A few weeks passed uneventfully until the season of the island gradually changed. Winter was close, and it could be felt in the chilly air. Flakes of snow began to drop from the sky, tiny silver flakes that melted the moment they touched the ground. The sky turned really cloudy, hiding the sun behind a thick curtain of fluffy white clouds.Layla who had never seen snow in her entire life was ecstatic at the sight of the silver flakes. She stretched her hand over the balcony in Riven's room and tried to capture the tiny flakes that fell from the sky. Riven was busy behind her with Cade and Knox, one of the lycan warrior and they were discussing about the borders of the island and Riven's territory.Layla stared at them for a while, and then back at the snow. She wanted to see them up close. Turning around abruptly, she made her way to the large wardrobe and pulled out a pretty white hoodie. She already had a t-shirt and jean on, so she just pulled the hoodie over her shirt and pushed
When they arrived back at the mansion, Caleb took her straight to Riven's room. Along the way, Layla stole at peek at Caleb's face and she saw how pissed he looked. He was probably regretting leaving her on her own.The moment they stepped into the room, Riven knew instantly that something happened. "What is it?",he asked."The shadow warrior",Cade said grimly. "He appeared to Luna"Riven's eyes flickered and turned black. He crushed the parchment he held in his hand and got up stiffly."Leave us",he commanded. Caleb quickly walked out of the room with Cade and Knox behind him. The door was shut and the room plunged into silence."Riven I...",Layla began but was cut short when Riven pulled her into a tight hug."Riven I'm fine",she tried to assure him when she felt his body trembling. A part of her knew he was trembling because of rage and she tried to calm him."I'm fine, he didn't do anything to me",she said again and ran her palms over his back.Riven held her tight for a moment
The next morning, Layla looked worse than ever. Her eyes were tired as a result of her sleepless night and she looked terrible.The moment Caleb saw her emerge from the room, he gaped in shock. Layla looked like she had aged after a terrible night. She looked sick, with dark circles around her eyelids."Layla are you alright?",he asked worriedly. Before she shut the door behind her, he caught a glimpse of the dinner tray he took to her the previous night. Apparently it was untouched as she didn't take a single bite out of it. "I'm alright",Layla mumbled absentmindedly. She was dressed in black ripped jean and a large black t-shirt, with the absence of a single vibrant colour. The dress reflected the mood she was in."Where are you going?"Caleb asked softly. He felt so bad seeing Layla this way. Normally she would always greet him with a smile every morning, but today, she just looked dead. Why would Riven maker her suffer like this? Did he know what she was going through because of t
"He has done so much for me",Layla whispered, feeling terrible. Riven had done so much for her and she had to repay him by hurting him. "Listen Layla",Caleb said and held her hand in his. "If the shadow warrior succeeds in taking you away, the lycans that were placed to always keep an eye on you would all be dead that same day"Layla gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. Would Riven really go that far as to murder his own people if she were missing?"I know it sounds cruel to you, but that is how we are Layla",Caleb said. "That is our life as lycanthropes. As an alpha, Riven is required to be cruel because he will not condone weakness. But he will always treat you as the most precious thing to him, no matter what"Layla felt tears pool beneath her eyes and she made no attempt to brush them off. She was finally understanding what Cade was saying."I am telling you this, not because I'm taking sides with the alpha",Caleb continued. "But because I want you to understand the situa
Layla blinked her eyes and gaped around. She was only just a few meters away from the mansion. How on earth did she appear in this secluded place?Probably thinking the cold weather and cloudy sky was playing tricks on her, she turned to go back the way she came. And she froze again. The road behind her was no longer there. Riven's mansion was gone. The path back was nowhere to be found.She was in a totally different place.Did she travel back to the past again? she asked herself. Layla frowned in confusion. This didn't look like the past. It still seemed like she was in her own time. She remembered the abandoned building behind her, when she came here with Riven months ago. It still looked the same, so it couldn't be the past.Then did she teleport accidentally here? That couldn't be the case, she thought. If she did, how did her kitten also get here?The only thing she could do was to find the path and follow it back to the mansion. She had to hurry, before Caleb discovered her m
Layla stared at Xavier in horror, her eyes locked on the dagger in his hand. What was wrong with him? Why was he acting like he was being controlled?The dagger glinted in the dim room, and as it began to descend, Layla lifted her hand and slapped him hard across the face.Xavier stumbled back, momentarily destabilized. He shook his head and the dagger fell from his hand. A groan of pain sounded from him as he held his head. His dark eyes glowed red for a moment before fading back to black.Layla who was pressed against the wall watched him terrifyingly. His eyes... he had been under the devil's control. Her eyes flew around frantically, trying to find a way to escape. She wasn't safe in here as long as the devil was also here."Layla",Xavier mumbled and stared at her frightened expression. "Did something happen?""Just take me out of here Xavier",Layla blurted out. "Take me home now!""Why are you such in a hurry to return to him?",Xavier asked dejectedly. "Even after everything I'v
It seemed Layla just blinked her eyes, because when she looked around, they were right in front of the mansion.It took her a little while to adjust to her new environment before she turned and stared into the woods. Was Riven doing okay?,she thought worriedly.Annabelle stepped away from them and suddenly collapsed on the ground."Mother!",Layla screamed and rushed to her mother's side. The sorceress was deathly pale and her body began to burn with a fever."What's happening?",Layla asked worriedly."Her body is overworked",Cade explained to her. "She teleported us to the dragon shifter's lair and teleported us back now. The power she used has taken a toll on her drained her strength""Oh mother",Layla whispered. "Your mother will be fine",Cade said as he carefully lifted Annabelle into his arms. "Stay here with Ren and do not leave her side!"Layla watched tearfully as Cade hurried into the mansion with her mother. She sobbed quietly, regretting her decision to step outside the ho
The atmosphere in the room turned darker the more. Now that the devils had Layla's blood, there was a kind of restlessness in the air. Who knew what they planned to use it to do? It could be used in a way to hurt her, or to cause more damage because even as Layla wasn't a complete Tribrid yet, her blood was still powerful.However, Layla wasn't worried about all these. Her main concern was Riven. He hadn't spared her a single glance since the questioning began. He didn't even say a word to her when it was discovered that the devils took her blood. There was a rift between them, and Layla could feel it.She touched his hand tentatively and her heart skipped a beat when he turned and stared at her. His eyes were still the color of blood. Why?,she thought. Was his beast still on edge?"How did you find me?",she asked softly, deliberately keeping her eyes on Riven, hoping he would answer her, or say something, anything to her.But it was Cade that answered."The Spirit Beast",he said. La
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