DavidDuke looked bleakly into his cup of hot chocolate, which Blue made, as Trent seemed to be spitting nails and scribbling furiously before standing. “I’m going to nail those fuckers to a wall and throw knives at them,” he turned. “Hito, if you could do a full work up on him. I’ll run a lineage trace.”“There’s no need to,” Duke said softly. “You… know where your family is?” I asked. “The-They…. They’re dead.” Duke let out a shuddering breath. “I-I saw their bodies wh-while they were trying to get us out.”“… You’re a refugee from an attack,” I said softly. “And you remember?”He nodded. “T-The whole house went up in flames. There was blood everywhere. Some people tried to fight them off, to give us a chance to escape, but I-I don’t know what happened to them. A man helped us. He
LucyMichelle made us breakfast before we headed to class. It felt a little bit like being back at the orphanage except I had slept pretty well after David’s story. We took public transportation to campus. We arrived and saw Duke standing with a young woman we didn’t recognize. He seemed nervous as she spoke to him and tried to get closer to him. I didn’t know what she said but she sauntered of leaving Duke alone. “Aren’t you looking spiffy?” Sarah cried, as we got close. The young woman turned back, scanning over us with a curious look before leaving. “Already beating them off with a stick, hm?”David flushed and shuffled his feet. He’d gotten his hair cut into a nice style that highlighted his face and let his eyes show through. I had never noticed that his eyes were actually blue given how shaggy his hair had been. His jeans were new as was his shirt and shoes. “What did David do before taking
Lucy“I don’t think we ever left on time before,” Michelle said, packing her things. “I like her already.”Duke couldn't help but comment on the change in our classroom dynamics. "Hey, guys, have you noticed how different our classes are now? It's like the universe shifted or something," he whispered, a hint of excitement in his voice."This all screams David,” Duke said with a smile. “No way they just replaced that harpy for no reason.”Amy nodded in agreement. "Definitely!"Michelle shuffled her bag on her back. “Let’s get out of here. We’ll walk you to the dean’s office, and then I’m off to work.”Sarah’s shoulder slumped. “I want a rich man to take care of me. I hate working.”“You only hate this job. There are others,” Michelle said, rolling her eyes. “And having a rich man to take care of you isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be.”Sarah scoffed. “Oh please, your sugar daddy treated you like a princess as much as you let him.”My eyes widened as Michelle went bright red. She sh
LucyAs Duke levitated into Luke's office, I couldn't help but worry. I remembered then about the trance I’d had during my evaluation. I hope it wasn’t frightening or painful, whatever he was seeing.“Why is he in a trance now?”Luke sighed and pulled out a blanket for the young man. He lay on the couch as Luke draped the blanket over him. “Trances come for many reasons. Trauma and shock are the usual ones.” The young man said. I frowned as I looked at him. He looked no older than ten, but the way he spoke made him seem much older. His presence made the air of the room feel different.“Compounded with stress, it’s bound to happen,” Luke said. “Take a seat.”I glanced at the young man and sat on the couch across from Luke. He held out his hand. “Your anchor.”I took it off and handed it over. He cocked an eyebrow. “Someone charged it partially for
Lucy“Is that likely?” I asked. “Some people think another war is inevitable,” he said and sighed. “That the way the werewolf population was split and how little it’s managed will lead to another civil war. A lot of people hopes it does just so we wipe ourselves out.”I fiddled with the edge of my shirt. “I can’t believe that everyone wants us to… to just die.”“Not everyone, but enough people. There are a lot of stories about werewolves causing a shit ton of issues for everyone else. ““Irrational, prone to violence, they’re regarded mostly as heavy infantry really. Like… the human marines.” He tilted his head. “They were certainly used and designed to be that way.”“Designed?” I blinked and thought back to my research. I pulled it out of my bag. “You mean that the Moon Goddess created the werewolf virus?&rd
LucyI blinked not understanding the joke, but he chuckled. “Don’t worry, I’m sure someone you know will bring you up to speed on pop culture references.” He looked over at Duke. “How are you feeling?”Duke's eyelids fluttered, and he groaned softly. He looked like he might be slipping back into sleep, but his eyes stayed open and darted around the room. Confusion filled his face as he struggled to sit up, his movements were sluggish and uncoordinated. "Easy there," Luke said, rushing to his side. He placed a comforting hand on Duke's shoulder, his voice soothing. "Take your time.”Duke blinked, his gaze finally focusing on me. "Lucy? What... what happened?"“You went into a trance,” Triton said calmly. “Do you remember what you saw?”He shuddered and nodded and looked down before looking back at me. “Who’s he?” He asked, nodding toward Triton.”I
LucyI laughed as Luke returned with the potion. Duke took the potion from Luke, and I watched him drink it then fall back asleep. I tucked the blanket around and opened my homework. Luke sat across the table from him with a cup in his hand and a deep sigh. “Thanks,” I said. “For… looking out for us.”His lips twitched. “How could I do anything else?”I worked on the rest of my homework for the hour. When it was time for it to be over, a man in a suit with a stern expression came into the office looking for Duke. He looked at me. “Miss Graves, a pleasure to meet you. I work for Alpha David.” I frowned at his voice. It sounded familiar, like that man called Knives from the other night.“You’re… “He nodded. “Indeed, though in the daylight I go by Thomas. It’s a pleasure to be speaking to you face to face.”He looked down at David. “I was to
LucyDuke's laughter echoed through the room. I felt the ears twitching in annoyance. “It’s not funny.”“But you’re adorable,” he said.“You are,” Luke said with a grin. “For now, let’s clean up and try again. If they’ve disappeared by the end of the session, you’ll be free to go, but if not, we’ll have to make arrangements.”I huffed and let Duke carry the cauldron to the sink to wash before helping get more ingredients. This time, Luke measured it out with an eyedropper. We bottled the potion into glass bubbles that he stacked in a box on a shelf. Then, he grimaced. “No change. Looks like you’ll be staying at the Hecate containment barracks.”“What does that mean?”Luke grinned. “It means no one is going to start a riot at the sight of your ears.”Luke quickly gathered the tools and ingredients. We cleaned up a
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