Layla slowly pushed the door open and stepped into the room with Riven behind her.The crowd of people couldn't go into the small room so they stood outside the corridor while Cade, Caleb and a dozen of Riven's trusted warriors went in, dragging Bernice along with them.There wasn't much furniture inside the room. A single bed at one corner, with a chair and table beside it. There was an old candelabra covered with thick webs and a few unlit candles.One of the warriors came in with a lantern and the yellowish glow brightened the room. Layla stood in the middle of the room, eyes focused on nothing in particular.A thoughtful frown creased her brows.She looked up when Riven placed his hands on her waist."What's wrong?",he asked softly."When I touched the baby, I saw something in this room",she explained with a frown. "There was a secret door, and a tunnel behind it. I saw Bernice... and some other people. Then..."She turned abruptly and pinned her gaze on Bernice."Bring the child"
When Layla felt like her head would explode from so much thinking, she felt a warm hand on her hair and she looked up to see Caleb smiling at her.Caleb had a soft smile on his lips and he was staring at her worriedly. His voice was both warm and soft when he spoke. "The Alpha will be fine Layla. He will return soon"Layla smiled gratefully at Caleb, but the feeling remained with her."Where is the child?",she asked softly."He is fine. He is with Knox in the next room",Caleb reassured her. Layla nodded and turned back to watch the tunnel. She wondered what could be hidden in there. She hadn't really seen much of it when she had that vision. She knew she saw Bernice climbing the wooden stairs and stepping out of the tunnel with Asher in her arms. She had also seen Bernice placing the key on a string around Asher's ankle.But why hadn't she spoken about the secret door when Riven questioned her? She claimed not to know about Kai's plans with the devils and yet, she didn't say a word
The lycan warrior let out a vicious growl and tried to free himself from the boy. The little boy held on tight, clamping his small sharp teeth tighter until the lycan couldn't take it anymore.He managed to free his neck and out of the pain and fury he felt, he smacked the boy to the ground.Asher's body collided with the floor solidly and left a deep dent.Layla screamed when she witnessed what just happened. She expected the boy to remain on the ground, unconscious from the heavy fall. But Asher stood up as if nothing happened and glared at the figures in the room.Layla's screams attracted the lycans standing outside and as they moved swiftly towards the door, Asher raised his hand and pointed it to his mother and the lycans holding her.A great force burst out of his small hand and slammed into them, pushing them out of the room violently. The door slammed shut next, leaving Layla, Caleb and the other lycan inside the room with the baby Asher.Before they could make a move, the
Layla stumbled back when Asher's body collided with hers. She gasped as his sharp teeth moved towards her hand, intent on biting her.As she was about to recite a spell to knock him off, her back hit the wall behind her, sending waves of pain into her entire body.Layla hissed painfully but didn't have enough time to catch her breath because the boy pounced on her again. His razor sharp teeth descended towards her shoulder.But this time, the silver lycan moved faster and with a loud roar, he bit the child's leg and flung him across the room.The entire room shook violently as Asher's body collided with the wall again.[Layla are you alright?], the silver lycan mind linked his Luna worriedly.[I'm fine. We need to find a way out of here], Layla replied himWhile Asher was taking his time to get up, the silver beast turned towards the tunnel again.Before Layla could follow him into the tunnel, Asher lunged again and attacked the beast relentlessly.The little boy's attack were meant f
Riven pulled her closer to him, wrapping his arms around her slender quivering body. He whispered something into her ears, trying to calm her down.Layla felt so terrible and distraught that she didn't know when she undid her powers and time started ticking again. The door to the room suddenly crashed open now that the blood magic was expelled.Layla jerked violently as the door caved in and lycan warriors poured in. When they took in the scene inside the room, they were dumbfounded.The sight of their Luna bawling in Riven's arms, Caleb who had shifted back into his human form and was cradling his injured foot, the dead body of their fellow lycan, and the blistered body of the dead little boy was something they didn't expect to see.Bernice stepped into the room and when her eyes fell on her dead child, she screamed."ASHER!",she wailed agonizingly. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY SON!?""Get her out of here!",Riven commanded sharply, cradling his mate closer to him.Bernice tried to go cl
Something terrible?",Layla asked worriedly. Riven hardly ever warned her about anything, unless it was absolutely important."The war, my love. I saw the signs in the tunnel. The signs of the devil". Riven didn't want to scare Layla, but he needed her to be prepared for what was to come."What signs?",Layla asked with a frown."Down in the tunnel, I saw an engraving on the wall",Riven said, tucking her hair behind her ear. "It was a pentagram, engraved with blood on the wall. When the first war with the devils occured, this same sign was engraved on every wall of the houses, all over the island""Engraved with blood?",Layla asked in bewilderment. Riven nodded slowly. "That same sign was all over the wall in that tunnel. And do you remember the vision you saw when we journeyed to Zeta Ōkami?"Layla nodded. How could she forget the vision of bloody dead bodies beneath her? That vision had plagued her with nightmares for days."These are all signs",Riven carefully broke the news to her.
"I'm afraid he will die"The healer ended her words with a look of terror. In her eyes, Layla could see that the healer was clearly terrified of something.She stormed into the room where Caleb was, almost knocking the woman over in her haste.Inside the room, Caleb lay on the bed on his back. He looked terribly pale, like all the blood in his body had been drained out. His eyes were closed, dark veins latched onto the lids, and his lips looked chapped.He was a terrible sight.Layla was stunned speechless when her eyes fell on him. And not just her. Riven was also caught off guard to see his gamma in such horrible condition. He wasn't one to show his emotions, but the sadness in his eyes was obvious enough.Caleb was one of his trusted warriors, along with Cade, his twin. He didn't just take him as his gamma. Caleb was also like a brother to him, and it killed him to see the gamma looking like he would take his last breath.Layla let out a soft sob and crouched beside the bed."Caleb
Riven disagreed immediately. How convenient it was for the witch to say she needed Layla's blood when her blood was what all creatures were seeking.The blood of a Tribrid.Henrietta's betrayal was still fresh on his memory, and he wasn't about to let some unknown witch have access to Layla's blood."Why do you need her blood in that vial?",he asked coldly, holding Layla close to him while he trained his furious eyes on Jezebel.Jezebel was cut off guard for a second. She hadn't expected Riven to question her request."I... I need it to heal your gamma's wound",she stuttered, eyes darting around cautiously. "How exactly do you want to heal him?""I have never done this Alpha",said Jezebel. "I think if Luna's blood comes in contact with the dark blood in your gamma, it will heal him. This is just my theory"Riven was clearly suspicious of the witch and her theory. He didn't want any creature having even a drop of Layla's blood. Not now, when they couldn't trust anyone. When the war w
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