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
Layla felt her breathe catch in her throat at the beautiful sight before her. She sat up further in the couch, staring at the magnificent golden wolf standing before her.He was huge, about three inches higher than her waist. His fur sparkled like melted gold and it ruffled softly in the cool breeze that blew in from the window. Sharp looking claws curved over the hard tiles on the ground and she could see the outline of the thick muscles under his fur. His fluffy tail that was bronze tipped wagged happily and the sight brought a smile to her lips. It was his eyes that mesmerized her. They were twin pools of hypnotizing golden hue and she felt herself drowning in their depts. The wolf tilted his head to the side with his tongue lolling out and a tinkling laugh escaped Layla.She stretched her hand forward tentatively, wanting to feel his fur on her palm. The wolf sat still so he wouldn't scare her away. It felt like years before she got the courage to touch him. Her fingertips grazed
The silence that followed Alpha Dave's words was deafening. No one spoke. They all stared at the shifter like he was some crazy lunatic.Riven was quiet for a while. And then he laughed, a cold laughter with no trace of humour in it. He took a step closer to Alpha Dave, like a predator stalking his prey."Are you aware",Riven said slowly. "Of the offense of your daughter?".Alpha Dave looked away from the cold light of Riven's eyes and took a step back tentatively."I haven't heard from Cara. I will only believe her words",he said."YOU CALL THE SUPREME ALPHA A LIAR?",Cade roared and shifted fully into his lycan, growling menacingly and ready to pounce on Alpha Dave."Cade!",Riven said and subdued the beta with a furious look. His eyes were changing, a sign of his beast emerging and his canines were slowly elongating. He whipped his eyes towards Alpha Dave and the latter cowered back under the murderous intensity of the Supreme Alpha."You want to see your daughter?",he asked in a dan
Riven was clearly shocked at what Layla wrote on the parchment.'Caleb told me you imprisoned the woman who hurt me and the other one called Alex. It wasn't his fault. Please release him'He looked back up at Layla, watching as she pleaded with her eyes. He was utterly amazed and he couldn't refuse her request. He was helplessly enslaved to her and she didn't know that."Alex was supposed to keep anyone from entering the room",he said to Layla. "If he hadn't allowed Cara in, you wouldn't have been hurt".Layla slowly took the parchment and scribbled on it.'I know. But it makes me upset to know he's imprisoned because of me'Riven read what she wrote and smiled at her. He couldn't bear to refuse her request."Alright my love. I'll let Alex go. Only because you asked".Layla beamed and touched his hand shyly, her way of saying 'thank you'. Riven watched her with adoration. He would have to tell Henrietta about her inability to speak. Maybe there was something that could be done to brin
"I present to you, your future Luna".The crowd of shifters around the dining table stared in awe at Layla. When Caleb told them how utterly beautiful she was, they didn't think much of it. But seeing her now, they knew Caleb had been right. They were used to Cara's wild and sassy demeanour, but Layla's divine beauty and calmness totally astonished them and for a while, no one spoke.Layla began to feel self-conscious with the way they all stared at her but she forced herself to keep the smile on her face. She noticed something peculiar about them though. It seemed a number of them were born as twins. For instance, Cade and Caleb. They looked alike so much that she wouldn't have been able to tell the difference if she hadn't spent a little time with Caleb. There was also another man who looked so much like Alex but she knew it wasn't him. This one had dark hair while Alex hair was shaved. It totally fancinated her.Cade forcefully cleared his throat and gave the shifters a meaningful
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