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
"Ah...Alex! Please be gentle! Oh, God!!"A seductive, feminine moan shattered the silence, causing Serena's world to grind to a crashing halt.She stood frozen, unable to process the tangled, passionate embrace unfolding before her very eyes.It was as if someone had pressed the pause button on reality. All she could do was watch in numb shock as her entire life shattered into jagged shards around her.She saw the rapturous expression on Alex's face, the way he held the other woman with such achingly familiar yet utterly foreign intimacy.It felt like an out-of-body experience, like she was watching some horrible scene in a movie she couldn't turn off or fast-forward through.All she wanted was to escape, to run away from this fresh hell, but her body simply refused to obey her mental commands."Oh, Alex! I can't imagine you this intimate with that loser," the woman gasped between breathy moans, her words mingling obscenely with the sounds of frantically writhing bodies and the creaki
Serena had never been good at controlling her temper, and this unthinkable situation was pushing her to the absolute limit.She could feel the rage simmering just beneath the surface, begging for release."Don't you dare bring up mirrors," Diana scoffed with a smug look plastered across her face. "You're pathetic—"Before the cruel taunt could fully leave Diana's lips, Serena's open palm connected with her cheek in a powerful slap that echoed like a gunshot throughout the modern bedroom.The sharp crack reverberated in the stunned silence that followed.Shock registered on Diana's face while she brought a hand up to her stinging, reddened cheek. "Did you just slap me?" she asked incredulously as if she couldn't quite believe Serena had dared retaliate."I'll do it again, you whore," Serena spat, fury blazing in her eyes as she readied herself for another blistering strike if needed.She refused to let anyone disrespect her in such a vile way, especially not this two-faced snake who ha
The chauffeur, a gentleman of advanced years, turned slightly in his seat to address the distraught woman occupying the back of the plush vehicle. "Where shall I take you, young, Miss?" His voice was soft like a lullaby attempting to soothe a crying child. Serena hastily smeared away her tears with the heel of her hand and sniffed loudly. Her voice wavered as she commanded in a broken whisper, "Take me to the nearest bar." The chauffeur's lips parted as if he intended to protest but then sealed themselves shut again. He paused for several heartbeats before gathering enough courage to voice his concerns. “Miss Serena," he began cautiously, "I fear that going to a bar in your current state might not be advisable. His Excellency would surely disapprove if he were to discover this... And we are unaccompanied by guards. Plus, there's always the risk of unsavory characters taking advantage of your vulnerability." "I don't care! Just drive!" Serena snapped back fiercely at him. She recli
The dimly lit bar was a hushed sanctuary amid the city's chaos. Its soft glow illuminated the clinking of glasses and the low murmur of muffled conversations. It was a refuge for lost souls seeking solace in the bottom of a tumbler of whiskey or a glass of full-bodied red wine.Serena found herself drawn to a secluded corner booth, where the shadows seemed to wrap around her like an old friend offering comfort and discretion.Her phone buzzed insistently in her purse with another incoming message, but she chose to ignore it. This wasn't about anyone else tonight - this was her time, her moment to find some sliver of clarity amid the madness that had flipped her entire world on its axis."I will get through this," she whispered to herself as she tried to summon some semblance of courage from the depths of her soul. "I am stronger than I realize. Than anyone realizes."Soon enough, Serena was cradling her third generous glass of rich cabernet in her slender hands, finding a strange sens
[WARNING: EXTREMELY SENSITIVE CONTENT]Serena felt a rush of relief wash over her the instant she stepped outside, as though the dirt and regrets of previous encounters and mistakes were being washed away.She had sought refuge in this obscure establishment in a desperate attempt to find some sliver of tranquility and peace. And for a fleeting moment, she had discovered it at the bottom of an amber-filled glass and the warmth of a stranger's company. But his timing had been off by miles - a lifetime, really.Had circumstances been different, she might have entertained his advances and given in to that long-buried need for intimacy and connection.But not tonight. Maybe not ever, if she was being honest with herself.Her unsteady steps led her to the front desk of the hotel, where she fully intended to book herself a room for the night to sleep off the copious amounts of alcohol sloshing through her system.However, much to Serena's surprise and confusion, the impeccably dressed clerk
The strong glare of the antiseptic hospital lights assailed Serena's senses as her eyelids fluttered open. She was forced to squint in order to combat the uncompromising brightness of the fixtures.She attempted to shift her position, only for a searing pain to lance through her lower body and rendering her immobile.She let out a groan of agony.A glance downward revealed a sea of white linen draped over her form and bandages nestled between her legs.There was a creaking sound as the door opened, and someone entered.“You are awake.” The person spoke with a manly voice.She raised her head to look directly into the eyes of the hospital attendant. "Wh-what happened?" Her voice emerged as a parched croak, the words scraping past her dry throat.The doctor - a man whose age had etched soft lines around his kindly eyes - regarded her with an expression that was equal parts concern and professional detachment. "You were admitted earlier today," he began gently, "You've sustained signific
The insistent humming of her phone jolted Serena from her tormented sleep.She hadn't registered its presence on the bedside table earlier, so engrossed had she been in the tumultuous storm of her emotions. At first, Serena tried to dismiss the relentless ringing, but eventually capitulated when it became clear that the call was not going to cease.She reached out a hand and plucked up the mobile device, squinting against the harsh light of the screen.Her manager's name glared back at her. "Damn!" she muttered under her breath, pressing accept and lifting it to her ear.An instant later, she recoiled as a shrill scream assaulted her eardrum. "Where on earth are you? The show is about to start! I've managed to delay it for two hours already but we can't wait forever for you to grace us with your presence!"Her manager's voice was like ice water being poured over Serena's head; her eyes snapped open wide in shock. Oh no! Today was the award ceremony!She had returned early from a tour
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