Keilah's POVI was sprinting through a dark forest, my legs burning with every step, begging me to stop. My chest heaved painfully, each breath sharp and ragged, but I couldn’t stop—not with the terrifying noise echoing from behind. I didn’t know what I was running from, only that something—or someone—was chasing me.The trees thickened, the shadows deepened, and before I knew it, I found myself trapped in a narrow, dark room. The walls were painted in a dark, unsettling red paint. When I reached out and touched the surface, the paint oozed into warm blood and started trickling down the walls and then pooled at my feet. A scream tore from my throat as panic surged through me. I jolted awake gasping, sitting upright so fast I nearly collided with the twins’ heads hovering nearby. Squinting against the harsh sunlight flooding the room, I groaned and stumbled to the window, pulling the curtain back to shut out the merciless light.Just as I closed the curtains and flopped back onto the
KEILAH “Cora, listen to me,” I said softly, placing a hand on her arm. “We’ll talk about this when I get back from Auntie’s memorial, okay? Right now, I need to be there. You know how important today is.”Cora nodded, her expression softening. "Alright. We’ll talk when you get back."She stepped aside and opened the door, giving me space to leave. I hesitated for a brief moment, glancing back at her one last time before walking past her and into the living room, where the twins were waiting eagerly.I bent down with a smile as both of them planted a kiss on each of my cheek. "Tell Grandma we said hi!" Avery said cheerfully."Yeah, and that we miss her!" Zoe added, her little face bright with sincerity.Cora chimed in from behind. "And please tell her that we love her. Tell her to forgive me that I couldn’t visit her this time."I nodded at them, smiling despite the heaviness in my heart. "Of course. I’ll make sure she knows."I slipped into my boots, tightened the laces, and headed o
KEILAH I stared at the mark on my neck, disbelief gripping me. My reflection wavered in the dim lighting of the bathroom, but the mark was unmistakable. Damien’s mark—had reappeared after all these years, as though it had never faded in the first place. My heart pounded so hard it felt like it would break through my ribcage.This couldn’t be happening. My fingers hovered over the mark, not quite daring to touch it, afraid that somehow, it might respond, or worse, grow stronger. Memories of Damien flooded my mind—his piercing eyes, the way his presence had always both frightened and fascinated me. I had thought those days were over. But the reappearance of his mark could only mean one thing.He was back.But why? And how?Panic surged through me as I stumbled back from the mirror, pressing my back against the cold bathroom wall. My breath came in shallow, uneven gasps, and my thoughts spiralled wildly. Was this a warning? A threat? What did Damien want? No—I had left that world behi
KEILAH The driver called out again, his voice more urgent this time. "Get back in the taxi, miss. This place isn't safe at this hour."I wiped the remaining tears from my cheeks and nodded, still feeling shaky, but I obliged, climbing back into the taxi. My body felt drained, like a puppet whose strings had been cut. “Take me to my address,” I mumbled, barely loud enough for him to hear.He glanced at me through the rearview mirror, frowning. “Are you sure you’re alright? You don’t look it. I’m guessing you ran off from that hospital without being discharged.”“I’m fine now,” I lied, trying to sound more convincing than I felt. My throat was raw, my mind racing in a thousand directions. I needed to be anywhere but there—away from the hospital, away from whatever was happening to me.The driver hesitated for a moment, still unconvinced, but finally sighed and turned the car around, heading toward my home. By the time we arrived, dawn was just starting to break, soft light creeping ov
KEILAH The man straightened, towering over the others around him, his movements deliberate, slow, like a predator sizing up his prey. His glowing eyes locked onto mine, and a deep growl rumbled from his throat, echoing off the alley walls. The others—seven, or even more of them—turned to face me as well, their gazes as cold and merciless as his.Panic seized my chest, but I didn’t back down. My legs felt like lead, trembling, but I stayed rooted to the spot. The stone had barely fazed him, only seemed to amuse the others. One of them—a tall man with a scar running down the side of his face—stepped forward, his lips curling into a sinister grin."You've got some nerve," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "Throwing rocks at us? Little girl like you should know better."I clenched my fists, trying to keep the fear from swallowing me whole. My heart pounded so loudly I was sure they could hear it. But I wasn’t here to run. I was here for answers. So bring it on.The man's grin widened
KEILAH The thug grinned at the two other men in the room, and with a nod, they closed in on either side of him, sharing the same vile smirk. The air in the room grew thick with menace as they followed his lead. Then he turned his gaze back to me, his hand already tugging at his belt, slipping it from the loops of his pants with a menacing swish and a new wave of panic crashed into me. I knew exactly what that bastard was up to."Yes," he said, his voice low and malicious, "exactly what you're thinking. Why don't me and my boys have a little fun before you get the proper beating you wanted?”My mind screamed at me to move, to get up and fight back, but my body betrayed me. My legs were numb, heavy with pain, and I couldn’t summon the strength to stand. I tried to push myself up, but I collapsed back onto the cold floor, my entire body aching from the earlier beating.He unzipped his pants as he walked over to me, kneeling down to force my legs apart. I clenched my teeth, trying to use
KEILAH I took a shaky breath, still trying to make sense of everything. "How am I supposed to believe you?" I asked, my voice hard, though uncertainty was creeping in. "For all I know, you’re just making this up. I don’t even know who this council witch is. For the time I spent with Ralph, I've never seen her before. And you're not even from the Moonrise Pack to know anything about the council. Why should I trust a word you say?"Damien’s eyes flickered with impatience, and before I could go on, he cut me off. “I’m not here to make you believe me, Keilah," he said, his voice sharp and controlled. "I don’t care if you do or not. Just stay out of trouble because this is the last time I’ll ever interfere in your business.”His words hit me like a slap, but I refused to let it show. This was exactly what I wanted, wasn’t it? To never see him again? I forced myself to stay composed, biting back the angry retort I wanted to throw in his face. Instead, I straightened up."Exactly what I wa
KEILAH After cleaning off the dirt, I changed into a pair of clean, soft clothes, savouring the feeling of being less grimy. With my face now washed and the stinging ointment doing its work, I looked less like someone who had gone through hell and more like myself, even if bruised and battered. I took a deep breath, trying to shake off the last remnants of the strange encounter with Damien.When I walked back into the living room, I found him still sitting on the couch, his head leaning back against the wall, eyes closed. His large frame made the couch look comically small, as though it was built for a child, not a man—or rather, not a vampire—of his size. He looked... tired. Drained, almost. His skin seemed paler than usual, almost as if he hadn’t fed in a while.Do vampires even get tired? Or dehydrated?Whatever it was, I didn’t want to disturb him. I walked past quietly and headed into the kitchen. The tension in the air still lingered, but I could at least make myself useful whi
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
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
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
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
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
KEILAH “Get me out of here,” I said, my voice trembling as I clung onto him. The cold seemed to seep into my bones, the chill of the night biting against my skin. “Please, just take me anywhere that’s not Ralph’s pack house. I don’t care where.”Damien’s lips pressed into a thin line, his eyes scanning me as though searching for something. But he said nothing. Without a word, he took off. When we finally broke through the air, Damien’s car came into view. I blinked, momentarily disoriented, as the passenger door opened and a familiar figure stepped out.“Allan?” I breathed, my voice barely above a whisper.But I couldn’t muster the energy to feel the excitement I should've. My emotions were a tangled mess, and my body felt like it was running on fumes. “Allan, get in the back,” Damien ordered without so much as glancing at him. Allan looked between us but obeyed, sliding into the backseat without protest.Damien opened the passenger door and gestured for me to get in. “Keilah.” His
KEILAH I clung to Damien as if letting go would shatter me into pieces I could never put back together. My sobs tore through me, loud and messy, but I didn’t care. I couldn’t stop. The weight of everything—the pain, the secrets—came crashing down all at once, spilling out of me like a dam that had finally given way.His arms wrapped around me, solid and unyielding, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I felt safe. Truly safe. The kind of safety that came not from being protected but from knowing, deep down, that someone understood me without judgment.I buried my face against his chest, the familiar scent of him grounding me even as my world spiralled. “I missed you,” I whispered again, my voice breaking.Damien didn’t say anything right away. His hand slid up my back, his touch firm yet soothing, as if silently promising me that he wasn’t going anywhere. I needed that promise right now. I needed him to be here, solid and real, to hold me together while I fell apart.The
DAMIEN His words hit me like a punch to the gut, freezing me in place. My breath came in sharp, controlled bursts, my gaze snapping to the unconscious figure sprawled on the floor. I didn’t want to believe him. It had to be another trick, another lie. The bastard was desperate, and desperate men said anything to save their skin.But something about the way he said it—the crack in his voice, the way his eyes darted between me and her—made me pause.“What did you just say?” I demanded, my voice like the edge of a blade. My magic pulsed around me, still coiled and ready to strike, but now held in check by a thread of restraint.The dwarf swallowed hard, his throat bobbing as he pointed a trembling finger at her. “She’s the one. Jessica's daughter. I swear it.”“Why the hell didn’t you tell me this last night?” My voice was low, dangerous. “You knew where the witch’s daughter was, and you said otherwise.” The dwarf hesitated, his eyes flickering with guilt or maybe calculation. “I had
DAMIENI pried her hands off me and fixed her with a hard stare. "What do you mean? Are you talking about Keilah?" "Yes," she replied, her tone sharp. "I’m talking about her. She’s where she belongs—with her wolf mate. You two aren't supposed to stick together." Her words set my blood on fire. I grabbed her by the hair, yanked her up, and pinned her against the wall. My voice was a low growl as I demanded, "How do you know Keilah went to Ralph?" She glared at me, her grey eyes glowing ominously. I froze. A fae.This bitch was fae. I let her go abruptly, stepping back. She straightened her clothes with deliberate calm and turned her gaze on me. "I can take you to the witch you’re looking for," she said coolly. I narrowed my eyes. "How do you know where he is?" She smirked. "Didn't you just figure out what I am?" "Then lead the way. What are you waiting for?" I barked. She tilted her head, her smirk fading. "I will, but only after you promise me one thing—you will sta