A sharp, piercing ringing echoed through their ears, like a knife scraping against their skulls. They winced in unison, the pain brief but intense.Bryan and Aiden looked at each other as soon as the painful ringing sound in their head disappeared, their jaws clenched.Aiden inquired, his voice calm and firm, "I choose to believe you heard it too, brother." He exhaled slowly, his eyes boring into Bryan's, seeking confirmation.Bryan paused, collecting his thoughts, "I did." "I need to go for a run," Aiden told Bryan, releasing a pent-up breath.Bryan nodded in assent, "Me too."At the same time, Kira was feeling better than before. She hesitated a bit but found herself heading towards the dining room.There Bryan's and Aiden's parents, Elara and Orion, were already seated; however, they had not started eating yet."Sorry for being late", Kira uttered quietly."It is alright, sit," Orion said to her.Kira nodded and sat down."Where are Bryan and Aiden? They should be here by now?", E
Bryan and Aiden laughed as they headed back home after their run."It is definitely a draw because you cannot say you got there before me. Either I did or we did at the same time," Aiden said to Bryan."A draw it is", Bryan chuckled. "Definitely not letting you have the win.""Your soul knows who the real winner is," Aiden said, raising his hand in surrender. Acting dramatic, "With that said, I rest my case.""So, are we going to do the stuff tonight?" Bryan chuckled and asked Aiden, changing the topic."We should, the sooner, the better", Aiden concurred."And we missed dinner", Bryan suddenly remembered. "I am sure everyone is done with dinner by now and in their rooms.""True."Getting in, they had the maids serve them and had their dinner alone, just the both of them. They also asked a maid about Kira and their parents. The maid informed them that Kira and their parents had indeed had dinner and went to their various rooms right after.The instant they were done with their dinner,
Bryan and Aiden left for the secret room. Aiden had said it was much more befitting for what they were about to do."You are really sure this is going to work right?", Bryan asked him again, "Just making sure.""It will", Aiden assured him.Aiden lit some candles while Bryan set a table in the center of the room and placed a bowl on it, according to what Aiden had told him to do.When Aiden finished with the candles, he and Bryan stood on either side of the table."What now?", Bryan asked."Now we mix our blood together." Aiden answered and carefully held the bottle of Kira's blood, his eyes with purpose as he poured it into the bowl.With a determined nod, he took the ceremonial blade and made a clean cut across his palm, allowing his blood to mingle with hers. Bryan did not even want to know where Aiden got the blade from."This better work," Bryan warned, and took the blade from Aiden right after Aiden was done, making a clean cut as well and letting his blood mingle with theirs."
*Moments Earlier…*Kira had finally found a library with the help of a maid in the mansion. And as for the feeling that someone was watching her, she just concluded it was all in her head, since she found no one. "I guess I was just being paranoid", she had said to herself.But still, she checked a few times after turning around and shouting, who is there? But she still saw no one. It was a bit weird but whatever.Kira was glad after all the suspicions to see a face she knew, which belonged to one of the maids. She felt more relaxed and asked the maid if she knew where she could find books to read.And now, she was alone in this wonderful library, with some snacks. "This is nice. Never knew they had such a room", Kira complimented in satisfaction as she relaxed on a comfortable chair which she also found in the library.She had picked up a book that looked pretty interesting and dived into it.Kira focused on reading and enjoying her snacks, with the soft rustle of pages and the pe
Bryan and Aiden headed back home, feeling relaxed that even had gone as planned, even though there was a mistake."Let's go check on Kira, see how the bond is feeling," Bryan suggested."She must be asleep right now, though. I am sure the door is locked," Aiden said."Which is why I have the key to her room door. I got the spare keys, I think that would be much better than removing the door totally", Bryan chuckled."Smh, you are something else." Aiden told him as they left for her room.On getting there, they decided not to knock. Just in case, she was asleep because it was already very late at night.They tried opening the door with the spare key but found out it was not locked, and so they got in thinking Kira would be asleep on her bed, only to find out that she was not on her bed or even in the room."Kira?", Aiden called out as he went to check the bathroom, but she was not there either."She is not in there?", Bryan asked him as he came out.Aiden shook his head, "Where could s
Night sky… The moon shone so bright. The thick canopy of trees overhead, blocking out most of the moonlight, casting eerie shadows across the forest floor.Her breath came in ragged gasps as she sprinted through the woods, her heart pounding like a war drum in her chest. Leaves crunched underfoot, and the sharp scent of like filled her nostrils, mingling with the coppery tang of fear on her tongue.Moving through trees, she could not shake the feeling that they were right behind her, that any second she'd feel their hands on her, dragging her back and stopping her from freedom.The pack was located in New Orleans deep within the woods, away from humans. She just needed to keep moving, she could make it.As she kept running, her foot caught on a root, sending her sprawling to the ground with a muffled cry. She wrapped her hand around her mouth as hard as she could, to stop herself from making any sound that might implicate her.Immediately she pushed herself back up, despite the ache
Without a word, Bryan brought her down to her feet and tossed her inside. She hit the cold, hard ground with a thud, the strong impact almost knocking the air from her lungs.Pain shot through her side as she landed on the stone floor, a sharp gasp escaping her lips. Kira's hands scrambled against the rough surface, trying to push herself up as tears stung her eyes.As panic surged through her, she scrambled to her feet immediately, wanting to escape. Kira ignored the ache in her body, and bolted towards the dungeon gate before Bryan could slam it shut."Please…", she uttered softly.But before she could reach the opening, the gate crashed shut with a thunderous clang.Due to her behavior, Bryan slammed his hand against the iron bars, his voice showing how much he was frustrated."ENOUGH!" he bellowed, the force of his voice reverberating through the walls.Kira's heart pounded in her ears, her body rigid as she stared up at him in shock. The way he yelled at her and slammed his hand
The next morning, Kira was woken up by the sound of her cell gate opening. She opened her eyes softly, trying to see who it was."Good morning, Luna", The figure bowed. "I have come to get you, by the Alphas order."Kira rubbed her eyes, getting her head in order while she stood up."Good morning", she responded softly, "Are you the one who came yesterday to give me the blankets on the Alpha's order?""Yes, Luna", the man who is also a guard answered."Thank you," she said to him."It is my pleasure, Luna."Kira went on to pick up the blankets and arrange them, but the guard stopped her."Someone will take care of it," he informed her."Ohh, okay then," she said, dropping the blankets and other stuff back on the ground.As they left the dungeon, Kira could not help but be curious."Do you know why they sent for me?", she asked the guard, still adjusting her eyes to the sunlight.The guard shook his head, "Alpha Bryan and Alpha Aiden didn't disclose any information.""Ah!… okay", she n
At the first light of dawn, Kira's eyes opened, and she got up from her bed.The night before, after leaving the living room, she had headed upstairs, but then remembered she had to go get her weapons, and so, she made a quiet detour and went out to go see her horse."Hey," she whispered as she brushed her hand along his mane, smiling gently while looking at him.Kai responded with a low grunt and nudged her shoulder, happy to see his rider.Tied to his saddle, was a dark leather roll—her weapons pack.A warhorse like Kai didn't just carry a rider; he was also trained to carry a small arsenal for her, and Kira was genuinely grateful that no one had touched her stuff, as she rubbed Kai's mane for a little longer before taking what she needed.The leather roll was fastened to the side of his saddle, just behind the stirrup. It contained her bag of knives, her quiver of arrows, and her sword.Kira unhooked them carefully, one by one, checking each with her hands in the dim, stable light.
Kira folded the small paper and slipped it into her trouser pocket before she took one last glance around the marketplace, which was now busy again.Everything and Everyone had returned to normal, and with nothing much to do there, she walked, leaving the place.The boutique door swung open, the chime sounding above as she stepped inside, her eyes looking for Elara, who she finally saw near a display of long coats, holding up a deep burgundy one and checking herself in the mirror."There you are!" Elara called when she turned at the sound of the door and saw that it was Kira. "I almost went looking for you," she said, half laughing and half worried.Kira smiled and walked toward her, leaning in as she gently pecked Elara's cheek, a soft, affectionate gesture."I'm sorry, Mum," she said sweetly, brushing Elara's arm. "I'll explain everything later. Promise.""That's alright," Elara nodded, although she was clearly curious. "As long as you're okay.""I am," Kira assured her. "Now let's
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