The night was peaceful, the room silent except for the faint sound of breathing. There was a faint glow of moonlight that filtered through the window as they slept.Kira was nestled between Bryan and Aiden, their chests rising and falling as they were all completely at peace. However, Kira's sleep was interrupted by the constant gentle taps on her shoulder.She stirred, groaning softly as her eyes fluttered open. "What is it?" she asked sleepily, turning to face Aiden, who had tapped her. "Mmm? What is it?" She asked again, her voice thick with sleep."Wake up, you have to go!" She heard him say, and immediately her gaze sharpened. She was fully awake now.There was this urgency in his voice, like something was going on, and it didn't take her a second to sit up."Aiden? What is it?" She asked, looking at him with worried eyes. "Are you okay?" But he didn't answer. Instead, his eyes twitched unnaturally and his face… there was something about his face. It contorted in a way that made
Before they left, Morane also found some footwear for Kira; slippers, no matter the size, while Kira took deep breaths, wiping her tear-streaked face. Her emotions were still raw, but she forced herself to focus, trying to compose herself."This is not the time to be weak," she chided herself as she and Morane walked quickly toward the mansion. "I need to be strong and stay strong."As Kira spoke those words to herself, she rubbed her face a bit roughly as her mind kept replaying what had happened earlier in the bedroom.Remembering she had not informed Ryker as Aiden had told her too, she quickly connected to him using the pack link. She was not sure why Aiden told her to do these things, but she knew she had to do them either way.She reached out to Ryker through the pack link, the feeling like a thread stretching between her mind and his as she called out, "Ryker," her voice urgent but strong. "Something is wrong with Bryan and Aiden. I need you to come to the mansion now. And com
Morane never stopped chanting, her voice rising as the darkness inside of them kept fighting back. "Ryker!" She shouted, stopping her chant for a second as she quickly gave him instructions. "Go to the hidden room! You know which one. Bring the injection and the liquid—fast."Ryker nodded and darted out of the room without hesitation, while Morane resumed her chanting, holding her ground. "Volatris dorsae, somtris clanari."Down the passage, Ryker went quickly, his jaw clenching as he located the hidden room. He knew everything about the curse— the twins had told him how they had almost choked Kira to death that day and with this knowledge, Ryker was on high alert, knowing exactly what he had to do.Without hesitation, he pushed the door open and walked in. The door was not locked, and it was that way in case of situations like this where there would be no time for unlocking it.The air inside was colder and carried the faint scents of herbs and chemicals. Ryker strode to where Bry
It's been one week.One week since Kira found out that her mates were cursed. One week since she had last seen them and one week since the anger in her kept increasing.Kira was currently in the Pack's hospital, dressed in a simple yet elegant outfit as she walked through the hallway. Despite her anger at her mates, she did what she had to do. She stopped by one of the rooms, smiling softly as she wanted to check on a pregnant woman she knew.The woman had been having some complications with her pregnancy and had to come to the hospital to be checked. Now she was resting on one of the beds, and Kira walked up to her, her hand resting lightly on the woman's shoulder. "How are you feeling today?" she asked soothingly, still smiling at the woman."Luna," the woman smiled up at Kira, "I am fine, feeling much better. You always check up on me, I am grateful.""There's no need for that. I am just happy that you are feeling much better. And make sure to get plenty of rest and avoid stress.
Kira took a deep breath as she pulled back from Bryan's embrace, her hands falling limply to her sides. She looked at him for a moment, then her gaze shifted to Aiden, unsure whether to remain angry at them or let it go… a little.Meanwhile, Bryan smiled softly, his hand coming up to rub her cheek affectionately."Why don't we talk upstairs, hm?" He asked her gently, his thumb brushing her skin with care. "Please," he said, his voice soft and coaxing as he tried to ease the tension and make her not to be too angry at them.Kira hesitated for a moment, then sighed and nodded. "Fine," she muttered, but she didn't smile. She just turned and walked out, heading to the room without waiting for them to follow.Watching her leave, Bryan and Aiden looked at each other briefly before following her. As they reached the bedroom, Kira pushed the door open and stepped inside. She made her way to the center of the room without glancing at them and instead of sitting on the bed, she sat on the flo
Aiden told Kira everything they knew about the curse, including how Ryker's trip was to find out questions or answers, anything at all that could help them and also how Morane had almost died trying to break the curse. Kira listened attentively, not once stopping him, and only spoke when he was finally done talking."Is this what happened that day? I mean the day you choked me when you both brought me back to the pack," Kira asked. It was not her intention to make them feel bad because it already seemed like they did, but she just needed to know."Yes," Aiden answered truthfully. "That is what happened, but we were still fighting for control. But this time around, this recent one, we lost control. You know, at first when we were eighteen, we didn't feel it.""Feel what?" Kira asked, wanting to know more."We didn't feel the darkness. But after Morane found out and after sometime, we started feeling like something was in us," Aiden explained. "It's difficult to explain, but it was li
Bryan and Aiden agreed without hesitation, and Kira followed them out of the room, down the passage until they stopped in front of the hidden room door.Aiden pushed it open and stepped aside so she could enter first.As Kira entered, she looked around, and it was definitely not what she had expected. The room felt too impersonal, too functional. It felt like a cell to her. Her eyes scanned the room, and then she noticed the shelf on one side.On the shelf, she saw small bottles filled with liquids. The contents themselves looked quite strange as she picked it up carefully and asked, "What is this?""Morane made that for us," Bryan explained as he stepped closer, watching her calm expression to everything. "It is meant to help us for the curse. She is also the one who told us to prepare a room like this when she first found out about the curse. She wanted us to be prepared just in case, because she had a very bad feeling about everything.""I see," Kira nodded, turning the bottle in h
Bryan, Aiden, and Kira immediately rose from their seats, shocked by what they had just heard. They exchanged quick glances as each of them waited to hear what Morane would say next."What is it?" Aiden asked, stepping forward slightly. "What is the curse?""This is not a matter to be discussed here," Morane said with a shake of her head. "Please, come with me.""That is true," Aiden said, nodding in agreement. "Alright, let's go."At that moment, the maid Kira had instructed earlier came out of the kitchen, carrying the reheated dishes on a tray. "Alphas, Luna," the maid called out as she began placing them on the table. "Are you going somewhere? The food is ready.""About the food," Kira said. "Just put it back for now. We will eat later.""Okay, Luna," the maid replied and nodded obediently. Then, the maid gathered the dishes back on the tray and returned to the kitchen.Morane, who was about to leave, stopped when the maid called out to the Alphas and Kira. And when Kira was done
The first boutique Elara and Kira had gone to was a cozy one in a quiet spot tucked between two larger stores. It was the kind that smelled of fresh clothes, freshly printed tags and soft perfumes. It wasn't too big, but it was a lovely place to shop in.Elara was currently admiring a dress she had found, twirling in front of a mirror, while Kira, who had gotten most of what she wanted from the boutique, carefully folded the items into their shopping bags.As they rounded up, they made their way to the door, their hands full of what they had bought. Taking a deep breath, Kira let the outside air clear her head—the gentle breeze needed.She was about to close the boutique door behind her when something, or rather someone, caught her eye.She noticed that it didn't sit right with her and that someone was watching them, but she didn't let it show and pretended to know.She remained calm, not bothered, and was simply observant of the person watching them as she dropped the bags into the
Kira, who was already done with her meal and was taking the last bite, paused, her expression shifting."He's dead," she said, setting her fork down."But how?" Aiden inquired. "He was old but didn't seem like someone who could be easily killed.""Well, he was killed. Easily," Kira chuckled sadly and then went on to tell them everything from when she first met Baba Razz to how he died, how he was nice to her, and his role in her meeting the elves."I felt strangely comfortable around him," she admitted. "I'm not sure how to explain it, but I don't know. His death was painful, and I did blame myself, but I knew he wouldn't want me to do that, so… yeah.""I'm sorry," Aiden muttered as he and Bryan leaned in on each side and pressed a gentle kiss to the side of her head."May his soul rest in peace," Elara added quietly. "And I'm sure he will be very proud of who you are today."Blowing Elara a kiss, Kira agreed and decided to change the topic, not wanting their happy moments to be sour.
Stepping out of the room after getting dressed, Kira felt very comfortable in the oversized clothes Bryan had given her.She had also noticed the difference in the clothes—how the shirt smelled like Bryan, while the shorts were definitely Aiden's.She wondered if they had debated over if she would wear Bryan's clothes or Aiden's before coming to the conclusion of mixing them and giving it to her.The thought was so funny that she couldn't help but giggle as she made her way down the stairs, her hair packed in a messy bun."Sorry for keeping you all waiting," she said when she walked into the dining room, everyone already in their seats waiting for her."Oh, nonsense, sweetheart," Elara said, waving for her to join them. "It's completely fine.""Yeah, it's not like we were starving or anything," Aiden added with a smile.Bryan gave him a look and just smiled while shaking his head before turning back to Kira. "Come on, sit. Quit acting like a stranger.""I am not acting like a stranger
Kira, Bryan, and Aiden walked through the pack lands, accessing the pack to ensure that everyone was safe and everything was still intact or not too bad. It had been years since she had set foot around the pack, and as they moved, they could hear the whispers from the pack members. Elders, warriors, and even children stared at her in surprise before approaching."Luna Kira, child, how have you been?" An elderly woman with gray hair that was braided neatly asked, placing a gentle hand on Kira's arm. "It is so good to see you again.""I'm very well, thank you," Kira answered while smiling, her tone soft and warm. "And how about you? How have you been holding up? Are you okay?""Yes. Yes," the woman answered, smiling back at Kira as she patted Kira's arm. "And we thank Goddess for you coming today. Everyone has heard of how you helped. We are truly grateful, Luna.""Oh, please, you don't have to thank me. It is my duty as Luna," Kira said sincerely and rubbed the old woman's hand. "Take
As the elves disappeared into the portal, Kira turned to face Bryan, Aiden, and Ryker, giving them a small smile. She was going to miss El'fiannor, Lythari, the friends she had made, the trees, every single thing, but she was also happy to be back home."So...this is Kai, my horse," she announced as if she was introducing an old friend. "Say hi," she urged them."Oh yes, hi," Bryan said quickly, laughing softly right after. "Hi Kai, very fitting name," Aiden added, laughing as well. "You suit... your rider too."Ryker, however, eyed the horse, thinking about something. "Well, he will need a proper home," he said. "I'll take him to his new place. There's a building we can turn into a stable for him.""That sounds perfect," Kira accepted and extended the reins to Ryker, who took them with ease before leading the horse away.Watching as Ryker left, Aiden turned back to Kira with a warm, eager expression. "Come on," he said, "I'm sure Mum and Dad would be very happy to see you.""As w
At her words, Bryan chuckled breathlessly with a mix of disbelief as he ran a hand through his hair, his eyes showing all the emotions that his lips couldn't tell.He felt like he could finally breathe properly by just staring at her, while Aiden, on the other hand, laughed softly and shook his head, not sure of what to say to that."You-" he started, but stopped and exhaled before stepping forward and pulling her into a tight hug. The emotions were just too much to put into words, and there were so many things to ask, so many things to say, to tell, but for now, just hugging each other was enough.Aiden's hand cradled the back of her head as he tightened the hug, his fingers threading through her hair softly despite the armor she was wearing.He buried his face into the curve of her neck, breathing her in, as if inhaling her scent was going to soothe something inside him, which it absolutely did, bringing him great comfort and peace.Smiling widely, Kira melted into him as she close
Bringing her hands down with her palms open, Kira released the blazing light, expanding it outward toward them.The vampires closest to her didn't have the time or opportunity to run, as the moment the light touched them, they caught fire.They had thought their rings would protect them, but the rings did nothing, their screams filling the air as their bodies burned to ash within seconds.The ones further back tried to escape, but both Kira and the magic she channeled were quick, the light spreading like a wave as it covered the battlefield and set every vampire on fire.Kira was careful not to let it harm any of her people, allowing the light to go only for the vampires, and soon, all that remained was ash.The battlefield itself had become silent except for the crackling of burning vampires, but it wasn't completely silent, and all the vampires that were rushing in from the border as reinforcement were all wiped out.Behind Kira, the elven and werewolf warriors continued fighting wi
Hearing the words that had come out of the warrior's mouth, Bryan and Aiden froze immediately, shock taking over as their minds struggled to process what they had just heard.Every shout and every fight around them faded as their eyes found her. Their breath hitched as they watched her atop a black warhorse, cutting through vampires with deadly and precise strikes—the woman they had never thought they would see again…here.Bryan and Aiden watched her and her every move like they were seeing a ghost. It was too hard to believe that she was here, their Kira, and as the fighting continued, neither of them could move nor blink.They thought that if they did, she might disappear, but when they finally blinked, they noticed…She was real.She…she was real.Aiden, too focused on Kira, had not noticed that a vampire was creeping up behind him.The vampire had seen how distracted he was and raised his sharp, curved dagger, ready to stab Aiden from behind, but unknown to the vampire, Kira, de
Fire erupted from the vampire's skin, consuming him in a blaze. He had no time to reach for his ring, a scream rippling from his throat as the fire engulfed him alive.He tried to stop himself from burning by turning around and around, thrashing as if that would help him in any way, but all it did was nothing, his screams faltering and suddenly being replaced by the crackle of his burning flesh.In an instant, the vampire's body fell to the ground, but the fire didn't stop. It went on, burning and burning until what was left was a pile of ash and charred bone, the smell of burning flesh filling the air.Feeling satisfied with the outcome, the warrior moved on to the next vampire in sight, going for the hand with a ring on it.Soon, the battlefield was littered with more bodies and blood, the werewolves using all they could, in whatever form, to cut through the hands of the vampires where they had their rings on or to pull it off using their tactics, turning the vampires into burning