"NOOOOOOO!" Xavier screamed as he saw the knife driving deep into Layla's side. He dissolved the shadow weapon in his hand and began to run, wanting to get to his partner and hold her before her body dropped to the ground. Layla's mouth hung open in a silent scream as blood gushed out from her side, soaking her dress.However before Xavier could get to her, he was pulled back and held viciously by thick shadow bands wrapped around his body and legs. He looked up and followed the shadows to three of the elders. They were holding him back? Were the shadow warriors not supposed to protect the dark angels? Why did they all stand back watching Bazaar stab the knife again into Bianca's side? The questions filled his head, expanding until he let out a frustrated roar, struggling against the shadows holding him down."BAZAAR! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!",he yelled to the elder who still held Layla's body with the knife still driven inside her. Tears filled his eyes and slowly crawled down his cheek
[Kill them all!]Lucian roared through the mind link at his fellow lycans and there was a stir in the air. The ground trembled violently as the entire pack of lycanthropes moved as one, racing towards the shadow warriors. Ferocious roars and vicious snarls filled the air and just as the shadow warriors prepared to defend themselves, the pack of lycanthropes split into two groups. One group kept advancing towards the shadow warriors while the other group raced towards the Village hall, where the remaining dark angels were hidden.Chief Cullen realized the intentions of the beast and he charged towards the Village hall with two other elders behind him."DEFEND THE VILLAGE!",one of the elders that stayed back roared at the shadow warriors. With a battle cry, he lunged from where he stood and tackled an advancing lycan to the ground, conjuring his shadow weapons and using it to attack like his life depended on it.The shadow warriors went into battle with the lycanthropes, fighting hard
The words of the female dragon shifter played back on Riven's mind as he arrived at the mansion in record time.'I see a shadow man with your mate... 'He didn't know how Seraphina knew, or if she had been telling the truth. All that mattered was his mate. He couldn't let a shadow warrior get close to his mate. He remembered the past centuries, the incident that occurred between the lycanthropes, the shadow warriors and the dark angels. The crime his kind had committed and how they had all been punished by the Moon Goddess. It wasn't a pretty memory and he wouldn't think about it now. He just had to make sure...The smell hit him first. The strange smell of something alien in the building. His eyes flickered to gold and he tore up the stairs in a state of blind fury, canines bared, ignoring the surprised shifters cowering back at the murderous aura he exuded and the rage in his eyes. One vicious kick from him sprang the door open and his rage intensified tenfold when he saw his mate
Layla tried not to squirm at the pair of numerous eyes that were fixated on her.They were in the meeting room, a large spacious room where Riven held impromptu meetings concerning the pack. Layla sat beside Riven in a magnificent golden seat shaped like a throne. The chair completely dwarfed her small form while Riven sat like a king beside her, his hand wrapped around hers.The other shifters had brought sofas into the room for the others. Cade and Caleb stood on either sides of Riven and Layla as usual, while Ren, Xerxes, Henrietta, Annabelle and three other lycan warriors sat in a semi circle facing the throne."Ren, the dragon shifter?",Riven asked coldly. He was still furious with what he had witnessed earlier and he knew he wouldn't be calm until he dug his claws into the shadow warrior's heart, killing him for daring to touch his mate."They're all still imprisoned",Ren assured him. "Seraphina strangely knew about the presence of the shadow warrior""That is something I will f
Riven's eyes flickered once. Dangerously. A quick flash of gold to red, before fading back to brown. In a deep chilly voice, he spoke."You're not laying a hand on my mate". His icy words were directed to Ren.The ancient shifter huffed angrily and fisted her hands beside her. She didn't really support the way Riven spoiled his mate. She could understand that a mate was doting and loving towards his partner. But Riven was taking it too far. Layla was his Luna, the supreme Luna of the entire island. And a powerful Tribrid. It was time for her to stop acting spoiled and start being more mature.Ren thought just because Layla had gone through trauma in her childhood days, it didn't mean she should remain helpless and vulnerable. It was time to put all that behind her and become something more. What Ren didn't know was that, the abuse and maltreatment Layla had received all her life had left a deep scar in her, an emotional scar that had silenced her voice.If it hadn't been for Riven and
Layla's head jerked back in shock. That wasn't what she had been expecting to hear. Mark? What did she mean by mark? Was Riven going to brand her with another hot iron? Her eyes that were so hopeful a few seconds ago turned horrified and flew towards Riven, wanting clarification.Riven's face was a mask of rage. Pure hot seething rage. His jaw clenched tight, becoming rigid and his eyes flickered once. He glared at Henrietta with pure venom shooting out of his eyes. He wasn't furious with the witch. He was furious with her idea, with the words she just spurted. And moreso, he was furious because it was spoken in front of Layla.He didn't want Layla to know about the marking and mating stage between shifters. Yet. She was still so young. She realized weeks ago that she wasn't human, like she had always thought she was. She was a shifter. A Tribrid. The most powerful creature in the realm. Even more powerful than he was. He knew it was a lot for her to take in, with the endless threats
"If I make an attempt to mark Layla in her vulnerable state, she will die".A deafening silence ensued right after the words left Riven's mouth. The expression on Ren and Henrietta's face was one of perplexity. To say they were confused was an understatement. "What do you mean she will die?",Ren asked the question burning at the tip of their lips. "She isn't human. She's a Tribrid, part sorceress, part lycan and part vampire. She would definitely heal instantly". "Right. She would be able to heal from the bite",Henrietta agreed. If Layla had been human, then it would have been understandable to say she would die from the marking process."What are you not telling us Riven?",Ren asked and narrowed her eyes suspiciously.Riven ignored her, a lot of thoughts running through his mind. He knew what they were thinking.A lycan's bite was lethal. Deadly and fatal. And Riven wasn't just an ordinary lycan. He was the Supreme Alpha of all lycanthropes. With the dominant aura surrounding him a
For a split second, Riven thought Layla had overheard everything that was said in the room. He thought she knew what they had been arguing about;about marking her and killing her so her vampire side can be awoken. He stared at her, terrified as hell. Layla didn't know how excruciating the marking process was.But his fear evaporated instantly when Layla slowly walked across the room and wrapped her arms around his waist. Her head relaxed against his solid chest and her eyes slowly closed shut."I will begin my training today",she whispered to him. "I want to do it. I want to train"And with her whispered words, the raging sea inside Riven turned calm and his beast became tamed. Relief washed through him when he realized she hadn't heard the crucial part of what they said. She only heard about the training. His arms rose and cradled her close as he breathed in her scent."Are you sure about it my love?",he asked and waited until she opened her eyes and looked up at him. He stroked her
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