Among the legion of demons that Hades brought with him, there were witches who were eager to cast their curses and demon vampires that were eager to get to Layla because of the exquisite scent of her blood.It was hard for Layla to focus because her enemies were everywhere and she was right in the middle of it all.Layla watched as Henrietta tried to repel every spell and curses thrown from the dark witches, but it was a difficult task for her because she needed back up. The only person who could help her repel the spells and curses was Annabelle, Layla's mother. But she wasn't there.The entire lycanthropes dived into battle as they tried to protect their Luna.Among the snarls and growls, the sharp crunching sound of bones breaking and the explosion of fire balls around her, Xavier quickly approached Layla.He extended his arm again in haste. "Give me the spirit beast Layla, if you want Riven to be saved. I doubt we will survive this attack"Layla looked at the nightmare around her
[Riven?][It's me, my love. You saved me]The blaze flickered for a moment, then it exploded in a puff of smoke.Layla slowly opened her eyes. She had never felt so weak in her entire life. Even the time Riven found her in the ocean, she hadn't been as weak as this.She felt like she just exerted her entire energy with her rage.Slowly, she looked up at Riven, praying within her that he wasn't a mere figment of her imagination. She touched his face tentatively, saying nothing as tears after tears streamed down her cheeks."I am so sorry, my love",Riven pulled his mate against him like he was terrified she would disappear from his arms, and brought his face closer to hers. "I made you go through so much pain..."Layla was still in a state of shock to see him. "Riven...",she whispered in agony, her voice so hoarse and dry from the screams that tore out of her."Yes, I am here",Riven ran his fingers through her lustrous hair, breathing in her heavenly scent as Layla wrapped her arms arou
Hades saw what was happening, how his minions were being defeated now that Riven was back. His face turned hideous as he watched the golden beast moving towards him.The human form he had taken bulged and tore open, revealing his true identity. Two massive horns emerged from his head as his body increased in size.His eyes, which were bright red a few seconds ago turned black, as black as midnight and he hunched his back, preparing for the attack of the golden beast.The shadow that sounded the city disappeared but the sky remained dark, leaving the entire surroundings in darkness. Slowly a full moon crawled out from the dark clouds, the only witness of the bloody battle.Layla slowly raised her head from Riven's back and stared through the golden flames at the scene before her. She shuddered as the smell of burnt flesh and blood filled the air.Roars , growls and snarls echoed all around them as every creature fought to survive.From above the golden wolf's back, she watched as anoth
A volcanic creature crawled out from the flames.It was unlike anything the lycanthropes had ever seen.Its body was made purely of lava and molten rock. The titan was as gigantic as Riven's mansion, and when it crawled totally out of the crater of fire, it let out a deep wail, breathing fire out of its mouth.Following closely behind it, another titan crawled out of the crater, setting everything around it ablaze.Riven grabbed his mate by the hand and pulled her back, away from the perimeters where the titans stood. The remaining lycanthropes followed suit, following their Alpha's order to retreat.This wasn't a creature they could attack on a whim. It seemed the battle they just had with the devil was the beginning. From inside the crater, an evil roar echoed out as another titan crawled out in the same manner. The roar couldn't be mistaken... it was Hades, the sin of pride.With the way things were currently going, Hades and the other deadly sins were ready to unleash their wrath
"First of all, we must kill the hydra",Layla began. The plan she had were all scattered, therefore she said the first thing that came to her mind."How are we going to do that?",Cade inquired with a frown. "That monster is not something that can be killed easily""What do you mean?""It is a creature of intense magic",Cade explained. "When one head gets cut off, it grows back immediately. Many heroes have tried to kill it over the decades, and no one succeeded. This is why it was cast into a deep sleep and hidden at the bottom of the ocean""Thus, cutting off the heads would definitely not work",Caleb finished."Just listen to me",Layla cut in urgently. Her voice shook with anxiety and she struggled to make it steady. "We clearly can't fight this battle on our own. We need the help of other creatures"Riven stared at his mate, understanding dawning on him gradually. He knew instantly what Layla was about to say."In order to win this, we need the creatures of other realms",Layla conti
It didn't take long for a large army to be assembled.By the time Layla and Riven returned through the portal, the devils had proceeded deeper into the city, almost halfway in. The sky remained as red as blood, with the single blood moon in the sky. Thunder rumbled and clashed as if the red sky was having a battle of its own. A few hours later, Cade emerged from the other portal with another vast army he had managed to gather.There were three dragon shifters, Seraphina and the other two whom Riven had spared.Standing beside the dragon shifters were numerous other creatures. Minotaurs from the giant realm, rogue vampires and lycans from unknown packs, shifters from another realm, a strange specie of fae in their multitude, goblins, elves, trolls and hundreds of other creatures.Riven and Layla stood before them, watching as they gathered in their vast number. "The three dragon shifters are present",Ren observed and listed their elements one by one. "Water dragon, air dragon, earth
Caleb in his beast form was still battling with the creatures of Tartarus when his entire body froze suddenly. He turned and his black eyes scanned the battle field, searching for what was wrong. He could feel that something terrible had happened through the bond he shared with his twin, Cade.Riven could also sense it very clearly and the feeling intensified when his eyes fell on Cade. He noticed that Brandon was finally dead, but Cade remained where he was kneeling, one hand fisted over his chest.It was when Cade coughed out blood and fell on his side that Riven could see his beta clearly. There was a bloody hole in his heart.A terrifying roar broke out of him and he dashed rapidly towards Cade, with Caleb and Layla following closely behind him.Riven was the first to get to where Cade lay, breathing laboriously as he struggled to draw in air. He shifted into his human form and pressed his hands against Cade's chest, trying to stop the profuse bleeding.But he knew it was too lat
From the other side of the rift, Hades noticed the new army of creatures that crossed through the shadow portal and his face twisted in fury.His black gaze landed on Xavier who was fighting alongside the lycanthropes.The bloody shadow warrior had turned his back on their deal, Hades thought. As if that wasn't enough, Xavier still had the audacity to help Riven and his people.It was time to put an end to the shadow warrior for good.He flew up into the air, watching as Riven and Layla lay motionless on the ground. They weren't dead yet, but they would be soon. He would come back for them when he was through with teaching Xavier a bitter lesson."Follow me",he snarled at the other devils and flew swiftly towards the other side of the rift, where Xavier and the desert creatures were still involved in the intense battle.For a long time after the seven deadly sins flew away, Riven and Layla lay motionless in their human forms, totally weak from their battle with the seven devils.After
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