Layla scanned the dining room and blinked her eyes rapidly, afraid that her mind was playing tricks on her.But it was real. She was back in her real time like nothing happened. There were several dishes of food on the table, just as it had been when she saw Ren.If it wasn't because of the dirt and bloodstain on her dress and her body, she would have thought everything she witnessed in the past was a dream.Footsteps sounded behind her and she turned around, watching as Riven entered the dining and called for her."What is this awful smell?",Riven was saying the moment he stepped into the dining. His expression turned rigid when he saw Layla's condition. "What's this?",he growled and strode towards her. "Why do I smell blood on you?""Riven...I...",Layla stuttered as he gently grabbed her shoulders and turned her around to examine her. She was still confused at the sudden change of environment and didn't even know how to organize her thoughts. Where was Ren? Ren needed to be here t
"What happened to you Ren?",Riven asked quietly.Sitting on the floor with her back resting against the wall was Ren. She looked deathly pale and beads of sweat dotted her head and upper lip. Her breathing came out shallow and her chest heaved upwards with difficulty. She looked a terrible sight.At first Riven wasn't sure about the strange smell he perceived earlier. But after making sure Layla was unharmed and the blood was not hers, he realized that the blood he was perceiving was Ren's own. He stared down at her, wondering what could have caused her to be in such condition."What happened to you?",he repeated. "Is it time to plan your funeral?",his voice dripped with sarcasm but deep down within him, he was worried.Ren rolled her eyes weakly and scoffed. "I don't have the energy... to trade words with you",she said with great difficulty. Even to talk took a lot of her strength. "I need my mate"[Caleb get me Xerxes],Riven mind linked his gamma as he kept his gaze on the shifter.
Xavier shook hands with the devil and gritted his teeth in pain when Hades gripped his hand in a death hold and squeezed painfully. He snatched his hand away from the devil's grip and stared at it in horror.There was a black mark at the centre of his palm and it disappeared after a while. "What was that?",he asked in a strangled voice."A mark of our deal",Hades said and all trace of his previous smile was gone. "If you fail me, death awaits you""And if you fail me?",Xavier challenged.A devilish smirk lifted the corner of the devil's lips. "I never go back on my deals"Then he turned abruptly and walked towards the door. Arla stood up quickly and knelt before him, touching his hidden feet with her head.Xavier watched them. How could he not have guessed that Arla was a follower of the devil? He should have known. Something suddenly occured to him."How do I approach Layla?",he asked. "My mark has been removed. I was only able to see her in the past because of my abilities to trave
The day dragged on slowly and morning gradually turned into dusk.Riven was rounding up his research in the ancient temple and putting away the numerous maps in the shelves when Cade burst into the room with an annoyed expression."Riven!", he snapped. In his rage, he forgot to address Riven with the alpha title. He knew this news he just heard would spread round the island someday because people would be curious to know what kind of creature Layla was.But he hadn't expected it happen so soon. Someone must have started this rumour before it escalated this way. Cade was overly concerned because he knew news like this would aggravate the alpha. A few days ago, he discussed this same matter with Riven, about proclaiming Layla as his mate and revealing her true identity. And just this morning, Riven also talked about marking Layla to make her a complete Tribrid.So why would this news come out now? Who had the audacity to spread it round?As he stopped beside Riven, he slammed the parch
How could Riven think straight with the sight of his mate's delectable body before him? How could he refuse her when her sweet scent was all he could think of? "Mate with me Riven",Layla continued in a whisper. "Place your mark on me. You don't need to tell me to think about it anymore. I have, and this is what I want""What if I hurt you?",Riven whispered back. His hands lifted and wrapped around his mate's slender body, holding her curves close to him. "If I mark you, you know what will happen...""Shhhh",Layla shushed him and placed a finger on his lips. "Do not worry about that. We both know what will happen when you mark me. And we both know I'll awaken. What do we have to lose?"Riven felt his resistance dissolve. Especially when he rested his head on the two soft mounds on Layla's chest. He couldn't hold back anymore.[Cade],he mind linked his beta.[Yes Alpha][I do not want to be disturbed until morning]Cade hesitated for the briefest seconds before he replied in the affirma
Caleb snapped his eyes open as Layla's screams echoed round the entire mansion. Thinking they were under attack, he rushed out of his room and raced towards Riven's chambers.Halfway there, he collided into Cade and both of them rolled over each other on the floor.Cade groaned and glared at his twin venomously."Where are you off to in such a hurry?",he growled and slowly climbed to his feet. There was a cut on his lip and it slowly healed as he tugged Caleb up."Didn't you hear Layla's scream?",Caleb asked breathlessly. He frowned when he noticed how calm Cade was."Go back to your room",Cade said tiredly and walked passed him. "Everything is fine""But her scream",Caleb protested. If everything was fine, what could have made her scream that way?Cade's next reply had his jaw dropping in shock."The alpha is going to mark her tonight"...The searing pain that shot through Layla's entire body was gut wrenching. Her body turned rigid and as the pain intensified, she began to tremble
Apart from shock, Layla didn't reject the idea, and this made Riven have a little hope. He watched her as his words sank in, allowing her take her time to answer him."Would you like to think about it later?",he suggested. Layla didn't answer immediately and Riven knew that as long as she didn't reject the idea, it meant she was already considering it.He knew it was too abrupt for her. It was only just last night when they shared that intimate moment and he placed his mark on her. He was still bothered about the fact that she didn't die and her vampire powers didn't awaken, but there were more important things at hand. This was bound to happen sooner or later. Since his mark was already on her, why wouldn't he just use the opportunity to announce her as his mate?Layla needed to know that there were hidden conspiracies in the world. It want just good or bad. Behind that good or bad, there were terrible plots planned against her existence. She would need to face these conspiracies if
As expected the following, the news caused an uproar all over the island. Riven's message had managed to reach every part of the island, and not only the shifters knew about it. Every creature knew now that the strange girl at the black and white party was Riven's mate. And she wasn't an ordinary creature. She was a Tribrid.Riven's name was on every creature's lips as they gossiped within their homes about the alpha and his Tribrid mate.However, while the island was a beehive of gossips, inside Riven's magnificent mansion was Layla feeling strangely calm. She sat with Caleb and Henrietta behind the mansion and the three were engrossed in the news that was making wave over the island.Layla sat crosslegged on a blanket, holding her beautiful kitten. A bowl of warm milk was beside her and she was spooning the milk with a tiny spoon into the kitten's mouth. Riven had something urgent to do at the ancient temple that morning, so he left her in the care of his gamma and the witch.Caleb
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