cue the chaos.
“I can’t find them anywhere.” Alizadeh’s admission grates against my nerves and I clench my jaw as I stare out the window. Six days. They have been gone for six days and not even all our combined attempts could pinpoint where they are. “It’s like they’ve vanished off the face of the earth.” If Alizadeh’s sight can’t find them then nothing can. Not me and the residue of the Lycan’s flame still in the fang across a chain on my neck. Not Rafie and his now limited power and guards. Nothing will be able to get a fix on their location, and it’s all because I let them get away. Rafie barges into the room and collapses into a chair. “Any luck?” His voice is laced with tension and the expression on his face is grim. Alizadeh’s legs untangle from their folded position and the halo of power surrounding him dissipates until his feet are touching the floor again. “There’s nothing on them as far as I can see.” “Then search harder goddamnit!” The words escape me in a semi roar and two se
“So I don't need to learn any spells or things like that? I should just channel my energy?” Cain chuckles and nods. “Yes. Just channel that energy. Spells are tools that help in channeling energy and giving it direction. Some magic users require spells but Lycans don’t. We’re… primal that way. Our magic responds to our needs almost instinctively, so all you need to do is will your power towards your purpose and that power should respond in its own way.” I nod and stare thoughtfully at him. “So….. say I wanted to get every bit of clothing off your body right now. I just have to think of it and my power will make it happen?” Cain smiles so wide it’s almost heart-wrenching to see and I love the fact that he’s smiling so much. “You don’t need to use your magic to get that to happen.” I nod because I don't and Cain settles beside me, staring at me intently as his eyebrows furrow. “You’ve been using powerful magic already. You seem really good at it too. Why not just trust your insti
The light around us clears and the once familiar woods of my parent’s pack fills my sight. Did I want my magic to bring us here? Maybe. Maybe I wanted to see where I grew up one last time before I took a step that would change me forever. Maybe I wanted to see this place where I was hated, right from the moment I was born, until my eyes met with that of one person. I’m placing my bets on Cain. I hate how that makes me sound unsure because I'm not. I’m sure that Cain is my one true love. The kindred spirit of the supreme Lycan king Diane fell in love with all those years ago resides in him. He’s the one who broke my curse. So he deserves a tour of the place at least. I take my first step onto the Briarwood pack territory and Alpha magic gives a slow spark in my veins. My father should be alerted to the presence of intruders by now. He should be on his way here, without his son because his son is dead. Lyros killed him, and why? Because Lyros killed his girlfriend too, and h
“Adelaide.” Cain’s warning lands on deaf ears.Adelaide explodes into a being of energy and magic bathes her in its glow. She slams into the dungeons, rips the bars apart, and does what every good friend will do, in the whisk of an eye she frees her jerking friend and then she’s cradling Safira’s head, tapping the side of her face lightly.“Safira?”Safira groans and Adelaide’s breathing hitches. She looks at the state of her friend’s body, the boils sprouting across her arms and over her skin, and then she turns to me, her face filled with open hatred and fierce loathing.“What have you done to her?!”I chuckle despite the urge to stay silent.“I haven’t done anything to her, Adelaide.” Her eyes lock onto mine again and I let mine reflect the passion I feel for her, the want that still burns heavy within me “Nothing, yet.”Safira screams again and Adelaide’s body shudders. The light surrounding her makes her look mystical like an angel just descended from the heavens.A pretty angel
I cry and I call on every bit of power inside me to manifest. I want it to save me and correct the damage Lyros has done because…… he’s done a lot of it.I look at Safira again and she’s heaving quite heavily. Her body is weak, her eyes are constantly closing, and I don't know what to do.And Rhys… he can’t speak. Not because he doesn’t want to but because he can’t. His tongue has been cut out and the pain that must have caused him. “I’ll do it.”Cain’s body releases that cracking sound again and I can't bring myself to look at him. If I do, I don't know what I'd do.I might just decide to kill all of us and get it done and over with. Doing that would mean ending us all, but it would also put their blood on my hands. Them, my friends. I can’t do that.Lyros meets my eyes and I wipe the tears dropping from them. I know what he wants.He doesn’t want me. He wants the happiness he thinks I will bring him. Lyros isn’t driven by love or the need to be loved.He’s past that now. What he wa
She’s back, and she’s mine.Adelaide hums with energy. Strange and foreign energy, but energy that I cannot deny lures me to it.She glances my way and takes a deep breath.“Step back.”Magic blazes to life around her before I can and she pulls in a slow breath.Golden threads float in the air around her and as she sets her eyes on Safira, the half-caste begins to glow, and a soft exhale leaves her lips.Adelaide works healing magic stronger than the best healer I've ever known. She was a woman who was crazy, and who deprived her young son of happiness so much that he promised he’d get it, no matter what.Adelaide’s magic seems to hum a tune and she moves her hand in one clean motion.I feel something prickle the back of my neck and Safira’s body jerks violently. Metallic green gunk hits the wall opposite her and even as a Lycan king, I can feel the potency of that poison.The change is immediate. Safira’s breathing stabilizes and the skin on her arms regains its shine. Adelaide heal
A life of happiness was never meant for me.The sun beats down on my back as I stare at the stalks of grass swaying in the gentle wind. I am on my knees again.My heart palpitates with pain and anguish as the sun stares back. Hot, burning, almighty in the face of an insignificant speck of dust like me.“Lady Adelaide.”I raise my head to look at the servant approaching me. She has dark hair and she stares at me with sad eyes.“Lord Lyros is back. He’s released you from your punishment.”My eyes widen and hot relief pours through my heart. I bolt off the floor and run across the field toward the manor. The grass tears at the skin on my leg and the sun sends wave after wave of heat chasing after me but I don't care.I have to see him….. I have to apologize.Tears stream down my cheeks because Lyros saved me.He saved me from my abusive father. From my pack that never appreciated me. From men who wanted to rape me. From a mother who would have watched me die if she could.Lyros saved me
Lyros kisses me breathless and then he gets up from the bed. I lie there, sore and aching, and sated in that way that comes from deep intimacy. Lyros is always eager to be with me but for some reason, it’s not the way I imagined it would be. I feel empty inside. There’s a hole I can't fill, a gaping depth I feel is always going to be there, one I will have to banish as soon as possible. The sound of the showers comes on and I stare at the ceiling as Lyros bathes. I feel like a newborn child sometimes. Not because anything about me feels new, no. Sometimes I feel there’s a weight on my chest and it gets tighter with each passing day. It’s hard to live with something like that but I do. I do and it brings me pain and joy at the same time. The world is new to me. My memory is fractured in places. There are gaps that I can't seem to fill out. Sometimes I'm not sure if the voices I hear in my head are real or made up. I know some things the same way I know blood flows through my ve