With that ominous statement, his striking features began to contort and shift in an almost hideous manner that had Serena’s instincts screaming at her to shrink back. Yet, she remained rooted in place, utterly transfixed as she watched her husband's achingly familiar visage melt and reshape itself into something else entirely.The sharp planes of his strong jaws seemed to protrude and elongate and his full lips pulled back to reveal a set of curved, wickedly elongated canines. Thick ropes of dense, obsidian fur erupted along the column of his neck and across his broad brow, framing his face in a wild mane of darkness.Serena felt her breath catch in her throat as a pair of large, pointed ears emerged from the mass of rippling black fur atop his head. His striking amber eyes were swallowed by a searing golden blaze that seemed to glow with an otherworldly inner light. The bones of his face seemed to crack and reform, reshaping themselves into a more feral structure.Serena willed he
Serena heard the muffled cacophony of angry voices as she descended the grand, sweeping staircase that dominated the entrance hall of the family estate. Her heart quickened when she recognized the deep, commanding timbre of her father's voice rising above the others. It was laced with a rare edge of irritation that immediately set her on edge.The conversation abruptly ceased when her father must have heard her approaching footsteps. The tension in the air was almost palpable. Serena paused for a moment, her hand resting lightly on the cool metal of the banister, before continuing her descent."Is everything alright?" she asked worriedly, sweeping her gaze over the gathered group.Her father quickly schooled his features into a more neutral expression. "Ah, pumpkin. Everything's fine. Just some last-minute details we were discussing."Serena wasn't convinced. She could sense the underlying tension in the room, thick enough to cut with a knife. Her eyes moved from person to person,
Killian only smiled more broadly, never one to listen to cautions or respect boundaries. "Oh, come now. No need to be shy. I've done my research, you know. Did you know that a good, vigorous tumble between the sheets is supposed to help with those nasty cramps?" He threw her an exaggerated wink. "Don't go easy on my poor brother, sis. You have every right to make the Ice Mountain service you properly during these days and keep you...satisfied."The last word was practically purred in a tone heavy with salacious suggestion, and Serena felt her blush deepen until she was certain her face was a truly spectacular shade of scarlet. "Killian!" she hissed through gritted teeth, her eyes darting towards Knox to gauge his reaction to Killian’s crude remarks.How he could say such outrageously inappropriate things with a perfectly straight face, she would never understand.“What—” Seven suddenly grabbed Killian by the arm and forcibly dragging him away before he had the time to dig his own g
The S.C.D Entertainment Starlight Gala was the event of the century that drew the crème de la crème of society to its glittering red carpet. The air was electric with anticipation as fans and paparazzi lined the velvet ropes, their excited chatter rising to a fever pitch each time a new limousine or luxury car pulled up to the entrance of the grand event center.The red carpet stretched out like a crimson river, flanked by towering topiary sculptures and twinkling fairy lights. Security personnel in neat black suits maintained a watchful presence, their earpieces buzzing with hushed communications from time to time.The arrivals started flooding the place in earnest as the golden hour drew near. A sleek silver Rolls-Royce Phantom glided to a stop, and one of the media moguls, Jasper Sinclair, emerged. His salt-and-pepper hair was perfectly coiffed and the mask required for the occasion framed his face. He adjusted his designer suit, flashing his million-dollar smile at the cameras
The final figure to emerge from the sedan was the one that really made the entire crowd absolutely erupt into disarray. It was none other than President Walter Bolting himself - the same man that the entire world had thought was dead!He looked every inch the powerful leader in an exquisitely tailored black tuxedo and had an intricate gold mask covering half of his face. Yet, it somehow only amplified his whole aura of distinguished authority. A hush fell over the crowd before the paparazzi surged forward like a tidal wave."Holy shit, it's President Bolting! I can't believe it!""But how is this even possible? Didn't he get whacked?" "President Bolting! President Bolting! Can we get a statement over here, sir?"“How are you still alive?” “We heard you were dead.” “Where do you stand now that a new President has been elected?” "Where have you been during these past weeks? Everyone believed you were dead.""What exactly is going on?"Microphones and cameras were thrust towards th
Just as the crowd was still recovering from the gorgeous pair's entrance, movement from the car caught their attention once more.Another impeccably polished male shoe touched the red carpet before a second masked man emerged from the depths of the luxury vehicle.If the first mysterious gentleman had seemed ripped straight from the pages of a storybook, this next one was like something out of a bodice-ripper romance novel cover, handcrafted by the gods themselves to bring the wildest fantasies to life.His tall, muscular frame radiated a dangerous, almost feral sort of power and masculinity. The crisp lines of his burgundy suit tailored to perfection only served to accentuate the tantalizing promise of the well-defined physique lying beneath. His strong jawline could have cut glass, and his penetrating amber eyes seemed to smoke with an intensity that could burn through even the thickest of masks."Holy...fucking...shit...!" a flustered paparazzo mumbled, struggling to keep his com
Kylie felt as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice water down her spine the moment Knox's penetrating gaze landed on her. There was something deeply, profoundly unsettling about this man with an aura of quiet menace that sent her instincts into full-blown panic mode. She didn't know the first thing about who he was, but every fiber of her being was screaming that he was dangerous. The kind that could end your whole existence without breaking a sweat.The overwhelming sense of dread she'd experienced earlier when she saw her dead father alive and well was amplified tenfold. It was like standing on the edge of a cliff, knowing you were about to fall but unable to step back. Kylie's fight-or-flight reflexes kicked into overdrive, and she quickly decided her best play was the damsel-in-distress card. She may be an actress with a shelf full of awards, but these crocodile tears were going to need every ounce of her considerable talent."Oh no, please!" she cried out, bringing a trembl
MD Kent’s hands trembled visibly as he hastily made his way to the elevated platform at the front of the cavernous, opulently-decorated hall. The air was saturated with the mingled scents of expensive perfumes and the subtle aroma of gourmet hors d'oeuvres being passed around by neatly dressed servers.The MD nervously adjusted his bow tie and fussed with the microphone while the last of the esteemed attendees found their seats. He tapped it one last time before clearing his throat with an unnecessarily loud "Ahem!""Welcome, honored guests!" Donald Kent’s voice boomed through the state-of-the-art sound system. Despite the grandeur of his surroundings, a thin sheen of sweat glistened on his brow as he forced what he hoped was a winning smile. Having their notorious first master and his crew here was beyond unnerving. "Thank you all for joining us this evening and for your tremendously generous contributions to our charitable endeavors. Your philanthropy will make a real differenc
Only the monsters remained a seemingly endless horde that would continue to ravage and destroy until the entire world was little more than a barren, lifeless husk. Knox could not, would not, allow that to happen. Not after everything, not after the unfathomable sacrifices that had already been made in the pursuit of preventing such a future from coming to pass. Too much had been lost, too many lives extinguished in the fires of this onslaught. Darkness swirled around him and began coiling outwards to merge with the torrential downpour. The vortex rapidly expanded, growing in size and ferocity until it became an all-consuming maw ready to devour everything in its path. The earth itself seemed to tremble by the vortex of annihilation taking form, as if the very world were protesting the profane nature of the forces being brought to bear. The air itself seemed to warp and twist, reality buckling under the strain of the immense power being channeled. Each bolt of lightning tha
Knox simply remained there for long, excruciating moments, taking in the sight of her serene repose as if etching every line and curve into his tortured memory so he wouldn't lose even the tiniest detail.Suddenly, Serena's body was engulfed in a dazzling burst of light, with glowing tendrils extending outward to encircle Knox's form. He pulled the light within, absorbing it as if he were a hole eating the stars. It was the portion of his soul he had given Serena in both their past lives and this current one, now being reclaimed after her death. Then Knox rose to his feet with fluidity, seemingly defying the rules of gravity once the last remnants of that magnificent essence were sucked back into his form."Let us never meet again!" he intoned, his voice a discordant rasp that held no trace of anything remotely human. The words carried such weight, such profundity of power that the trembling maid instantly crumpled motionlessly to the floor. Her mind simply could not withstand the
Tears burned hot in Meredith's eyes at the brutal truth of Enzo's words. She had failed - failed utterly to protect Knox, failed to prevent this future from becoming their new reality. Deep in her soul, she could feel the ancient spirits of Queen Minerva and Princess Myra weeping bitter tears of sorrow and regret. Their sacred bloodline, their eternal legacy was now irrevocably tainted by this unraveling of fate.A choked sound somewhere between a sob and a bitter peal of laughter escaped her lips when Sahar's severed head came rolling to a stop at her feet with her dead eyes still holding a mocking glint of triumph even in death. The twisted wench had achieved her ultimate goal - to bring about the utter ruination of their legacy, the destruction of every last Cavalieri-Delgaard dynasty. All around them, the battle raged on with no end in sight, the air thick with the sights, sounds and smells of death. Killian's towering Lycan form, battered and bleeding from a thousand savage
The sight of everyone she loved fighting for their very existence against such overwhelming odds...it was a blade twisting in Meredith's heart.A searing agony lanced through her and she knew Enzo was injured. It was the effect of a mate bond whether fated or chosen. She stumbled, gasping for air as she clutched at her chest. The pain was almost beyond endurance… like a molten lance of agony that threatened to bring her to her knees. Tears burned in her eyes and her sight blurred as the true gravity of their situation hit her like a battering ram. Any wound inflicted by these abominations was fatal. Their claws, fangs, and very essence were imbued with a poison that corrupted all it touched.“Is there no way?” Her mind reeled like ashes on the wind as another spasm of anguish gripped her in its merciless talons. “Is there no way to save them all? To avert this future I've foreseen?”Her body trembled violently and her legs threatened to give out beneath her as she watched her love
Meredith drew on her newly regained powers and unleashed a torrent of energy at the beasts. The demons recoiled, shrieking in fury and anguish as magic seared their rotting flesh. The stench of burning meat filled the air, mingling with the miasma that clung to the creatures.Meredith maintained the onslaught, driving them back through the shattered doorway with relentless determination.Next, she sealed the room with an impenetrable barrier when the last of the abominations stumbled back into the hall, wailing in pain and wrath.She turned to face the trembling girl. "Stay here if you wish to live, child," Meredith instructed. "This madness needs to cease, and soon, before it swallows us all."Then she swept from the chamber and out into the chaos that had engulfed the estate's once-clean halls. The hallway ahead was a nightmare come true, with claw marks on the walls, bloody paintings, and the crushed bodies of fallen defenders strewn over the floor like discarded objects.Meredi
Meredith's heart thundered against her ribcage as she paced the length of Knox and Serena's bedroom suite. Her footfalls echoed with a hollow resonance that belied the emptiness gnawing at her very soul.The incessant rattling and banging against the thick oak door grew more insistent with each passing moment in a cacophony of destruction that served as a reminder of the hellish forces laying siege to their home. Beyond that rapidly crumbling barrier, chaos ruled in an unholy storm of violence that threatened to devour all Meredith held dear.Shrieks of unimaginable agony intermingled with roars. Each haunting wail, each guttural bellow, sent a fresh wave of anguish coursing through Meredith's immortal frame. How many had already fallen? The question burned in her mind like acid, eating away at what little composure she managed to maintain. How many brave warriors, loyal protectors of the estate had lost their lives under the claws of these abominations? The faces of those she had
"I'm the only woman alive now who can give you an heir, bear you children to carry on your bloodline..." Her words were a hushed whisper. "I am your rightful mate at long last. We were always meant to be together as one, you and I. Two halves of the same whole."She sniffled again as a fresh wave of tears spilled forth. "You should have accepted my request earlier, when I simply wanted to enjoy one night with my betrothed...to bask in the warmth of your embrace, as is my right as your—"Her words died on her lips when Knox suddenly closed the distance and wrapped his hand around her slender throat in a grip, wrenching her forward until her feet left the ground. Then he slammed her head back against the stone wall with brutal force to crack her skull. Sirona let out a pained, wheezing laugh as she stared up at him with wild, unfocused eyes. A thin trickle of crimson seeped from the corner of her mouth, tracing a macabre path down her chin."You...you wouldn't dare..." she choked out
Knox felt as if the entire world had collapsed around him, with a devastating blast of despair and despair threatening to break what little remained of his damaged psyche into a million shattered fragments. The sheer, all-consuming agony that had lanced through him was unlike anything he'd ever experienced before. It that it defied description… as though every nerve ending in his immortal body had been set ablaze and doused in acid simultaneously.The air became heavy and oppressive as the full impact of what had happened started to sink in, and the cold stone of the dungeon walls seemed to close in around him.Knox simply couldn't - no, he utterly refused with every fiber of his being to accept the cruel reality that his worst fears had been realized in the most brutal and decisive way imaginable. Serena. His beautiful, precious mate...the very radiant light in his darkness...she was gone. Why? The question kept coming back to him, echoing through the vast emptiness of his head, e
The huge double doors to the dungeon at one of Knox's estates slid open, revealing his towering figure. An oppressive air accompanied him, making it feel as if the very atmosphere held its breath in his presence. Dark tendrils like mist swirled around him, and his eyes that was always cold, blazed with a fury that made them appear even icier than usual. His mind was still reeling from the hateful words Serena had hurled at him in the car earlier, and in a moment of desperation, he had teleported himself here.Knox despised himself for losing control and slapping Serena in a moment of anger. He couldn’t forgive himself, especially when the thought crossed his mind that perhaps Sirona had found a way to bypass his restraint meant to keep her in check, and had gotten into Serena’s mind. More than half of him believed the venomous words Serena had spoken weren't hers but were instead Sirona’s doing. This belief drove him to the dungeon, determined to confirm his theory.His eyes lan