KEILAH I locked eyes with Damien, trying to see if there was even the faintest hint of a joke in his expression, but his face was as stiff as stone. My stomach twisted painfully. “You’re joking, right?” I asked, my voice tight, almost pleading. “I’m not, Keilah.” His tone was calm, and measured. “It’s time I let you go.” My mind reeled, the words hitting me like a slap. “What the hell are you saying? It’s been barely a few days since you told me I couldn’t leave your side. Now you’re saying this? What happened?” “I told you, vampires aren’t trustworthy,” Marina interjected smugly from the corner. I snapped my head toward her, glaring. “You shut up. I’m not talking to you.” She raised her hands in mock surrender, a smirk playing on her lips as she leaned back in her chair. I barely spared her another glance, but my gaze briefly flicked to the short witch sitting silently nearby, watching the exchange as if he didn’t have a care in the world. I turned back to Damien, frus
DAMIEN Your girlfriend is mad. Aren’t you going to follow her?" Marina asked, her tone grating on my nerves."Are you enjoying this?" I snapped."It’s not like I am," she replied, crossing her arms. "But it’s the truth. She’s really mad."I ignored her and turned to the dwarf. "Did you know she was fae? Did you use that to your advantage when you asked for her… uterus?"The dwarf nodded, unfazed. "I did. And I used it for what I needed.""And what exactly did you need it for?" I demanded my voice tight with anger."That," he said coolly, "is none of your business.""It is my business," I growled through clenched teeth. "It’s absolutely my business.""Alright, I get it," he said, cutting me off. "It’s your business because she’s your girlfriend. But she agreed to it. She gave it willingly as payment for us to help you. And she’ll still do the job you originally wanted her mother to do. He said, gesturing to Marina. Isn’t that why you’re keeping us here?"Marina interjected before I co
DAMIEN For a moment, the world went still. The sound of the wind, the pulse of magic from the portal, the chaos of everything else—it all faded. There was only her. I didn’t know what I was expecting, but the warmth that surged through me, the pull I felt toward her, was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. It wasn’t guilt. It wasn’t pity. It was something deeper, something terrifyingly real. Keilah froze against me, her body stiff and unyielding, as if she were trying to process what had just happened. For a split second, I wondered if I’d made a mistake—if I’d crossed a line I couldn’t uncross. But then, she moved. Her lips softened against mine, and I felt her fingers clutching at the fabric of my shirt. The hesitant energy melted into something deeper, something neither of us seemed prepared for but couldn’t resist. The kiss was messy, filled with all the tension, confusion, and frustration that had built between us for so long. It wasn’t perfect, but it was real. Th
DAMIENThe car’s engine hummed steadily as we drove along the winding road toward the tunnels. The others followed behind in their vehicles, including Ralphs’. My fingers tapped against the steering wheel, my thoughts clouded with frustration and something I didn’t want to name.Why am I even drawn to her decisions? Why does it bother me? The fact that she didn’t explain why she wanted to ride with him, why she insisted on being in his car—it gnawed at me. I raked a hand through my hair, exhaling sharply.Ralph is her mate. That’s what I should be reminding myself.The words tasted bitter in my mind, and I forced my grip on the wheel to relax. It shouldn’t matter to me. It had nothing to do with me. And yet, I couldn’t shake the irritation that settled deep in my gut.I replayed the moment in my head—Keilah’s face when she suggested coming with Ralph and riding with him. She hadn’t hesitated. If anything, she seemed... determined. Like she had a reason I wasn’t privy to. But why? What
KEILAH Bringing Ralph to the Underworld had been a difficult decision. I did it for one reason—to reunite him with his wolf so he could go back to his life. I never planned to tell him the truth of everything. But the way he acted, the way his anger—no, his jealousy—burned toward me, I knew Damien must have told him something. I knew Damien cared about me. I also knew he and Ralph were far from friends. But seeing them fight in front of everyone like schoolboys because of me? That wasn’t something I wanted. I pressed a hand to my shoulder, swallowing a wince. I had lied when I said I was fine. The pain shot straight to my skull, and from the deep ache spreading through my arm, I suspected my shoulder was dislocated. But admitting that would only give them another reason to start fighting again, and I wasn’t about to let that happen. Then I felt it. The presence of Ralph’s wolf. It was close. So close. The shift in the air was undeniable, thick with tension. I didn’t even n
KEILAH Ralph’s grip on my wrist tightened slightly as he pulled me away, but my mind wasn’t on him—it was on Damien.I made the mistake of looking back.He stood frozen in place, his expression unreadable, but I could feel the weight of his gaze. Like he was looking straight through me like I had just proven something he had been dreading all along.My heart twisted painfully.But I forced myself to turn away.Ralph led me outside the cold night before stopping abruptly. He finally let go of my wrist but didn’t step back. His presence was overwhelming, his scent heavy with frustration, his body rigid with tension.I let out a slow breath, trying to keep my emotions in check. “What's wrong with you Ralph? What do you want?” I asked, my voice calm, but irritation simmered just beneath the surface.His jaw clenched, and his eyes darkened.“Whatever you have with Damien, end it,” he said, his voice sharp and unwavering. “I don’t want to see you with him. You only belong to me.”I stiffen
RALPH I stood frozen, my body rigid as I stared at the space where Keilah had disappeared. The cold night air did nothing to cool the fire burning in my chest—the anger, the pain, the unbearable weight of her words pressing down on me like a boulder I couldn't shake off. In the corner of my eye, my wolf paced restlessly, muscles taut, ears pinned back, tail flicking in agitation. It wanted me to go after her. To bring her back. To fix this—whatever this was. I exhaled sharply through my nose, my fists clenching. That power… the energy that had surged from her and sent me stumbling back—it wasn’t just any magic. It was light magic. But how? Where did she get it from? My jaw tightened. Has Damien done something to her? The thought alone made my blood boil, but even that wasn’t what rattled me the most. No, it was her words."Have you ever even loved me, Ralph?" My throat burned. Had she really questioned my love for her? I let out a dry, humorless chuckle, but it fel
KEILAH I barely had a second to react before the vampire’s hands slammed onto my shoulders, forcing me down. My knees knocked against the cold, hard coffin with a painful crack, sending a sharp jolt up my legs.“Ah—” I gasped, but the sound was cut off as the vampire crouched down beside me, his fingers gripping my chin in a bruising hold as he forced my face toward the corpse. The stench of death filled my nostrils, thick and suffocating. My stomach churned violently, my head spinning from the overwhelming scent.I tried to turn away, but his grip only tightened, pressing my face closer until I could see the shrivelled veins beneath the dead vampire’s translucent skin. My breath hitched, panic clawing at my throat.“I—” I swallowed thickly, my vision blurring. “I can’t breathe,” I rasped. “I—I need a minute.”The vampire holding me sighed, irritated. “This will not work,” he muttered, then suddenly released me.I fell backwards, my hands catching me just in time before I hit the gro
DAMIEN The crowd held its collective breath, and for a moment, the world seemed to freeze. Every eye in the field turned toward me, a weight pressing on my chest as I felt their gazes like flames on my skin. The woman beside me muttered under her breath, her voice trembling slightly as she whispered, "Holy God, I can't believe this."But I didn’t even hear her. My eyes were locked onto Keilah, every inch of me drawn to her, my breath shallow. She was there, real, in front of me. I could see her trembling slightly, the magic around her still buzzing with energy. Her eyes were wide, searching mine, and for the briefest moment, it felt like everything else in the world faded away.The Queen's voice broke the heavy silence. "Young man, step forward," she commanded, her voice soft but filled with authority.Without hesitation, I moved, the pull to her undeniable. The woman beside me—who had bound herself to me—took a step back, following behind as the others in her group murmured, but the
RALPH The moment I hit the ground—or whatever the hell this was—I knew something was wrong."Son of a—!" I barely got the words out before I was yanked down again, thick vines wrapping around my arms and legs like living chains. No, not vines. Roses.Giant, deep red, glowing roses.I thrashed, trying to pull myself up, but the damn things had a grip like iron. Every time I moved an inch, they sprawled higher, coiling tighter, dragging me deeper into their grasp. Their petals looked soft, almost beautiful—until I saw the teeth hidden beneath them, snapping dangerously close to my skin."That woman said the fae world isn't a joke!" I growled, struggling harder. "But she failed to mention the motherfucking sea of carnivorous roses!"A thorn sliced into my arm, and I hissed. Great. These things weren’t just strong; they were sharp as hell too.I twisted my body, trying to reach for the knife I stole from that fae’s house in Uganda strapped behind my back. My fingers barely brushed the ha
DAMIEN I blinked, my head spinning as the world around me came into focus. A crowd surged forward, their excitement pressing in from all sides. The golden gates ahead towered impossibly high, stretching so far up they seemed to dissolve into the silversheen skyline. Laughter and murmurs swelled like a tide, the energy crackling in the air. I turned sharply to the woman clutching my arm like an iron shackle. Her grip was too firm, too sure, like she was bound to me by something more than just flesh and bone. It was unnatural. My patience snapped. “What the hell did you do to me?” I hissed, keeping my voice low. “Dragging me here without me even realizing?” She barely reacted—just smirked, her amusement infuriatingly effortless. “No questions,” she said smoothly. “We’re heading inside. After watching the queen’s granddaughter, we can talk about you.” I ran a hand through my hair, frustration prickling at the edges of my mind. I should’ve been furious. I wanted to be. But somethi
DAMIEN A soft breeze rustled through the glowing leaves, carrying a scent both floral and unfamiliar. The air was thick with magic, an energy that pulsed like a heartbeat around me. Every breath I took felt charged, as though I had stepped into a world that was alive in ways I couldn’t comprehend.I straightened, brushing off the damp moss clinging to my clothes. Ralph was nowhere in sight, and I had no idea how far we had been separated.I turned slowly, taking in my surroundings. The trees stretched endlessly into the sky, their bark a deep shade of violet, their leaves shifting colours with each passing second. Strange, bioluminescent flowers bloomed at their bases, casting a faint glow onto the forest floor. The ground beneath me felt oddly soft as if the earth itself breathed beneath my feet.I needed to move. Standing still wouldn’t get me any closer to Keilah.A distant chime-like sound echoed through the trees, almost like laughter, but distorted. I tensed, scanning the shado
KEILAH Before I could even begin to think about what this meant, the door opened again. Two beautiful women entered, their dark hair flowing smoothly behind their backs. They wore elegant gowns, their movements graceful as they stepped forward and bowed lightly. One of them lifted her head and spoke softly. “Please follow us.” I hesitated. “Where?” “It’s the queen’s orders,” the other woman said gently. “We are to get you both ready.” I glanced at Garbie, still feeling the weight of the queen’s words pressing down on me. But I had no choice. With a deep breath, I stood and followed them.One of the women gently took Garbie’s arm, leading her in a different direction, while the other woman motioned for me to follow her. My heart pounded as I was guided down a long corridor until she stopped before a door and pushed it open. I gasped. The room before me was like nothing I had ever seen. The ceiling was a massive glass dome, revealing an endless, mesmerizing underwater world
KEILAH The queen reached for my hand again, but I quickly pulled back, pressing it tightly against my chest. "I’ll walk myself," I said firmly. The queen only smiled. "Alright, follow me." She turned to Aaron, who was still bowing. "You too, young man. Follow me." I reached for Garbie’s hand, gripping it tightly as we followed the queen. Aaron walked behind us, leading Varion. As we stepped forward, my jaw dropped. A long, gleaming walkway stretched before us, leading straight to the most breathtaking castle I had ever seen. The path was made of smooth, silver-white stone, polished so perfectly that it reflected the sky above like glass. It felt unreal, like stepping into a dream. On either side of the walkway, lush gardens bloomed with flowers I had never seen before—petals shimmering in iridescent colours, shifting as if they were alive. Glowing blue vines twisted up golden trellises, their faint light casting soft patterns onto the ground. A crystal-clear stream ran al
DAHLIA The air in the living room felt heavy as the door closed behind them. I sat down on one of the dark brown leather couches, crossing my legs, my mind racing.Jay sat next to me, his presence calming. He smiled at me, then gently kissed my cheek. It made me feel warm inside, and for a moment, I allowed myself to relax.“You okay?” he asked, his voice soft.I nodded and smiled faintly. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just... thinking about everything.”He studied me for a moment, then asked, “Do you think she’s Keilah’s mom?”I thought about it. The woman looked a lot like Keilah, but something about her didn’t seem to add up. She was too young to be Keilah’s mother, but... anything was possible.“I’m not so sure,” I said, shaking my head. “She looks young, but... it could still be possible. We can’t rule it out yet.”Jay leaned back on the couch, resting his arm behind me, his eyes drifting toward the hallway where Damien and Ralph had gone. “Do you think she’ll be able to help Alpha and Damie
DAMIEN Knowing exactly who Dahlia was talking about, I didn’t hesitate. I moved swiftly, making my way to the reception area. The atmosphere in the lobby was quiet, the hum of conversation low as I approached the desk. The receptionist gestured toward the guest area, and I followed the path, my mind racing with questions. When I reached the designated space, I saw her. The woman stood up as soon as she spotted me, her eyes sharp, assessing. Before I could say a word, she spoke. “We need to talk, but not here. If it’s possible, let’s go to my house.”I nodded, not wasting time. “Alright, but I’m not alone in this. As you saw yesterday, there are four of us.”She went quiet for a moment. After a long pause, she said, “Fine. If they’re trustworthy, you can all come.”I motioned toward the reception. “Give me a few minutes to clean up.”She shook her head. “I can’t wait here. Whenever you’re ready, find me at my house.”With that, she turned and walked past me. I watched her leave, eye
DAMIEN The moment I turned, my breath caught in my chest.The woman standing beside Isaac had long, dark braided hair and a slender frame. Even in the dark, I could see her features clearly. My heart pounded hard as I took in her face—she looked exactly like Keilah.My mind raced with the possibility—could she be Keilah’s mother? That thought sent a jolt through me. But I had heard that Keilah’s mother was dead.I glanced at Ralph, and when our eyes met, I knew he was thinking the same thing.The woman spoke in the local language, her voice sharp and questioning as she looked at Isaac. Her tone carried suspicion like she was demanding an explanation.Isaac responded calmly, gesturing toward us as he spoke. But whatever he said didn’t ease her anger. She replied in a harsher tone, shaking her head firmly, her expression set like stone.Isaac turned back to us with a sigh. “She’s not happy about us showing up at her house in the middle of the night,” he explained. “I told her what you