Theme: Desperate Measures Aria’s POV Xander: "They're using magic and fear to control us. We have to find a way to break the curse. His words are so pressing they hang in the air. Though I can see the determination in his eyes, there is yet a hint of doubt there as well. He himself does not know how to end it. Like if it were reaching into my soul, the eerie tune starts again, this time slower but more relentless, and my chest tightens. Aria: "Xander, what if we can't?" What if it's too late already? The worry has held me like a vice, and I hate how weak my voice sounds. I can't get rid of the feeling that we're losing no matter how hard we try. Xander puts his hands on my shoulders and takes a step closer. I feel grounded by his warm touch. "Don't talk like that," noted Xander. We'll work something out. You underestimate your strength. With his best efforts to comfort me, his comments simply serve to underline my weakness. I'm not sure how much longer I can resist the m
Theme: Target of the Siren Aria’s POV Xander: "Aria, she's not simply chasing our land. She is chasing you.” His comments loom big between us. As his eyes meet mine, I feel my stomach turn over and a cold creep through my chest. I get a cold from the focus in his eyes, but it's not just fear…there's something else at play. Something more evil, more sinister. The siren is not simply targeting us in an attempt to gain control or power. She wants me. Aria: "Why?" she whispered. “Why me?” With his jaw stiffened and his neck muscles taut with strain, Xander takes a step closer to her. Xander: "I'm not sure. But whatever it is, we must find it before she attacks once more.” His voice reflects my own, and I can hear the anger in it. Never in my life have I felt so exposed. The pack is no longer the only issue. It's intimate. I'm forced to look into his eyes as he cups my cheek and I feel the warmth of his fingers. His touch settles me in the middle of this chaos, and our l
Theme: Pull of Magic Aria’s POV "Aria, don't let her take you!" Xander pleaded. Fight it!” The siren's spell envelops me more tightly, but his voice breaks through the fog in my head. With every step I take toward the sparkling water, I feel as though my body is no longer mine. I make an effort to stop, but my legs continue to drive me toward her. Whispering sound. “Aria, don't fight it. You have always been mine.” The lines sound like a horrible melody in my ears. I want to scream and run, but the magic suffocates me and pulls me under like a wave. The pull gets stronger the closer I go to her. I feel a hand suddenly grab my arm and pull me back so hard that I hit something solid…Xander's chest. He puts his arms around me and drags me away from the siren's hold while his body trembles with effort. Xander's teeth were clenched. "I refuse to give you up to her!" The air around us crackles with energy as the siren's eyes flash with rage. The walls of the cave shake,
Theme: The Battle of Hearts Aria’s POV "Aria!" gasped Xander. I get a shock of fear when I hear his voice. My heart is racing as I turn around. With the siren's magic encircling him like unseen cords, Xander is on his knees, gasping for air. The life draining from him is visible to me as her luminous hands pulse with electricity. Aria yelled, "No!" The rock As I rushed back to him, I was shoving slips out of my grasp. The siren's charm weighs me down with each stride, making it feel like I'm wading through thick air. But I push myself. I can't let him go. Not right now. Not after all that we've endured. Siren joking: "Aria, come nearer. Observe him fall. Now, he is unable to save you.” Even though her voice is full of poison, I ignore it. All I see is Xander, fighting the power, his body shaking, his face pallid. “Don’t... come... closer...” Xander said with a scared voice. With my heart thumping in my chest, I ignore him. I grasp his hand and fall on my knees next to him. He
Aria’s POV "Get behind me, Aria!" yells Xander. I can hardly hear him over the noise of the water racing toward us, but his voice breaks through the chaos. As I watch the wall of water speed closer, my feet feel like they're stuck to the earth. Xander takes hold of my hand and pulls me behind him while using his body to protect me. Aria yells,”We must relocate!" However, the wave hits us with full force before we can move forward. Upon impact, we both fall backward and strike with the sharp rocks. As I fight to keep my head above the swirling water, my eyesight becomes fuzzy. Panic grips me when Xander's hold on my hand softens. Aria: “Xander!” screaming “Wait a minute!” My lungs burn as I fight to find him, thrashing against the water. Fear clutches my chest more tightly than the river pulling me under as his black shape disappears into the rising wave. I can't let him go. Not right now. I'm about to lose strength when a powerful hand catches my wrist and pulls me up. I g
Aria's POV A spooky glow envelops Xander as he falls to his knees, his body quivering. My heart is thumping. His eyes flash between deep black and gold as his face twisted in agony. "Xander!" I yell and run in his direction, but as soon as I get a step closer, an unseen force hits my chest, sending me tumbling back across the damp sand. With a cunning grin on her lips, the siren stands in front of him. The air around us hums with power as her hands light with age-old magic. My body erupts in warning, every nerve screaming. "He’s mine now, little wolf," she purrs, tilting her head as though my plight delighted her. "Just like you will be." Xander's hands are grabbing at the floor. Each gasp is more difficult than the last, and his breathing is ragged. His muscles tense as he struggles against whatever spell is biting him, and sweat collects on his forehead. "No!" I growl, forcing myself to stand up in spite of my limb pain. As I position myself between them, my body responds inst
Aria’s POV I kneel next to him and hold his face. "Stay with me. Observe me.” His body trembles furiously as his skin sears against my palms. The siren observes us with amusement. "You might want to say your goodbyes." With my inner wolf seething, I give her a fierce look. "I’m not letting him die!" She crosses her arms and moans. "I’d love to stay and watch, but I have more important things to do." She disappears into the night before I can respond, her laughter resonating all around us. I return my attention to Xander. His lips are pallid, and he breathes shallowly. Aria, think. Consider! He must be able to be saved. Then I realize. The relationship between mates. Perhaps, just possibly, our relationship can help him recover if magic is killing him. I touch his forehead to mine. "Listen to me, Xander. Wait a moment." I close my eyes and give this connection everything I have. Love. Devotion. Everything we've experienced. When we first met, He looked at me as though I w
My head hurts. Sharp pain blazes like fire through my skull. My body feels heavy, caught in something moist and cold, but I try to move. Where am I? I try to open my eyes, but nothing is there. Nothing except blackness. The smell of salt and something... horrible permeates the air. My heart is thumping. I try to sit up, but I'm stopped by the rattling chains. Chains? I rush with fear and pull at my wrists. My skin is bitten by cold metal. My legs are also bound. I start to breathe more rapidly. No, no, no. "Xander?" I can hardly speak over a whisper. Quiet. I get chills when I hear a quiet laugh coming from the shadows. "You’re awake," a warm voice purrs. The siren. My blood becomes icy. "Where is Xander?" With a firmer voice, I demand. "What have you done to him?" She doesn't respond. Rather, the room is filled with a soft, unsettling light. I blink quickly as my eyes get used to it. The walls have odd patterns, and moss growth, and are wet. A cavern. We're underground. T
Aria’s POVThe world shook beneath us. My father, now a spinning storm of darkness, floated above the broken battlefield. His form was no longer human—he was a mass of dark and rage, eyes shining like dying stars. The air was thick with despair, and the ground cracked under the weight of his power. I stood amidst the confusion, my body aching, my magic nearly spent. Xander was asleep beside me, his breaths weak. Ryder knelt a few feet away, his hands glowing slightly as he tried to shield us from the storm. Around us, the remains of our friends lay spread, some hurt, some gone. I felt a rush of anger and sadness. This was not the world I had envisioned. This was not the future I wanted. But I realized then that fate was not a road set in stone—it was a choice. I rose to my feet, summoning the last of my strength. The golden light within me flickered, then flared, brighter than ever before. I looked up at the storm that was once my father and shouted, "I will not let you destr
Aria’s POV "Hello, my daughter. Did you miss me?"He asked and his voice crawled over my skin like ice. The man in the red robe stepped closer, his golden eyes burning like twin suns in the dark. My knees nearly buckled. Because I remembered him from my dreams. From the dreams... From the stories, my mother never finished. He was the one who left her. He was the one who cursed me. He was the one who started everything. My real father. The final piece of the vision. Xander growled beside me, his body tense, ready to attack. Ryder held my arm, still weak but alert. The forest was silent like it was holding its breath. Even the wind had stopped. "You're dead," I whispered. He smirked. "Everyone says that. Yet here I am." "Why are you here now?" "Because it's time," he said simply. "The world is ready for change. And you, Aria, are the key." I clenched my hands. "I won't help you." He sighed, like a parent unhappy with a stubborn child. "You don't know what you're refusing. Y
Aria’s POVThe night was cold, but my blood burned hot. Surrounded. Outnumbered. Wounded. But not afraid. Not anymore.I stepped forward, slowly, my glowing mark lighting the dark forest. Xander stood beside me, limping but fierce. My mother, Evelyn, stood on the other side, her silver hair glinting under the moonlight.Behind us, Ryder lay unconscious. I could still feel his heart. He was alive…for now. But the cloaked figures before us? They came to kill us.“The Council has made its decision,” the lead Shadow Walker said, stepping out from the line. His eyes were like ice. “The child of prophecy must die. ” I’m not a child anymore,” I said, lifting my head. “And I’m done running.”The golden glow on my wrist pulsed harder…brighter. Power surged through my veins like fire. It was mine now. No longer something to fear. I wasn’t just a mix of bloodlines.I was something new. Something greater. “A Seer with Alpha blood…” another one of them sneered. “Abomination.”I raised my voice. “Y
Aria's POVThe cave was cooler now, even though the fire still burned in the corner. My heart pounded so loud I could barely hear anything else. Xander’s hand was tight around mine, but his eyes were locked on the mark shining on my wrist...golden, dancing, and alive. It wasn’t just a mark. It was a warning. A promise. A truth I had tried to forget. “What is that?” he asked in a whisper like speaking too loudly would break something between us. I swallowed hard. “It’s… the mark of truth.”Xander raised a brow. “Truth?” I nodded. “Only someone born of two powerful bloodlines can carry it. It shows lies… and binds people to fate.” His face changed… confusion mixing with something else. Fear, maybe. Or understanding.“You mean, the lies people tell… it shows you?” “Yes,” I whispered. “And sometimes, it shows them to me in flashes. Pieces of their past… or the future they hide.”His grip on my hand relaxed. “And you have this now?” I looked down at the glowing mark. “It appeared whe
Aria’s POVThe glow of the flame flashed against the tense faces around it. Aria stood there, her heart heavy from being lied to. Thalos, who she used to trust, had admitted to helping Lyria. It was hard to breathe because of how heavy his words were in the air."Why, Thalos?" Aria's voice was shaking. "After everything we've been through." Thalos looked down, and his eyes showed that he felt ashamed. "I thought I could keep you safe. Lyria offered safety if I gave her information." Kael stepped forward, his hand on his sword. "And you believed her? You risked everyone." "I didn't know she'd attack," Thalos defended. "I thought I could control it." Aria turned away, tears running down her face. The pain of lying cut deep. She had trusted Thalos and leaned on him during their darkest times. Elara approached her sister, relaxing her hand on her shoulder. "We need to decide what to do next," she said. Kael nodded. "We can't stay here. Lyria knows our home." Aria wiped her tears, p
Aria’s POV"You thought betraying our pack would keep us safe?" Aria’s voice trembled; her hands clenched at her sides. "You’ve been working with her all this time?"Thalos shook his head quickly. "No! Not all this time. Just…just lately. After your first fight with her. She stretched out to me. She stated she could help me protect you... That she wouldn’t harm you if I cooperated." "So you told her where we were hiding?" Kael took a threatening step forward. "You led her right to us." "I didn’t know she’d bring an army!" Thalos yelled. "I didn’t know she’d hurt Elara or kill anybody! I swear!" "You knew what she was capable of." Aria's voice sounded like ice now. "You watched her try to kill me. You knew." A deep quiet fell. Elara arrived behind Aria, still pale and weak, but her look was full of wonder. “You betrayed us... after everything?” Thalos sank to his knees, unwilling to face any of them in the eye. “I tho
Aria’s POVThe mark on my chest glows once again as I move forward and raise my hands. Through the gloom, a ray of light emerges into the sky. It all stops for a second. Lyria freezes, too. Hissing at the light, the shadows contort and contract. The air grows warm like the dawn is breaking. Then a scream…no, a howl…cuts through the silence. Callum. He stumbles out from behind the battlefield, injured but he’s still alive, and I turn around just in time to see it. Even though his skin is scraped and bruised and his clothing is ripped, he fixes his intensely determined gaze on mine. He yells, "Aria!" and I dash to him, disregarding everything else. Our bodies collide, his arms encircling me firmly. He inhales, "I thought I'd lost you," "I thought you were gone," I gasped, clutching to him. But our reunion is cut short. A burst of black fire smashes the ground beside us, sending us flying apart. With a gasp, I hit the ground and rolled over to see Lyria stomping toward us.
Aria’s POVThe smell of blood and burning hung in the air as Aria stood in the middle of the ruined pack house. A glaring reminder of Lyria's fury, the once-vibrant center of their village now lay in ruins. Her heart hurt for Callum, whose fate was still unknown, for her pack, and for the lives lost. Thalos stepped forward, his face solemn. "We have to move quickly. The more time that goes by, the more powerful Lyria becomes. Aria nodded, her features stiffening with determination. "We need to find Callum and stop her before more lives are lost." With fear and determination imprinted on their faces, the remaining pack members assembled. They listened carefully as Aria explained their strategy: to find out where Lyria was going, to get Callum back, and to face the evil that was endangering their world. Aria took comfort in the forest's silence while preparations got underway. She was filled with both painful and consoling memories of her mother. She thought back to
Aria’s POV Xander moved protectively in front of her, but Lyria raised a hand. With a flick of her fingers, he was thrown backward into the lake. “Don’t worry, he’s not hurt. But you… Aria, you’ve made a mess. And now you’re too close to the truth.” Aria took a shaky step forward. “You’re the one who blocked Callum’s memories. You’re working with them…the shadows.” Lyria smiled. “Oh, darling… I’m not working with them.” Her smile faded into a cold sneer. “I created them.” Aria’s breath caught. Her knees nearly gave out. “You… you were my mother’s sister.” “And she was a fool,” Lyria spat. “She wasted her power. Gave it all to a weak child who doesn’t even know how to use it.” “You killed her?” Aria whispered, tears forming in her eyes. “I did what I had to. And now I’ll finish what I started.” She raised her hand again, shadows dancing around her fingers. The water around Aria started to churn violently. She screamed for Xander, but he was still unconscious.