Layla tore through the busy road, moving swiftly through the moving vehicles. Drivers honked as she dashed past the front of their cars and a few cursed at her.
She didn't stop though. She kept running through the downpour, the rain obscuring her view. Pedestrians stared at her as she ran past them, taking in her drenched dress that was plastered to her body, her hair that was matted to her face with the rain. And a few wondered why she was in such a hurry. No one stopped her though. They all went about their businesses, trying to get to their various homes before it turned completely dark.Layla kept running without glancing behind her. She was terrified that if she so much as slowed down to look back, she would see Madame Parker coming after her like a furious maddened woman. So she kept running. Even when she left the busy roads and entered a deserted street, she kept running. Even when she got tired and out of breath, she kept running. She didn't know where she was going. She hadn't stepped out of Madame Parker's home for as long as she could remember. One thing kept pushing her on. And that was to keep running.By the time she slowed down, it was already dusk. The sun had gone down an hour ago and the downpour had thinned to a drizzle. Street lights had been turned on as night gradually took over the city.Layla collapsed on the grass and lay still, breathing heavily. Her chest heaved upwards as she struggled to draw in air and her slamming heartbeats shook her dress as it struggled to pump blood for the exhausted body. It was extremely cold but she felt sweaty and for a long time, she lay there on the grass. Unmoving. Allowing the drizzling rain wet her face and body. She could hear the sound of traffic from the distance, about a mile away.After what seemed like ages, Layla sat up. She looked around her, taking in her surrounding. It was a long stretch of field and trees. The grass she lay on went on forever and she couldn't see the end of it. She had no idea where she was. She had no place to go. She was lost and alone in the world. Going back to Madame Parker's house was out of the question. She would never return there. It was time to find a way to end it all.Layla picked herself from the ground and started walking. She had no idea where she was going. She just walked, slouching forward, tired of running and shivering from the cold. She walked for hours, reminiscing on the years she spent in Madame Parker's house. She was glad of one thing though. She was free. Getting the pins from the unused clothes in the basement and using it to pick the lock on the door was something she never thought she could do. If she had known, she would have escaped a long time ago.After successfully opening the lock, she had tiptoed outside, terrified of getting caught but determined to leave. The house had been so quiet with no sign of Madame Parker or her husband. Leaving through the back door had been easier than she thought and no one had seen her. It was like fate had been on her side, directing her on the right path.Hell no. Fate wasn't on her side. Fate wouldn't let her continue to her death. Fate would find every way to prevent her from escaping the house. Fate would prevent her from walking to her death. No one was on her side, not even Fate.A deep sigh escaped her. She was getting tired. She needed to rest. But the fear of getting caught by Madame Parker kept her on her feet and she continued walking. Soon she left the fields and entered a rocky terrain. There were no houses here. Just thick cluster of trees and bushes.Layla continued walking, not even paying attention to her surroundings. The rain had stopped finally and a gibbous moon peeped out from the clouds. It would be full in another day. Unseen animals slithered in the wet grass as Layla walked passed. Insects ceased their endless cries as she approached their habitat. She slipped once and landed on her face. Her lips split and began to bleed and still, Layla continued walking.After walking for almost three hours, she got to the end of the road. It was a cliff, a piece of rock jutting out. Down below the cliff was a vast ocean, wide and endless. And gathered at the bottom of the cliff were sharp pointed rocks.Layla looked towards the horizon. It was a beautiful night. The moon cast its silver glow on the earth and the cool breeze brushed over her skin, bringing out goosebumps. She looked down at the ocean. This was the perfect place to end it. A calm environment, with the ocean surrounding her and the moon shining down on her. It was perfect.Tears spilled down her eyes. There was no going back now. She had come too far to change her mind. With death, she would be free from the cruelty of this world. She would be peaceful. This was her decision, and nothing would change it.She looked up at the sky and smiled through her tears. Goodbye cruel world, she thought. It all ends for me now. Her lips parted and she tried to speak but no sound was heard. All that came out was a rush of air.I'm coming mother. Wait for me. She said the words within her and stepped off the edge of the cliff.For a second she was suspended in the air, floating like a bird. And then she felt her body drop as gravity pulled her down.With her hands spread out, she closed her eyes, awaiting the peace and calmness that came with death. She felt her body dropping, turning in the air as if in slow motion. Her eyes opened a crack and the last thing she saw was the vast ocean rushing rapidly towards her....Layla's body dropped into the ocean with a deep splash. The waves pulled her body down and her eyes that had been opened gradually closed as the darkness welcomed her. The pressure of the ocean pushed her body farther and farther, taking her hundreds of miles away.For days her body moved with the ocean, sometimes surfacing, other times deep underneath it.And finally, on a moonlit night, the ocean pushed her body onto the shores of a hidden island. Her body was washed up onto the sand, looking deathly pale from being in the ocean for so long.Her body was motionless for a long while. And then her chest moved as she drew in a breathe.On the roof of one of the tall mansions in the the Qinn's territory, surrounded by the ocean of the hidden island, was a man.Not just any man.Supreme Alpha Riven Qinn. Alpha King of Dark Creek Pack, Supreme Alpha of all other packs. Strongest and most powerful lycan ever. His domain stretched forth over the entire island that was hidden by the Fae. The Qinn legacy was known to be the wealthiest and strongest bloodline through out the entire realm of the supernatural creatures. Riven Qinn had everything. Wealth. Power. Dominance. Immortality.But one thing remained absent in his entire life. A mate. Mates were what completed the life of the shifters. It didn't matter how long you've lived. If you didn't have your mate beside you, it was all for nothing.After living for centuries, Riven had begun giving up hope of ever finding his one true mate. As the years went passed, so did his hope. And he wondered what crime he had committed to make the moon goddess Selene punish him that way.
Riven's mansion was a chaos of movement. All shifters, both young and ancient, werewolf and lycan, all moved around the pack house, running different errands. Everyone got orders from the Alpha that hadn't left his room since the previous night.Ever since Caleb ran through the entire rooms of the mansion like a mad beast, informing everyone of the arrival of the Alpha's mate, the entire household had gone into a state of restlessness. No one slept a wink through out the night. They all gathered at the entrance of Riven's chamber, wanting to have a look at the long awaited Alpha's mate.But Riven was having none of that. The only person allowed into his room was Henrietta, the ancient witch. Not even Cade, his beta was allowed. He was in a state of protectiveness and he didn't want his mate to be disturbed. After Henrietta checked on Layla and recited a spell to know what Layla's ailment was, she reported her findings to Riven and told him of the herbs she would need in healing Layla
For many days, Layla drifted in and out of consciousness. She was plaged with nightmares of Madame Parker capturing her and selling her off to some brutal men. She would wake up trashing, her legs tangled in the bedsheets, sweating profusely and crying out in fear.And each time she had those dreams, Riven was always there to soothe her. He was there to whisper safe words to her, calming her with his voice and the tingles that danced each time their bodies touched. Layla found a safe haven in his arms and she stopped fighting him off. She knew as long as he was there with her, she was safe.The healing ritual was done and the potion applied to Layla's body. Soon the sickly paleness disappeared and colour gradually returned to her skin. Her cheeks retained its rosy colour and her eyes lost its dark circles. Her veins that had been visible receded and her wild looking eyes became calm. She was still not totally free with Riven and certainly not to the crowd of shifters that waited anxi
"So this is Riven's mate? What a shame!",Cara said scornfully and folded her arms before her, staring icily at Layla.When the news reached her father's pack about Riven finding his mate, jealousy had begun to eat deep into her. A part of her had been happy that Riven didn't find his mate. As a matter of fact, her father, the Alpha of Silver Moon Pack had been trying to establish a relationship between her and Riven. Being connected to the great Qinn dynasty was an opportunity of a life time and she had been trying to do her part by getting closer to Riven. There had been a series of hot passion in between the bedsheets between them but apart from that, Riven never made any attempt to go further with their relationship. Even when she knew he only wanted her to release his sexual desires, she still clung to him with the blind hope that he would mark her one day and make her his Luna.Now that hope was dashed brutally as she stared at the scrawny girl before her, dressed in a gray sac a
Riven gripped the first shifter be could find around the neck, lifted him up and roared into his face."WHERE IS SHE?"."Alpha...",the shifter choked out over the tight grip around his neck. He couldn't breathe and he could feel the muscles of his throat tearing up as Riven's claws emerged and pierced into his skin. If Riven didn't stop, he would die."WHERE IS SHE?",Riven roared again, his fury mounting when he didn't get the response he needed."Alpha you will kill him!",Cade said as he arrived with Caleb, shifting back into his human form. The shifter Riven held was already choking, blood spilling down the sides of his throat and wetting Riven's claws.With the way Riven had raced out of the Ancient Temple in blinding speed, he knew something was wrong. And a minute later, the mind linked had reached him about the Luna's disappearance. He and Caleb had shifted instantly, taking off after the Alpha.Riven didn't bother to acknowledge the words of his beta. He flung the shifter he he
"Cade!",Riven barked out the minute he emerged from his room.Cade had been standing close by, waiting for him to come out."Yes Alpha", he responded instantly and moved his body away from the wall he had been leaning on."Get me Alex. And let the rest of the shifters gather at the meeting room. Immediately!"."On it Alpha",Cade said and his eyes turned blurry as he mind linked the entire shifters. Caleb joined him and they both followed Riven to the meeting room, a large open room where Riven always held impromptu meetings concerning the pack.Caleb moved further and opened the door quickly, holding his breath as Riven walked through. The aura surrounding Riven was so dangerous and scary and this only proved how furious he was.Riven settled on one of the chairs in the room. It was a large golden throne seat with a similar one beside it. The other was for his mate and she would sit beside him someday as the Luna of his pack.Cade and Caleb stood on either side of him and watched as t
Layla lowered her eyes slowly, feeling uncomfortable with the intense look Riven gave her. Not that she didn't like it. The look gave her butterflies and made her body tingle deliciously. She was new to these alien feelings she felt and didn't know how to react to it. She watched from under her eyes as Riven walked closer and the bed dipped when he sat beside her."The potions are right there Riven",Henrietta said and pointed towards the table beside the large mirror."Thank you Henrietta. I will tend to her wounds myself",Riven said and nodded at her."Of course. If you need anything else, let me know. The potions will be enough to heal the wound though".After instructing Riven on how to apply each of them, Henrietta exited the room, leaving Riven and his mate to themselves.Layla suddenly wished Henrietta never left. The silence that followed after the door shut behind her was a bit awkward. She wasn't scared of Riven. She knew he wouldn't hurt her. She was just nervous. Apart from
"Will you tell me your name now?",Riven asked. He had been dying to know her name and he felt he would go crazy if she didn't tell him. Layla grabbed hold of the pen and wrote slowly on the parchment.'I am called Layla'"Layla",Riven whispered. The name rolled over his tongue like sweet nectar. It was lovely. A perfect name. He loved it. He looked down at her as she scribbled something else on the parchment.'Which are you? Alpha or Riven?'Riven grinned at the question. She must have heard Cade or Caleb refer to him as Alpha and probably thought that was his name. And since Henrietta always addressed him by his name, she was confused, wanting to know which was his name."I am Riven, my sweet Layla",Riven answered. He watched her blush at the endearment as she began to write again. There was adoration in his eyes as he stared at her. If she had her voice, she would have been very chirpy, inquisitive about everything. He looked down at what she scribbled.'Strange things occured toda
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