ETHANI headed to the play room when I heard the sound of laughter coming from there. For a moment, the stress of the past weeks melted away. I paused at the door, leaning against the frame as I watched Mia and Abel, the two children I’d adopted just days ago. I have not had time to adopt them as I was dealing with some things, but then I knew that I needed to do it amidst the stress or I was going to procrastinate doing it forever. Mia was sitting cross-legged on the floor, her curly hair bouncing as she giggled at her brother. Abel was carefully stacking blocks, his tongue poking out in concentration. They looked adorable. I had felt bad when I went to adopt them because of the amount of children that had hopes of being adopted, but I knew I could only get two. Anymore else and I wouldn’t be able to take care of them the way I wanted to take of them.“Mia, stop it.” Abel shouted as his sister knocked over his tower again.“It’s just a game.” Mia teased, sticking her tongue out at h
AURORA I clutched my diamond emerald necklace on my neck as I felt pain in the lower part of my body. He was doing it again. Damian was cheating on me with his girlfriend Evelyn while I stood there trying to look pretty beside him for the ball. But that was even the least of my concerns, even though I had been married to him for four years and he never attempted to treat me right. I had just found out that my ungrateful and wicked husband had killed my mother. I was not sure of it. I looked at the necklace closely in the mirror. I have owned it for several years but it had never shown me something like this before. When I was getting ready and I was clasping it on my neck, I had a vision and saw Damian standing in front of my mother’s dead body. Could he have really been the one that killed her all those years ago? I could not sit here and continue thinking about it because I was not going to get any answers. I needed to go and ask him. I looked over at the divorce papers
AURORA He looked like he was born of a fruit plucked from Heaven. The man stood way taller than me, and the authority around him was impossible to ignore. He had medium, well styled raven hair. His skin was tanned and the angles of his face were sharp. His chiseled jawline and high cheekbones made him look surreal. His eyes were piercing and green, almost making me tremble in my shoes. Who was this man and why have I never seen him here before? From his well styled and obviously expensive suit, I could tell that he was an important and rich man. “I am so sorry,” he looked down at the spilled wine and then at my clothes. I could not help but notice the little accent in his voice that made my heart flutter. “Come on, let me get you cleaned up.” “No, that is fine.” I called out for one of the waitresses. When she saw the spill, she cleaned it up with some wipes. I did not want water to touch my clothes yet. I was planning to dry clean it to keep the quality intact. “I am so so
DAMIAN “Gosh, you are so perfect.” I whispered to my girlfriend, Evelyn as we left the royal ball. The royal ball’s main purpose was for alliances with other packs that I was not on good terms with. I wanted to cut off that tradition but as much as I hated to admit it, it was very good for creating new allies and new business collaborations. It was easy to ignore my enemies when I had the most beautiful woman in the world by my side. I decided that I wanted to announce my girlfriend to all of them today. I was never going to marry Evelyn and she knew that. Divorcing my mate was going to make me seem weak and that was something I could not afford right now, especially with some of my half-brothers who wanted the throne for themselves even though I was the heir. As the alpha, I could have as many women as I wanted even when I was married or mated. Aurora was forced to marry me because of some mate bond between us that I did not even care about. It was almost hilarious because th
AURORA We got on the way and three hours later, we arrived at Ethan’s pack. The massive gates opened to reveal a sprawling landscape unlike anything I’d ever seen. Ethan slowed the car, glancing over at me with a reassuring smile.“Welcome to Blackwater, Aurora,” he said softly. I took in the sight before me. The towering trees, lush greenery, and rows of beautiful old buildings were very different from the kinds we had back in my pack. It was different in a good way, or maybe I felt that was because I was finally away from Damian. Everything felt peaceful to me. I was so glad I made this decision. When he stopped the car, a guard stepped forward and opened the door for me. I smiled at him, whispering some words of gratitude before I got down. Ethan passed over the key to another guard who was going to park the car. He came beside me as we walked into the palace. “Take a moment to settle in. You can make yourself comfortable here, Aurora. I’ll come back soon to introduce you to ev
AURORAWe spent the next few minutes there, just enjoying the view and when the sun eventually went down, we decided to go back into the pack. I was exhausted and needed to sleep. Ethan led me down a grand hallway lined with portraits. Each of them was perfectly crafted, and I could tell that they cost a lot of money. I like to paint so I would probably like to remake the portraits in my free time.“I want you to meet my mother,” he said, glancing at me as we headed back to my quarters, which was close to his. “And don’t worry. She is well… she’s got her opinions, but she means well.”I nodded, trying to calm the flutter in my stomach. Meeting his mother seemed like a monumental step, even if I kept reminding myself this was just a temporary arrangement. Still, I couldn’t ignore the slight anxiety gnawing at me. After what had happened with Kiara, I was afraid that I was going to find one more person here who hated me. I was not new to people disliking me, but for some reason I wante
DAMIANI sat alone in my room, anger and resentment simmering like fire under my skin. I have never been this angry in my life. Everything I have always wanted had come to me with ease. Women, money, the crown of my pack. This felt like a huge slap to my face. The thought of Aurora leaving and rejecting me stirred something deep and ugly within. I’d never felt so betrayed, so abandoned. She had the audacity to leave, and for what? To go to that pretender, Ethan Grey. My fists clenched involuntarily. If only she knew the type of man he was. Now that she was gone with him, all I could think about was how to rescue her. I have made mistakes in the past, dammit, but she was making an even worse mistake leaving with him. He was the enemy of the pack for a damn reason.As I brooded, the door creaked open, and Evelyn stepped in. Her soft, delicate presence which was usually soothing felt wrong. I had never felt like I wanted to be away from her until now. She crossed the room and sat beside
AURORA Every day in Blackwater felt like walking through a circus, only that I was the one being showcased. The stares, the whispers, the looks of barely concealed suspicion were something I couldn’t escape daily. It seemed like everyone in the pack had something against me. And though I tried to brush it off, the weight of their judgment was slowly eating me up inside. I wondered if they were really doing all of this because they were wary of me or because there was something else. How did all of them know so fast that I was from their enemy pack? I knew some of the people from this pack came to my pack for college and I do not see them getting treated like that. I wanted answers to why I was treated this way so badly that I was desperate. Ethan had told me I’d be safe here, that this could be a fresh start, but so far, it felt anything but welcoming.This morning, as I walked through the palace, a small group of maids stopped talking as I passed, their conversation shifting to low
ETHANI headed to the play room when I heard the sound of laughter coming from there. For a moment, the stress of the past weeks melted away. I paused at the door, leaning against the frame as I watched Mia and Abel, the two children I’d adopted just days ago. I have not had time to adopt them as I was dealing with some things, but then I knew that I needed to do it amidst the stress or I was going to procrastinate doing it forever. Mia was sitting cross-legged on the floor, her curly hair bouncing as she giggled at her brother. Abel was carefully stacking blocks, his tongue poking out in concentration. They looked adorable. I had felt bad when I went to adopt them because of the amount of children that had hopes of being adopted, but I knew I could only get two. Anymore else and I wouldn’t be able to take care of them the way I wanted to take of them.“Mia, stop it.” Abel shouted as his sister knocked over his tower again.“It’s just a game.” Mia teased, sticking her tongue out at h
AURORA I woke up slowly, the heavy fog in my head lifting like a curtain. My eyes blinked against the dim light, and as my vision cleared, I realized I wasn’t in my room.Panic prickled at the edges of my mind. I sat up, my heart thumping loudly in my chest as I took in the unfamiliar surroundings. Ethan’s room.Why was I here?The last thing I remembered was coming home after spending the day at the library. I had been careful, threading my way past everyone, yet here I was.I swung my legs over the side of the bed, a sense of unease wrapping around me. My satchel. My spell book. My pendant. Where were they?I tore through the room, checking under the bed, inside the drawers, and even behind the heavy curtains, but there was no sign of my belongings.A chill ran down my spine. Had Ethan taken them?I slipped out of his room, careful to avoid anyone in the hallways. When I reached my own room, I locked the door and grabbed my phone. My hands shook as I dialed Anton’s number.“Pick up
DAMIAN I stared down at Aurora’s limp body, her breathing steady but faint. Her pale face looked peaceful, almost serene, but the truth behind her stillness made my chest tighten.Carefully, I bent down and scooped her into my arms. She felt lighter than I expected, fragile even. For a moment, a flicker of hesitation passed through me, but I buried it quickly.This wasn’t about her. This was about me.Once we were in my room, I laid her on the bed, adjusting the pillows beneath her head. The witch was arriving soon, and everything needed to be in place.As I turned to grab a chair, my eyes landed on her satchel. It sat there innocently, draped over her shoulder.Curiosity gnawed at me, and before I could stop myself, I reached for it.What could she possibly need to carry everywhere?I opened the bag, and my hand froze when I pulled out a thick, leather-bound book. My pulse quickened as I flipped it open, my eyes scanning the symbols and spells scrawled across the pages.A spell book
AURORAWhen I woke up, the first thing I noticed was the ceiling. It wasn’t mine. Even though I had changed rooms, it was still not the same layout as the one I had now. My stomach dropped. I sat up quickly, the ache in my body forgotten as I took in the familiar surroundings. I took in the luscious furniture, and then I came to the realization of where I was quickly. Ethan’s room.What the hell was I doing here?I racked my brain for answers, but everything was hazy. The last thing I could recall was coming back home after the library. How had I ended up in his room? Lifting my legs off the bed, I stood, my knees wobbling slightly. My heart raced as I scanned the room for my satchel. I checked under the bed, the closet, and every corner, but it was nowhere to be found.Panic surged through me. My spell book was in that satchel, along with my pendant. If Ethan had taken it… Did he know that I was a witch now? I wondered if he was somewhere planning my destruction. A shiver ran up my
AURORAI stared down at the pendant I had brought in frustration, then at the spell book spread open in front of me. The protection spell I’d been trying to cast all day refused to work, no matter how carefully I followed the instructions. It was like there was something missing. The electricity in the air that I had felt when I first came was gone, and now it just felt bland. Like I was reading random words from a book. “Focus,” I muttered under my breath, gripping the small pendant tightly. The words from the book swirled in my head as I tried again.The pendant remained lifeless, stubbornly resisting my efforts. By the time the sun began to set, I was exhausted and defeated. Maybe it was because I was new at this, or maybe I was just terrible at it, but the spell wasn’t happening today. I needed some rest, and then maybe I would call my father to help me with some tips on how to concentrate. With a sigh, I packed up my things, carefully tucking the book back into my satchel. “Tom
ETHANThe anger coursing through me felt like fire. Aurora had crossed yet another line by walking out after I explicitly told her she couldn’t leave. She didn’t understand boundaries, and it made my blood boil in ways no one made it boil. And worse of it all, I could not do anything about it. If it was someone else in her shoes, I would have long drained them and called it a day because no one annoyed me like that and went free. But this was Aurora.I clenched my fists, pacing my office as I tried to rein in my temper. I wanted to punish her, and make her realize the consequences of disobedience. But I couldn’t risk acting on impulse. Not yet. Aurora wasn’t just a rebellious thorn in my side, she was a key to something bigger. Something I couldn’t yet understand.After I was done with breakfast, I finally received the message I’d been waiting for. The witch I’d been trying to contact for years had agreed to meet. She arrived under heavy disguise, her hooded cloak casting shadows over
AURORA The dream came again. It was so vivid and suffocating. I was lying on the cold ground, unable to move, as three vampires hovered over me. Their fangs were exposed, red and shiny right above me and there was nothing I could do. Their snarls filled my ears. I tried to scream, to push them away, but my body wouldn’t cooperate. The first bite came, sharp and deep, and then the second, each one draining me faster than I could comprehend.I bolted upright in bed, my chest heaving as if I’d just run a marathon. Sweat clung to my skin, my heart hammering in my chest. For a moment, I gripped the sheets tightly, grounding myself in reality. I looked around, trying to see anything I could fixate on that would calm my racing heart. “It’s just a dream,” I whispered to the empty room.But it didn’t feel like one. I could feel the weight of the necklace pressed against my collarbone, still warm. It was still giving me these darn glimpses of the future and even though it terrified me knowing
DAMIAN I was pacing the length of my office, my mind filled with chaotic thoughts. Every time I thought of Aurora and of what Ethan had done, of her being trapped in that palace, I felt like my blood was boiling. I needed to get her out of there. I had to. But every option I considered led to dead ends. I could not ask my people to go to war for this. There was too much at stakes. I needed to do this the smart way, but it was like whatever smart way I thought of had too many loopholes. I might actually be stuck. I clenched my fists, trying to shake the helplessness that weighed on me. I hated this feeling. I wanted to act, to fight, to destroy anything standing between me and her, but I couldn’t risk charging in blindly. Not with Ethan being as dangerous as he was. A soft knock broke through my thoughts.“Come in,” I called, trying to sound composed even as my nerves were all over the place.The door opened, and Evelyn strode in, her heels clicking against the polished floor. Her pr
AURORAI stood at the window, my fingers trembling as I clutched the towel tightly around me. Outside, shards of my burner phone glinted on the grass below, the broken a perfect reflection of how I felt inside. Ethan hadn’t hit me. At least not yet, but the look in his eyes had been terrifying. I could not help but think back at what he did to my mother, and what he could do to me. I wondered at that moment how easy it would be for him to kill me and nothing was going to happen. No one could face him, and no one could hurt him. He had stationed himself at a very high place that he was untouchable. It was then I came to the conclusion that I couldn’t stay here. Not anymore.Grabbing my personal phone, I slipped into the bathroom and locked the door. The cold tiles beneath my feet made me shiver, but it was nothing compared to the chill in my chest. I wondered who to call. Who was going to help me, because for all I knew Ethan was downstairs preparing for ways he was going to hurt me.