Mirage's P.O.V "Mirage…if it's too difficult-" "No." I shook my head. "I need to say it. If the flowers in my room were some kind of spell…that means he's already nearby. And it can mean your pack is in danger as well." "Vampires or any other species wouldn't outright try to pick a fight with any pack." Alpha Charles reassured me. "Packs stick together and as a majority in the Supernatural council, we aren't a species to mess around with." "Fae are endangered species, protected by that same council that claims to be on the side of the minority community and offers them full protection," I reminded him. "And yet, that didn't stop the vampires from coming after us." "Go on then." Alpha Charles sighed. "Only till you reach your limit. Do not force yourself to bring back unwanted memories." Unwanted memories, he says? I wanted to scoff. There were no 'unwanted memor
Mirage's P.O.V Facing Krimson after everything that had happened while he was here…it was difficult. But still, I greeted him with a pleasant smile because he was still the man who had helped me become whole again after the darkness had consumed me inside out…forcing my wolf to take over. "Alpha Krimson," I asked him with a smile. "How can I help you?" "Just Krimson is fine," he gave me an amused smile. "There's no need to force yourself to greet me formally." "Fine," I shrugged, feeling myself smile genuinely for the first time. "Then how can I help you?" Krimson had been the only one who hadn't witnessed my breakdown. It somehow made me less weary of him, especially since he had been in my shoes to some point in his life. "I need to know if you can still feel any of your earlier connection to me." The question caught me off-guard, especially since it came out of the blue, w
Mirage's P.O.V "Hi…" Alex stood up from the bed, his eyes searching my face for something that even I couldn't tell. "How was the call with Krimson?" I bit on my lower lip. "It was…eventful." "Look, Mirage…" Alex ran a hand through his hair in frustration, messing it up further. "I don't want to be the jealous kind of man who doubts his partner with another man, but I don't trust Krimson! The bastard had been trying to woo you out of the pack even before he arrived and if he's trying to-" "He found his mate." "-do the same this time a…come again?" Alex's eyes widened as my words finally registered. "He…what?" "Krimson found his mate recently." I let him know because there could be no secrets between mates. "That's why he held me back…to know if I could still feel any connection to him. His mate is still young, so he's worried about her getting hurt.&q
Freya's P.O.V "Mirage, I-Oh god!" I covered my eyes as soon as I saw Alex and Mirage on the bed, and the rest was history. Turning around, I gave them time to compose themselves even as my impatience made me bounce from foot to foot. "You can come in, Freya." Alex's hoarse voice snapped me out of my own little bubble. "Do you have to say something?" "Yes, definitely." I nodded, but found the both of them looking at me in irritation for having disturbed their private little moment. Well, I was happy that the two of them were able to make up, but this could wait. What I had to tell them, however, couldn't. "Sorry to interrupt your tongue fest, but I have important news!" I beckoned the new couple outside. "Get to the games room. Now!" Once I was done with my announcement, I all but ran to the elevator and to the games room in a few instant. I had already telepathed Cameron and he had inf
Mirage's P.O.V It was past midnight when Freya and Sarah decided it was the perfect time to check for seals on me and hence, the three of us musketeers marched into the woods to come upon a tiny abandoned cabin, where all the sinister spells were supposed to take place. "Should I expect a cauldron and a bazillion candles inside?" I joked as Freya unlocked the cabin doors. "Bazillion candles, yes." Sarah shrugged. "Cauldrons? I highly doubt that." "Incendo." Freya spelled and just like I had expected, hundreds of candles came to life inside the small, one-roomed cabin. "Come on in." "Why do witches need so many candles?" I asked Freya, genuinely curious about the workings of the witchy world. "Candles help to centre our magic." She told me while taking off her shoes and entering a small 'ring' like structure where several other candles helped form the borders of the circle. "Th
Mirage's P.O.V I felt my eyes burning. Everything was so bright that I couldn't even tell if I was awake or asleep. The light was burning my eyes and even as I felt my eyelids flutter open, I was once again blinded by the light. I groaned as I brought my hands up to my eyes. What was going on? Why was there so much light here? But no matter how much I tried to cover up my eyes, the light just wouldn't go away. Finally, I moved my hands away from my face and opened my eyes to a room full of light. Everywhere I looked, there was only light, as bright as the sun. It felt like I was Icarus and I had finally reached the sun without melting off my wax wings. Suddenly, I was overcome with a sense of peace and calm like I had never felt before. It felt like this is where I belonged…here, in this light-filled world without and pain, without any shadows. This place made me want to stay here forever. "Mirage…" Who was it? This voice?
Mirage's P.O.V "Why should we go to your room again?" I narrowed my eyes at Alex, who only answered with a grin. "Because it's bigger and has a built-in closet." "Say no more." I grinned. "I'm calling dibs on the right side." "Heyyy…That's not fair!" He pouted. "Life's not fair, my mate." I shrugged my shoulders after that philosophical input. "We are simply moving in." "Simply?" He lifted the two large bags from the floor for emphasis. "If this is your definition of simple…" "Well, I didn't go shopping for all those things, did I? You spoiled me!" "That's true. It's all my fault."Alex sighed as he looked around the room almost in nostalgia. "This room will still be yours though." "Why?" I frowned. "This room could go to someone who might need it later on." "Well," he shrugged. &
Freya's P.O.V I entered Julian's room that evening to find him sitting at his table, concentrating on finishing up his homework. "See?" Cameron whispered against my ear. "There was nothing to worry about." "I guess…" I sighed, but I wasn't convinced. Later last night, when I had returned from the cabin in the woods after helping Mirage unlock her core powers, I had come to check up on Julian out of old habit. Even though we had left behind the time when our father was alive and when I had to constantly remain alert of Julian's safety…some old habits do die hard. But I was thankful that I had come up to check on Julian, because even at two in the morning, I had found him standing as still as a statue, right in front of his window with a faraway look in his eyes as he stared at the waxing moon with utmost concentration. I remember calling out his name, but when he had turned to face me, his eyes had been blood red. I
Lilac's P.O.V It's been a long ride and a very eventful one at that and anytime I think about what Krimson and I have been through, I'm just grateful we had the strength to go through everything we went through and we were able to come out of it even stronger than how we were before. As the sun cast its warm, golden rays across the university campus, I found myself sitting on a bench, the weight of decisions pressing against my chest. The soft whispers of the leaves rustling in the gentle breeze mirrored the conflicted thoughts swirling in my mind. Krimson, my mate, had offered a future tied to our pack, an enticing prospect for many, but not for me. I gazed at the sprawling grounds, feeling a tug in my heart that wasn't just about academic pursuits. The university held promises beyond the textbooks and lectures. It offered freedom—freedom to carve my own identity, to explore knowledge that extended far beyond the boundaries of our pack's traditions. I yearned to brea
Krimson's P.O.V I woke up to the pale light filtering through the hospital room, the faint beeping of monitors sounding in the background. My vision was hazy at first, the events leading up to this moment a jumbled mess in my mind. As I blinked and slowly tried to focus, the first thing that became clear was Lilac's form, peacefully asleep in a chair next to my bed. Relief washed over me as memories flooded back, fragments piecing together into a coherent narrative. "Lilac," I whispered softly, my voice hoarse from disuse. She stirred slightly, a faint flutter of eyelashes against her cheeks, but she remained deep in slumber. The sight of her there, unwavering by my side, despite everything that had transpired, filled me with an inexplicable warmth. I couldn't help but recall the chaos of that night—the confrontation, the whirlwind of emotions, and then the blankness as consciousness slipped away from me. But here I was, waking up to her steadfast presence. It m
Lilac's P.O.V I watched Silver hurl accusations at me, adding to my guilt. I wanted to explain, to make her understand that it wasn't intentional, that the circumstances had shifted beyond my control. But words seemed to desert me in that moment as I grappled with the weight of her accusation. However, Krimson's voice echoed in the room then, commanding even though weak. "Silver, it's not Lilac's fault," he said firmly, his voice carrying the weight of authority. "I made the decision. I took action to protect." Silver's gaze snapped toward Krimson, her eyes filled with disbelief. "What are you saying, Krimson? You hated her, didn't you? Then why would you risk your life to save her?" Krimson shook his head solemnly. "No, Silver. I never hated Lilac, it was our circumstances that I hated. It felt like the Goddess had played a cruel joke on me. But I couldn't run away from a bond fated by the goddess herself, Silver. I had caused Lilac enough pain as it is…I
Lilac's P.O.V I nodded, my mind racing with the urgency of the situation. I moved towards Silver, hoping against hope that all of this worked. "Silver…" I called out to her slowly, making her head snap in my direction. "Please…you need to stop all of this." But Silver's face twisted in a sinister smirk. "It's too late to stop any of this, Lilac. This ends with one of us." "It doesn't have to be that way, Silvia." I shook my head, pleading with her. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Del approaching her steadily from behind her, while I kept on engaging her in conversion. "It does, Lilac." Silver snapped at me, turning her body around so she was facing me completely. "You don't understand-" It was all Del needed, for her to turn away, so that our plan worked. Without wasting a second, he came up behind Silver and wrapped his arms around her body, holding her in place as he took her by surprise
Lilac's P.O.V For a moment, time seemed suspended, the tableau frozen in an eerie stillness. Silver hesitated, her gaze flickering between me and Krimson, the dagger held poised in the air, its lethal purpose momentarily forgotten in the face of Krimson's interruption. "Step away from her, Silver," Krimson's voice cut through the tension, unwavering and authoritative. His stance was firm, commanding obedience without question. The grip of Silver's magic lessened, the pressure easing just enough for me to draw a ragged breath. My muscles protested as I struggled against the binds anew, though I didn't dare to take my eyes off Silver, her expression a maelstrom of conflicting emotions - anger, desperation, and a hint of something I couldn't quite place. "Krimson, you shouldn't be here," Silver's voice wavered, a tremor betraying the turmoil within her. Her grip on the dagger faltered, uncertainty clouding her features. "You know I couldn't stand by and
Lilac's P.O.V The air was thick with tension, a palpable energy that crackled around us like a storm waiting to break. "Silver, you're fooling yourself if you think you can wield that kind of power," I said softly, my gaze fixed on the gleaming knife in her hands. "You're not a true Silver Alpha Breeder, you never will be. You can't ever access my full potential." Silver's laughter cut through the serene air, a sound that held a hint of something darker beneath its surface. "Oh, you have no idea, do you?" Her eyes glinted with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine. "You underestimate what a witch can do, what I can do. I'm part wolf, part witch. I'm a hybrid that is already stronger than both a wolf and a witch! There's nothing I cannot do, Lilac!" "You think I chose you to lead our pack because of some noble sentiment? No, Lilac." Her voice was cold, devoid of any warmth. "I chose you because I knew the stronger you became, the more that dormant p
Lilac's P.O.V My eyes brimmed with confusion and hurt as I confronted Silver in the dimly lit room I was being held captive in. "Did you…ever really consider me a friend, Silver?" my voice trembled with a mixture of fear and desperation, my heart aching with the weight of betrayal. Silver, her gaze heavy with sorrow and a haunted past, met my eyes. "I used to belong to a peaceful pack, a pack that had been my home since the day I was born," she began, her voice tinged with a raw emotion that spoke volumes of her pain. "We lived in harmony, in unity. It was everything to me." Tears welled up in Silver's eyes, reflecting the agony of memories etched deep within her soul. "Your father," she whispered, the words heavy with anguish. "He... he attacked our pack. In the dead of night, when darkness cloaked the land, he led a brutal assault." I felt my heart ache for the woman that I had once considered my biggest alley, but now, she had turned out to be my bigges
Krimson's P.O.V The night hung heavy around us as we tore through the city streets, the engine's roar mingling with the howling wind. Del and I were on a mission—racing against time to reach Silver's apartment. It was imperative that we find Lilac before anything sinister unfolded. "Alpha Krimson, step on it!" Del's voice cut through the adrenaline-charged air, urgency lacing every word. His grip tightened on the door handle as we swerved through the dimly lit alleys, the neon signs blurring into streaks of color. "I'm pushing it as hard as I can!" I shouted back, my eyes fixed on the road ahead. The weight of worry pressed on me like a leaden cloak. We had to reach Silver's place, and had to find Lilac safe and sound. Finally, screeching to a halt outside Silver's building, we leaped out of the car. Breathless and tense, we dashed up the stairs, each step echoing the pounding of our hearts. As we reached Silver's door, our hopes soared, but a hollow silence gre
Lilac's P.O.V As I slowly arose to consciousness, I found myself grappling with the weight of my heavy eyelids. My mind sluggishly pieced together the fragments of reality, pushing through a dense fog of disorientation. The air felt heavy, each inhale a laborious effort that failed to fill my lungs as it should. A peculiar lightheadedness swept over me, a disconcerting sensation akin to floating on the edge of a dream. My initial attempt to stretch my arms, to move, met an unexpected resistance. Panic flickered through my drowsy mind as the realization hit home—I was restrained. My fingertips brushed against something coarse and unyielding, confirming my fear. The sensation sent a jolt of adrenaline through my groggy state, clearing the haze momentarily. I tried to rise, only to discover the cruel truth of my predicament: bound, not just by ropes or chains, but tied firmly to what appeared to be a marble table. The cool surface pressed against my skin, a s