Due to the event that occured the previous night with the creature from Tartarus, Layla didn't sleep a wink. The image of the creature kept appearing behind her closed eyes; its terrifying appearance, its evil looking teeth and claws. When she managed to grab a few seconds of sleep, she was plagued with horrible nightmares of the creature attacking her and almost killing her.Caleb had tried his best to calm her, assuring her that the creature wouldn't return. But Layla heard none of it. She was greatly terrified and needed Riven by her side. He had been gone over an hour, and she stayed awake waiting for him to return, afraid of going back to sleep.It was in the early hours of the morning when Riven returned. He didn't find the creature and it troubled him greatly. The creature was sent from Tartarus, a place he didn't want to think about. He was troubled because he had no idea what that creature wanted with Layla. He didn't know if the creature took her blood with it. He ordered th
Layla was dying.She could feel her chest heaving as she struggled to draw in air. Oh God no, she cried within. Please don't let me die! His grip tightened and Layla's sight began to blur. Black dots appeared at the edges of her vision and her body turned limp.Her attacker pulled her up and pushed her into the wall. She could perceive the foul breath from his mouth as he pushed his face closer to hers. His eyes were burning with hate."You won't die so easily bitch",he growled at her. "I'll make you feel pain like you've never felt. Bloody Alpha, flaunting you in the presence of everyone"His grip around her throat loosened and Layla heaved, greedily drawing in deep breaths. Her vision cleared and she tried to scream but her throat clogged. A hot ball of fear lodged in her throat and all she could do was let out a short whimper. Tears filled her eyes when she felt his hands moved towards her breast and she tried to push his hands away. Her attacker viciously pulled both her hands abo
Layla curled her body tighter, trembling from the mournful howl of the beast and sobbing quietly. She just wanted to disappear. She had never been so terrified in her entire life and she had never gone through what she just went through in the hands of her attacker. Madame Parker had abused and beaten her mercilessly, but never had she been abused sexually. And the gruesome sight she just witnessed was too much to handle. She flinched at the slightest touch and cried more when Cade and Caleb arrived with the pack behind them.Cade took one look at the situation and instantly knew what the problem was. Layla was deathly terrified of the beast and Riven didn't shift back. He kept trying to go close to his mate. If he didn't shift, he might give poor Layla a heart attack. "Riven you scare her",Cade said slowly, not wanting to aggravate the beast. He tried going close to Layla but the beast turned on him and roared. It this current state, Riven knew neither friend nor foe. He was in his
After her confession, Riven went totally still. His mind registered it, his heart acknowledged it. His eyes turned misty and a lone tear drop spilled down his cheek. He stared at her with eyes that shone with love, eyes that seemed to come alive in the glow of the lantern. He touched her face softly, trailing his fingers over the soft blush that bloomed on her cheeks. His beast purred in contentment, his heart felt elated. He had longed to hear those words from her. And now that he heard it, he couldn't contain the different sweet emotions he felt within. His eyes spoke volumes and slowly, he leaned forward and rested his head on Layla's forehead.Layla was shocked at her own confession. She hadn't expected the words to actually flow out. It had been on her mind, right from when Riven confessed to being terrified for her. And when he swore to always protect her, even to his last breath, her heart had swelled with so much love. Love she didn't know had been there, just waiting to be sp
A woman was lying motionless on a large bed, inside a dim room. Her blonde hair was disheveled, scattered all over the pillow on which she lay. Black curtains were drawn to keep out the harsh sunlight. Red silk materials were draped over the curtains and around the bed post. Two figures stood beside the bed, staring down at the unconscious woman."When will she wake up?",Brandon asked as he stared at Cara who was looking pale on the bed. Her skin looked translucent and her veins could be seen, red and blue lines running down her arms."I don't know",Jezebel said. She equally looked pale after using the dark magic to bring back Cara. Dark Magic was an element of a powerful Sorceress. Jezebel was just an ordinary witch and using the spell drained her totally, almost taking her life."What do you mean you don't know?",Brandon snapped angrily. "I thought you said it would work". He turned and glared at the witch, watching as she huffed for breathe."It worked",Jezebel said angrily. She gl
Layla was clearly startled when she heard the dragon shifters were still in existence. A series of questions arose in her and she decided to wait until she saw the dragons before she asked Riven.She took a quick bath after Riven and chose a cherry red gown and matching sandals. The gown hugged her bosom and her waist and flared down up to the top of her knees. The gown had short lacy sleeves and she was okay with it because the scars were totally gone. Her skin looked totally flawless, as smooth as the ocean pearl and Riven couldn't resist complimenting her great beauty.Blushing deeply, she sat in front of the mirror and let Riven brush her hair. It was something he enjoyed doing and he loved to play with the lush thick strands. When Layla passed the fancy hair clip to him, the pretty one he got for her among the other numerous accessories, Riven shook his head, saying he wanted her hair free today.Walking slowly down the stairs, he held her close with one hand around her waist. La
"Take your eyes off my mate or I will gouge them out!",Riven said coldly. His eyes turned dark and he glared at the Dragon Lord in hate.Suddenly other dragon shifters appeared from the fog and joined Magnus. They growled and seethed with anger with the way Riven addressed their Lord. Dragon shifters were haughty and prideful creatures and they didn't appreciate being treated like nothing. But it was a foolish move on their part. Riven took with him a total of eight hundred lycans, including those on horseback and those in their lycan form. So the dragon shifters were not a threat to him. If a fight were to break out, the dragon shifters would be at an unfavorable point because they were greatly outnumbered."Silence your little bodyguards Magnus. You don't want me to lose my temper",Riven said darkly. "Stop! Go back inside",Magnus immediately ordered the dragon shifters behind him. As arrogant as he was, he knew who Riven was and he wasn't about to aggravate the Supreme Alpha.Afte
"Kill him",Riven ordered Cade.Odyssey's eyes grew wide with fear and he looked towards his brother."No! I told you what you wanted to know!", Magnus roared and struggled to free himself from the lycan's grip."Tell me the truth Magnus!",Riven said harshly, black eyes glaring at the Dragon Lord. "Whose scale is that? Not only did your kind defy me by shifting, but to trespass on my territory?"Magnus gritted his teeth in anger. He shook with rage but there was nothing he could do about the situation. So with great reluctance, he spoke through gritted teeth."It was my brother""BROTHER NO!",Odyssey roared angrily and tried to wrench free from Cade's hold.Riven wasn't surprised. He knew Odyssey was the culprit and Magnus was just covering up for him. It then made him wonder why the dragon shifter had been spying on his home. He knew it had a connection to his mate and he would find out why. His eyes met Cade's and the beta got the message instantly.Cade whipped out a dagger from his
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