. “What’s going on? Peter—”“He’s possessed,” I said. “Just keep running for now!”I saw my Allison up ahead, leading me down another tunnel. Behind us, I heard Peter's guttural snarls, the rhythmic thud of his feet echoed eerily in the confined space. We had to lose him and the other one quickly, but we didn’t seem to be putting enough distance between us. Panic coiled in my gut, urging me to run faster and push my body beyond its limits. Michelle kept up relatively well. We twisted and turned, navigating the treacherous path by torchlight and the spectral murmurs of White Moon's fallen. But the passage seemed to twist back on itself. When we were back at the forked path, the faint light that had been illuminating the tunnel went out, plunging us into darkness.Michelle shuddered. She drew closer to me and tightened her grip on m
LucyI was back in that house with that couple that adopted me. I felt the floorboards creaking as I went downstairs. I saw the men in suits. I shrieked, turning. Not again. I couldn’t be back here. Where was David? How had I gotten back here? I looked down. I wasn’t… wearing the dress or the armor. I had no daggers. My hair was just as uncombed and dry as it had been then. When I looked in the mirror, the skinny young woman who had barely had anything more than ramen and school lunch stared back at me. My stomach lurched. The door opened, and I turned to run, knowing what was about to happen. I dug my heels in as dark shadows pulled me towards the door. I felt myself being lifted onto someone’s shoulders. I fought and kicked, but all my training and all my strength were gone. I saw the calendar on the wall, but the date was different. It wasn’t my birthday. It was the day of the Crescent Moon Festival. I screamed, grabbing anything I could manage. Then, Sele
DavidOren's head arced through the firelit air, landed, and rolled. His body dropped to the ground, still spurting blood. Then, all hell broke loose.The shimmering barrier around the Ball faltered, rippling like a pond, before collapsing entirely. Hunters poured into the arena, their snarls blending with everyone's shocked gasps. “Defensive measures, now!” I yelled, my voice carrying over the sound of the attack. A group of dragon shifters took to the sky as my blade clashed with the first hunter. How had they gotten through the barrier? I saw a flicker of a ghost and growled. “Selene!” I shoved the hunter back, slicing through him before sending out a shockwave of air. She’d been behind this, and maybe she’d been planning this for years, using the werewolf virus to spy on the preparations. It would make sense to try and get rid of me. I was the direct descendant of Fenris. More than that, it was their movements. Each and every one of them moved e