"It is called the Home of the Zeta Ōkami"Layla frowned at the name. It sounded strange, like an ancient language that wasn't in existence anymore. "What does it mean?",she asked."I will tell you everything once we're aboard the ship",Riven assured her and guided the horses towards a grassy part of the forest. He got down and went over to Layla. His hands went around her waist and he slowly brought her down so she was standing in his embrace. "What about the horses?",she asked worriedly."Do not worry about them, my love",Riven said. "They will be safe here until we return"The horses were left to graze while Riven helped Layla into the small rowboat at the bank of the ocean. There was a comfortable silence between them as Riven paddled the short distance to the large ship awaiting them.He helped her climb up the rung ladder and onto the deck before he climbed up after her. After making sure she was warm enough, he took hold of the wheel and their journey began. The ship cruised
'You mean the whole world to me... you are my world. My universe...' -Bella Cupid-Layla kept screaming until her voice turned hoarse. She willed the image to go. She tried to snap back to the present, away from the gory sight before her. And the horrific sight of her own dead body.Out of the blue she heard Riven's voice. He sounded worried."Please my love, wake up. Open your eyes. I'm here with you. You're safe with me"Her screams turned into sobs as she felt familiar strong hands around her. The sparks of the mate bond tingled her body but the fear of witnessing that bloody scene again, that bloody battle ground, the fear was too much. Her eyes remained closed and she sobbed harder, her shoulders shaking as she trembled. Riven's voice sounded again. "Please sweetheart, open your eyes. You're safe. Nothing is going to hurt you. I'm here with you"It took a long time before Layla mustered up the courage to open her eyes. She expected to see the same bloody scene but sur
After dinner that evening, Layla had fallen asleep instantly due to her tiredness. The journey to Zeta Ōkami and her fear of what was shown to her coupled with all her crying stressed her out and she zoned out instantly in the dining room. She didn't even stir when Riven cradled her in his arms and took her up to his room. Slowly he took off her shoes and drew the blanket around her before lying next to her.During the night, she was plagued with nightmares of the dead bodies she witnessed in the mystic river. She would wake up, screaming with fear and clutching her chest as if in pain. Other times, she would wake up thrashing and crying out for mercy from unknown persons.Riven was always there beside her to calm her down and assure her that she was safe with him. Because of the recurring nightmare, he didn't sleep a wink. He kept vigil over her, holding her close when she began to thrash again or when she trembled in her sleep. His heart ached for her and he wished he had never take
"It's so refreshing to see you worried about your precious mate"Riven turned around abruptly and came face to face with the seventh devil.Belphegor, the sloth.Controlling the rage that coursed through him, Riven quietly folded his arms and stared at the devil with a face devoid of emotion. He didn't react yet;surely Belphegor had a good reason for appearing to him. The devil's form was gradually fading and soon he wouldn't be able to leave Tartarus again. Riven knew all the devils would be on rampage, looking for a way to escape."Well, aren't you you going to welcome me into your humble home?",Belphegor asked in a voice dripping with sarcasm. There was a devilish smirk on his face as he leaned against the wall."I think you missed your way",Riven replied him in an equally sarcastic voice. "Your home remains in Tartarus"Belphegor chuckled lazily and walked a few paces towards Riven."Not for long Riven",he said slowly. "Not for long"Riven's mind suddenly went to his mate that was
Layla frowned at the word party."You don't have to come if you don't want to",Riven assured her quickly when he noticed the panicked expression on her face.Layla went quiet, thinking about how a party would be. "Why is it called a black and white party?",she asked after contemplating it."It's an annual ball that is thrown to honour the moon goddess",Riven explained. "The white is the colour of the moon, and the black is for the earth of the island""It sounds interesting",Layla whispered."It will be, if you're there with me",Riven said quietly.Layla looked up at him, loosing herself in the honey depths of his eyes. A part of her didn't want to go for the party because there would be large crowd of different creatures. And they would all stare at her, wanting to know who she was. Riven had still not passed the news around, about her being his mate because he was trying to protect her from his enemies.But at that party, people would wonder who she was because it would be a surpri
Layla was visibly trembling by the time they got to the large doors that led to the ballroom. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and kept telling herself that everything would be fine. She knew Riven would never leave her side. It was a mask party after all. All she had to do was leave her mask on through out the entire party. She would be fine.Riven squeezed her hand gently and turned her to face him."You will need this",he said softly and held up a silver mask with intricate designs and white fur on the sides. "I know I said you will choose your own mask, but I hope you like this one"Layla said nothing. She just leaned upwards and kissed his lips, smiling brightly at him. Then she turned around so he could tie the mask around her face.The silver mask covered half of her face and only the tip of her nose and her lips were visible.Taking her hand in his again, Riven pushed open the door that led to the grand ballroom and led the way inside.Layla suddenly felt intimidated
"You!"Caroline shrieked when she turned and saw the person standing behind her. Right behind her was Seraphina, the female dragon shifter. She looked exquisite. Dressed in a bronze coloured gown with a white and black mask, she looked every inch the ruler of the dragon clan. Her hair spilled down her shoulders in a wavy brown river but the expression on her face was one of annoyance and boredom."Do I have to repeat myself?",she asked casually, knowing fully well that the women were all staring at her and wondering how she was allowed to be at the ball.Everyone knew Seraphina. The mate of the dead dragon lord, Magnus. Everyone knew the history of the dragon clan. How they had betrayed the lycanthropes by joining forces with the devils in the last war that took place centuries ago, when the seven devils wanted to take over the realm. After the victory of the lycanthropes, the dragon clan had been banished to the ends of the island and a curse was placed on them as a punishment for t
Layla stared at the three women standing in front of her, unable to say a word in return. She couldn't tell them she was Riven's mate. Riven already told her the reason why he didn't want the entire creatures to know she was his mate. It would only endanger her more. If he wanted them to know who she really was, he would be the one to tell them himself.But she wished Riven was there with her to save her from this predicament. She still wasn't bold enough to exchange words with anyone and these women, these she-wolves were ready to devour her with the jealousy in their eyes."Are you deaf?",Caroline snapped, looking Layla up and down. "I still find it hard to believe that the Alpha would choose someone like you. I mean, you're not really his type"The other ladies murmured in agreement as they all stared at Layla like she was insignificant."The Alpha prefers women with class",Delilah spoke from the door while her eyes remained on Layla. "You remember the last relationship he had with
The human realm, Kingdom Of Northville....The sun slowly rose from the eastern horizon and brightened the magnificent city of Northville, welcoming its citizens to a brand new day.At the edge of the kingdom, hidden among the wild flowers and surrounded by the forest of the willows was a fancy cottage.The front door of the cottage swung open and a white haired young woman stepped outside, holding a basket of grains."Kalista, don't forget to feed the chickens",a female voice called from within the cottage."Yes, mother",Kalista responded and twirled her way towards the metal cage behind the cottage. She hummed to herself along the way, holding up her dress and skipping lightly."Good morning, my little feathered friends",she smiled warmly as she got to the cage and crouched before it. The chickens squawked in anticipation for their morning meal, and Kalista carefully tipped the basket she held and poured out the grains into the feeder."Don't rush, there's enough for everyone",she
Six years later....Riven's mansion was filled with the sound of celebration and decorated with Christmas lights. Outside, it was blazing cold and snowing hard but inside the house, it was warm and cozy as a low fire burned in the chimney.There was a large Christmas tree in the middle of the living room, decorative lights twinkling like a thousand jewels. Beneath the tree, there were dozens of presents, boxes wrapped in fancy wrappings.It was Christmas.Six year old Xavier and Cade raced around the large living room, laughing happily as they were being chased my Clarissa, Caleb's three year old daughter. The boys totally adored her and they protected her from the bullying of the other shifter's kids. Clarissa had bright blonde hair like her father, but had her mother's sky blue eyes. Her smile was enchanting, the deep dimples on her cheeks giving her an adorable look.As the children raced around the living room, Layla watched them from the top of the stairs with a smile. She had
Three years later....Riven sprinted through the large halls of his huge mansion, racing towards his room at the top floor with a woman behind him.She was a doctor, a shifter who didn't want to belong to any pack, and prefered to live on her own. She had volunteered to help Layla in her delivery for a handsome fee.She was just a young werewolf, only two hundred years old with no sign of her mate yet."Alpha slow down",she chuckled behind him as she rushed towards the room where the Luna was waiting. "We still have a few more hours before the baby comes""The contractions are getting unbearable",Riven said over his shoulder but didn't reduce his hurried steps. In a panicked mode, he sent a mind link to his mate.[My love, hold on. The doctor is on her way to you][Oh Riven, hurry. I'm so terrified], Layla's reply made the beast in him more frantic and he flew up the remaining flight of stairs.He shoved the door open and hurried to the side of the bed where Layla was.Layla was sitt
Riven felt suddenly whole. He shut his eyes, forgetting everything else and focusing on the feeling of Layla's soft body close to him. His arms tightened around her, one hand reaching up to caress her hair. The scent of apples and roses, the scent he had grown so used to, flooded his senses and made him dizzy from relief. All of a sudden, everything seemed alright. All the years he had been wallowing in anguish and guilt sudden disappeared. It didn't matter anymore as long as his mate was in his arms."Layla",he whispered in her ear, burying his nose in the crook of her shoulder and breathing in her scent. The unique scent that belonged to only her. "Is it really you?""Yes, Riven",Layla whispered back to him, tears rolling down her cheeks when she answered him. "I came back to you, my love"The feeling was surreal and it still felt like a dream to him. Only the sparks of the mate bond and the softness of her body made him believe it was actual reality.He was really holding his ma
Years had passed since the last battle with the devils and the lycanthropes, and everything was finally back to normal.Riven didn't return to the hidden island, the only place he knew as his home. He decided it was time to start a new life somewhere else.He established a new territory in the human world, a city called DeVille . He built a much more magnificent mansion and the entire lycanthropes lived in peace just as they had been living in the hidden island.His business thrived, producing billions for him every year. Soon, Riven Qinn became the talk of the city. Men respected him, women adored and worshipped him, wishing they could catch the young handsome billionaire's attention.They had no way of knowing that Riven was centuries old, and he would never love another woman.Caleb was promoted to the position of Supreme Beta and Knox was the new Supreme Gamma.Over the years, majority of the lycanthropes were united with their mates and the Dark Creek Pack expanded as babies were
Xavier felt his breath bust out of his mouth. It was only then that he realized he had been holding it. Selene, the Moon Goddess was right in front of him?Without another word, he bowed his head to the ground, trembling from awe and immense respect. For the Moon Goddess herself to appear to him was something he couldn't fathom. He wasn't worth it. He wasn't worth to be in her presence.His lips trembled as he bowed his head repeatedly before Selene."Rise, Xavier",Selene continued in a soothing voice, the hint of an amused smile playing around her perfect lips.However, Xavier shook his head and remained on the ground before her."I know you're wondering why I have appeared to you",the Moon Goddess said. "You helped the lycanthropes defeat the war, even when you were part of the reason for the war in the first place"Xavier trembled from shame when he heard the goddess. He had indeed been a part of the cause. He had made a deal with the devil and deceived Layla just because he want
A week later...A week had flown by since the bloody battle with the devils and the demons of hell. The spot where the battle took place in Red River City was scorched and blackened badly and would forever be a reminder to people, both humans and supernatural creatures, of the day the devils almost took over the world.The desert creatures had exchanged polite words with Riven, congratulating each other for their victorious battle. And when the sultan tried to offer his condolences on Layla's death, Riven declined and wished them safely back to their realm.Left with nothing else to say, the sultan nodded respectfully to Riven and he disappeared with his surviving army. The surviving minotaurs returned to their realms while every other creature that had contributed to the victory of the war with the devils returned to their respective realms, leaving only the lycanthropes in Red River City.The City was in ruins. The dead bodies were piled in different sections and burned. The entire
Layla stepped out of the shield of energy into the burning red flames. She waved her hand and the shield thickened, keeping Riven and the other creatures within. The flames didn't harm her, as her magic was joined with the spirit beast.When Riven tried to hurry out after her, he felt his body bounce against the shield of energy. He was trapped within.His eyes widened as realization dawned on him."Layla",he called out to her through the shield. "Riven... it is time",Layla said in a sad tone. Tears slowly spilled down her eyes as she gazed lovingly at her mate. "I want to make this easy for you but I don't know how...""Please, my love. It can't end like this",Riven pleaded in a shaky voice. He didn't know when tears gathered in his eyes and spilled down his cheek. For the first time since he lost his sister, he cried. "Don't do this, please. Don't leave me. We can end this together"Layla felt her heart shatter all over again when she witnessed the way her mate begged her like his
Hades let out a terrifying scream and stumbled backwards. Black smoke seeped out from the cracks on his face as Layla's blood burned him. He swiped at his face, his sharp claws ripping the skin apart as he struggled to wipe the blood away from his face. This same pain also visited the other six devils as they wailed eeriely, their faces melting off from the contact of Layla's blood."I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!",Hades bellowed at Layla in a fit of scorching rage. The devil had wanted Layla's blood to curse her with blood magic but in the end, Layla had beaten him at his own game.The spell the devil had placed over the lycanthropes and the remaining creatures was broken and they could move again. They succeeded in destroying the remaining demons and pushing the rest into the crater of flames. It seemed the power of the devils greatly diminished after Layla's blood touched them because the creatures stopped crawling out from the crater. Seeing how distracted the devils were at that poin