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
KEILAHI searched his face, trying to understand what was going through his mind, but his expression was unreadable. The silence stretched between us, thick and tense. "Damien," I finally spoke, my voice softer than I intended. "Are you okay?" His eyes flickered slightly, but he still didn’t move, didn’t speak. I swallowed hard. "Garbie told me about the fight… You and Ralph…"Before I could say anything else, Damien reached for me. His strong arms wrapped around me, pulling me flush against his chest. The sudden warmth of his body against mine sent a shiver through me. His grip was firm—possessive, even—but after a few seconds, I felt the tension in his body slowly ease. I closed my eyes, letting out a quiet breath as I melted into him. My arms lifted on their own, wrapping around his back, holding onto him just as he held onto me. For a good while, neither of us spoke. The silence between us wasn’t uncomfortable. It was… grounding. Like we both needed this moment to re
DAMIEN The morning was still draped in darkness when I woke, my body stiff from exhaustion, yet my mind alert. I sat up on the edge of the bed, rubbing a hand down my face before glancing to my side.Keilah was still asleep, her breathing soft and steady, her lips slightly parted as she let out the occasional quiet snore. My gaze traced over her, from the delicate curve of her face to the way the blanket draped over her form. She looked peaceful—so different from how she had been last night, trembling and bleeding in my arms.My jaw tightened as I remembered. My fingers curled into the sheets as frustration rippled through me. I had almost lost her, and to what? A vampire I didn’t even know. That fact alone made my blood boil. Someone had taken her, hurt her, and forced her to do something I still didn't understand. But I would find out. I had to.My thoughts drifted back to last night, to the way I had craved her so damn badly, only to suddenly lose all interest. It wasn’t normal. A
DAMIEN Marina groaned as she sat up, clutching her head. Her fingers trembled as she reached for her dagger, the runes on its blade glowing faintly. “That wasn’t supposed to happen,” she muttered, her voice laced with both frustration and awe.Everyone scrambled to their feet, their eyes wide with alarm. “That surge… it wasn’t just residual magic. Something is on the other side.”Seth cursed under his breath, rubbing his shoulder where he had landed hard against the ground. “If we weren’t the ones stopping it, then who the hell is keeping it open?”I exhaled sharply, wiping the dust from my face. “We need to regroup. Marina, can you try again?”She hesitated, her gaze locked onto the swirling vortex. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea. If something is resisting me, then it’s either aware of us… or it’s trying to come through.”A deep, resonant sound echoed from the portal, like the groan of an ancient beast waking from slumber. The air vibrated with raw energy, and I felt the unmist
KEILAH I stirred, my body heavy with exhaustion. Even as I drifted toward wakefulness, the weight of last night pressed down on me. My mind felt sluggish, tangled in the strange events that had unfolded. With a quiet sigh, I turned over, reaching instinctively for Damien—only to feel empty sheets beneath my fingertips. My eyes snapped open. The spot beside me was cold. He had been gone for a while. I sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. My head still ached from the restless night. No matter how much I tried to push it away, the same question haunted me. What the hell happened to me last night?A sudden knock at the door made me jolt. My heart pounded as my mind instantly jumped to the worst possibility—Ralph. I swallowed hard, my fingers tightening around the blanket. I wasn’t in the mood for a fight, not after the night I’d had. If he saw me here, in Damien’s room, I already knew the argument that would follow. Then, a sharp wave of irritation hit me. Why am
KEILAH I let out a frustrated sigh and flopped back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. My choice? Was it really?If I didn’t do this, Ralph’s wolf would never get back to him, and he’d slowly waste away. But why should I care? Why did it have to be me who saved him?A bitter laugh escaped me.I hated him. I wanted to hate him. But deep down, a part of me still ached at the thought of him suffering.Closing my eyes, I whispered, “Damn it.”I let out a tired sigh and got up, smoothing the sheets on Damien’s bed. It was a small act, but it kept my hands busy—kept my mind from spiraling. Once the bed was neat, I headed out and into my room to clean up. As I stepped inside, my lips twitched in amusement. Garbie was curled up on my bed, sleeping soundly. A quiet laugh escaped me. “I remember her saying she's a vampire who doesn't get tired,” I murmured to myself. “But look at her, sleeping like a peaceful tired toddler.” Shaking my head, I grabbed some clothes and headed to the
DAMIEN I parked the car at the side of the road, the wheels crunching over gravel as I threw it into park. I turned to Seth, keeping my voice steady but firm. "Stay in the car. I’ll be right back."Seth didn’t say anything, just nodded as I got out of the car. I walked to the backseat, opened the door, and carefully lifted Marina into my arms. Her body was cold, unnervingly still.As I moved towards the woods, I noticed Ralph getting out of his car right behind mine. He didn’t say anything, just leaned against the side of his car, his arms crossed. He wasn’t trying to make this more complicated than it already was.James met me halfway as I carried Marina, walking quietly beside me, his eyes scanning the forest. We made our way towards the boundary where the barrier that separated the woods from Greenery Village stood visible, a shimmering line of magic hanging in the air. It felt like stepping into another world, one that was both calming and dangerous at the same time.When we reac
DAMIEN I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails cut into my palms, drawing blood. The scent of it filled the air, but I ignored it. The urge to destroy something—anything—coursed through me, but I forced myself to stay still. Losing control would get me nothing. Seth spun me around by my shoulder with a rough jerk, forcing me to face him. A guttural growl rumbled in his throat, his eyes burning with fury. "Where is Garbie? Did she go with the human?" His voice was sharp, laced with accusation and barely contained rage. A snarl erupted from Ralph before I could even respond. "She fucking has a name," he snapped, stepping toward Seth, his wolf flickering beneath his skin. Seth didn’t even glance at him. His glare stayed fixed on me as he spat, "To fucking hell I care about that." His chest heaved with frustration as he ran a hand through his hair before stabbing a finger in my direction. "I never liked that little thing from the first time you brought her here, and now look—she
KEILAH A deep, bone-chilling growl rumbled through the air, cutting through the steady downpour. My breath hitched. The creatures didn’t move, but I could feel their presence pressing in, watching.“How do we stop the rain?” I whispered, my voice barely audible over the storm.Garbie let out a frustrated sigh. “If I knew, we wouldn’t still be here!”I clenched my fists. My soaked clothes clung to me, making the cold settle deeper into my skin. I could barely tell where my trembling ended and the shivers from the cold began.I tilted my head slightly, careful to keep my eyes shut. “What if… what if we change the way we feel about it?”“What?” Garbie asked, confused.“The rain,” I said quickly. “What if it feeds off fear? I mean, think about it—when it started, we panicked. What if that’s what made it stronger?”Garbie went quiet again, then, after a moment, said, “That’s ridiculous… but I have no better idea, so let’s try it.”Before I could concentrate my mind, a strange, hollow soun
KEILAH The world spun violently around me as I tumbled down the rocky hill, my body rolling uncontrollably over jagged stones and patches of rough dirt. Pain shot through me with every impact, but I couldn’t stop. I had no control over my descent, and the speed at which I was falling only increased with every passing second.Above me, I could hear Garbie’s frantic voice, shouting something I couldn’t make out. My head slammed against the ground, sending a sharp, dizzying pain through my skull. I gasped, my arms flailing, trying to find something—anything—to stop my fall. But the hill was too steep, too cruel, and all I could do was brace for the inevitable.Then, suddenly, my body collided with a thick patch of grass, soft compared to the harsh terrain above. The impact still knocked the air from my lungs, but it slowed me enough to let me twist and dig my hands into the dirt. My fingers curled around a thick root, and I clung to it desperately, my chest heaving as I fought to catch
RALPH I watched her, every muscle in my body tense with a mixture of rage and something far darker—something I couldn't name. Her lips, soft and warm against mine, had been a shock to my senses. I could feel the bond snap into place the moment she kissed me, my wolf roared to life. It was everything I needed to reconnect with the beast inside me, but nothing had prepared me for the flood of emotions that came with it.I pulled away, gasping for air, my eyes snapping open to find Keilah still frozen in place, her expression unreadable. I saw it, though—the conflict, the confusion, the pain in her eyes. She wasn’t unaffected. She felt it, too. But her body was betraying her. She hated me. I could see it in every movement, in every cold, calculating glance she sent my way.I swallowed the anger rising in my throat, my chest tightening. “Damn it,” I muttered under my breath, pushing away from her.I needed to control myself. I couldn’t let her see how much it had affected me. My wolf was
KEILAH I let out a frustrated sigh and flopped back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. My choice? Was it really?If I didn’t do this, Ralph’s wolf would never get back to him, and he’d slowly waste away. But why should I care? Why did it have to be me who saved him?A bitter laugh escaped me.I hated him. I wanted to hate him. But deep down, a part of me still ached at the thought of him suffering.Closing my eyes, I whispered, “Damn it.”I let out a tired sigh and got up, smoothing the sheets on Damien’s bed. It was a small act, but it kept my hands busy—kept my mind from spiraling. Once the bed was neat, I headed out and into my room to clean up. As I stepped inside, my lips twitched in amusement. Garbie was curled up on my bed, sleeping soundly. A quiet laugh escaped me. “I remember her saying she's a vampire who doesn't get tired,” I murmured to myself. “But look at her, sleeping like a peaceful tired toddler.” Shaking my head, I grabbed some clothes and headed to the
KEILAH I stirred, my body heavy with exhaustion. Even as I drifted toward wakefulness, the weight of last night pressed down on me. My mind felt sluggish, tangled in the strange events that had unfolded. With a quiet sigh, I turned over, reaching instinctively for Damien—only to feel empty sheets beneath my fingertips. My eyes snapped open. The spot beside me was cold. He had been gone for a while. I sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. My head still ached from the restless night. No matter how much I tried to push it away, the same question haunted me. What the hell happened to me last night?A sudden knock at the door made me jolt. My heart pounded as my mind instantly jumped to the worst possibility—Ralph. I swallowed hard, my fingers tightening around the blanket. I wasn’t in the mood for a fight, not after the night I’d had. If he saw me here, in Damien’s room, I already knew the argument that would follow. Then, a sharp wave of irritation hit me. Why am
DAMIEN Marina groaned as she sat up, clutching her head. Her fingers trembled as she reached for her dagger, the runes on its blade glowing faintly. “That wasn’t supposed to happen,” she muttered, her voice laced with both frustration and awe.Everyone scrambled to their feet, their eyes wide with alarm. “That surge… it wasn’t just residual magic. Something is on the other side.”Seth cursed under his breath, rubbing his shoulder where he had landed hard against the ground. “If we weren’t the ones stopping it, then who the hell is keeping it open?”I exhaled sharply, wiping the dust from my face. “We need to regroup. Marina, can you try again?”She hesitated, her gaze locked onto the swirling vortex. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea. If something is resisting me, then it’s either aware of us… or it’s trying to come through.”A deep, resonant sound echoed from the portal, like the groan of an ancient beast waking from slumber. The air vibrated with raw energy, and I felt the unmist
DAMIEN The morning was still draped in darkness when I woke, my body stiff from exhaustion, yet my mind alert. I sat up on the edge of the bed, rubbing a hand down my face before glancing to my side.Keilah was still asleep, her breathing soft and steady, her lips slightly parted as she let out the occasional quiet snore. My gaze traced over her, from the delicate curve of her face to the way the blanket draped over her form. She looked peaceful—so different from how she had been last night, trembling and bleeding in my arms.My jaw tightened as I remembered. My fingers curled into the sheets as frustration rippled through me. I had almost lost her, and to what? A vampire I didn’t even know. That fact alone made my blood boil. Someone had taken her, hurt her, and forced her to do something I still didn't understand. But I would find out. I had to.My thoughts drifted back to last night, to the way I had craved her so damn badly, only to suddenly lose all interest. It wasn’t normal. A