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 rest days went by smoothly without incident. Much to Riven's relief, Layla didn't remember the questions she planned to ask about the Village of Angels and the marking process. And he didn't remind her. When the time came, he would tell her all about it. Now he would just enjoy his time with her while she trained to become stronger.Strangely enough, Layla didn't shift during the full moon that came a few days after. Riven had made the necessary precautions to hold her down without hurting her, while he stayed awake all night with Ren Cade and Caleb, ready to coach Layla if she began to shift uncontrollably.To the utter surprise of them all, Layla didn't shift. She didn't even feel the slightest tingling within her. No gut wrenching pain, no glowing eyes. The night passed uneventful and when the faint rays of sun began to peek through the clouds the next morning, Riven ended the vigil."Why do you think she didn't shift?",Ren asked as Cade and Caleb hung the chains that had been
"I can't believe you let a murderer touch you!"Layla whirled around and came face to face with Xavier. Out of reflex, she looked towards the room, wondering if Riven would hear her if she screamed."Don't bother to scream",Xavier said quietly, as if he could read her mind. "I won't try to hurt you. I told you I'll never hurt you""You should leave. Before Riven finds you here and tries to hurt you",Layla said, worried for his safety. She didn't want the same thing that happened last time to repeat itself.However Xavier misinterpreted what she meant. "You're worried about me? I'm glad you are",he said and smiled softly at her."Of course I'm worried about you",Layla told him, clutching the towel close to her chest. She didn't want Riven to come in and discover them both. "I am worried that Riven would get furious and attack you like last time. Not in the way you're thinking"The smile was erased from Xavier's face and a frown creased his eyebrows. "Even after everything I told you, y
The atmosphere in the ancient temple was one of peace and calmness. Serenity. Tranquility. Cool breeze blew in through the opened windows softly, bringing in the salty scent of the ocean and the crisp clean smell of the island. The trees rustled and swayed gently as the breeze bent them to its will. The sky was clear, lit by the early afternoon sun.Layla sat crossed legged in the middle of the temple, her hands resting on her bent knees. Her long dark hair was swept away from her face into a high bun atop her head. Wispy tendrils tickled her cheeks and the corner of her neck but she made no attempt to brush it off. Her eyes were closed, deep in concentration.Seated opposite her was Annabelle, her mother. Dressed in the same dark dress like Layla, Annabelle left her purple hair wild over her shoulders, letting the breeze ruffle it. She had her eyes closed also, but she was speaking softly, her lips moving gently. In their middle was a large opened book. The Book Of Shadows."Feel the
Wasn't Cara supposed to be dead? The question pounded within her head and memories of that day on the roof swarmed back into her mind. She vaguely remembered Cara pushing her off the roof... but she never reached the ground. Instead something happened and... the next thing she was aware of was Cara's broken body on the ground. She remembered Riven told her that he had ordered his warriors to burn Cara's body so she would never be a threat to them all. She had actually thought that Cara was gone from their lives for good.And yet, here she was. Looking very much alive and smiling like a demoness from hell. She was dressed in a leather outfit that hugged her sexy body like a second skin, while her blonde hair was left wild over her shoulders."Cara?",Layla whispered fearfully.Cara arched a brow and smiled mockingly. "I see you can talk now. Very good",she clapped in a belittling manner and planted her hands on her hips. "Now tell me! Where is Riven?"Caleb gently pushed Layla behind
"What news do you have concerning my mate?",Riven asked in a cold, emotionless voice.He had been waiting at the front door of the mansion, waiting for Layla to arrive because he missed her sorely. He hadn't been able to concentrate through out and he just wanted his mate by his side. And then Annabelle had returned alone, informing him that Ren wanted to have a word with Layla.Riven had relaxed a bit, knowing that Caleb and Alex were there with her to keep her safe. But then he remembered how Ren hurt Layla with her words the last time. Muttering a curse at the shifter, he had decided to bring Layla back home himself. And Ren had better not hurt Layla in any way, else there would be bloodshed.Halfway towards the temple, he received Caleb's mind link, calling on all the shifters to assemble and protect the Luna. Without another thought, he took off towards the direction the mind link came from and he was shocked to see Cara, looking alive and entirely different."What news do you ha
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