Serena paced inside her room, waiting for Dorian’s return. Viviane had to leave after she got an urgent call, leaving Serena in a mesh of anxiety and apprehension. She forlornly raised her hand and looked at the mark. How could it have been infected? She never told anyone about it. Except for Barbara and Liam…
Oh, she had completely forgotten about them. She picked up her phone from the nightstand and dialled Barbara’s number. She knew that the rush hour would be over. She answered the phone on the fifth ring. “Serena, are you okay? Is everything fine?” came the concerned flurry of questions. Serena felt her lips wobble, felt her eyes well up. However, she didn’t want to make her worry about the mark. Barbara’s anxious voice cut through her thoughts. “Hello? Are you there?”
“Ah, yes. Yes, I am,” she replied steadily. “I...I calle
Serena knew that she wasn’t conscious. The fact she was back at the cliff, this time looking at the waning moon, told her that this was a vision. She looked down to see the tides, crashing viciously against the wall of the cliff as if it had been angered. “Serena…” that melodic voice reached her ears once again. She turned this time, unable to resist her curiosity and her lips parted as the word she had not said for as long as she could remember, slipped out. “Mom.” It was like a breathy exhale. She knew that her mother was dead, her silhouette shimmering and translucent, and yet she felt her eyes well up. Her mother smiled sadly. “Don’t cry, sweetheart.” Serena wiped her tears, but she wanted to hug her. Despite her repressed memory, her not inability to remember her own mother and taking a long time to figure out things, she felt her suppressed love and longing ooze out at the sight
“You cannot go to that woman now!” Viviane had protested when Dorian had divulged the part about meeting his mother. “I know she did this,” he had growled. The pack doctor had sighed. “That’s an assumption. What if she denies it? With the constant attacks from faes, it won’t take long before others get to know the truth and you can’t let more members die. We don’t know how strong she is and we certainly can’t gamble now. Got it?” He had begrudgingly relented. Telling Barbara wasn’t in question. He didn’t want the elderly couple to suffer again no matter what he felt for them. Viviane opted to stay back while Kyle and Ronan volunteered to guard the place. Dorian merely acknowledged all of their requests and suggestions with a curt nod, not willing to leave Serena’s side for a moment. It has been two days
Serena’s reeling brain turned numb and blank. All she could feel was the softness of Dorian's lips moving against his. She felt a warm hand cup the nape of her neck and felt herself being pulled closer. Involuntarily, she placed her palm lightly on his chest as she lost herself in the exceeding and exhilarating feeling. She heard him growl and nip at his bottom lip. Heat pooled in her stomach, a noise left the back of her lips and then she felt herself being tilted backwards, and that...made her eyes open. Her back hit the mattress and while her brain was slowly catching up to what was happening, he pulled away, but not far enough. She stared at his dark, hooded eyes before her gaze drifted to his lips which had reddened slightly from the kiss. They were so...close and yet Serena did not feel repulsive, she didn’t have the urge to push him away. Instead she wanted him to be closer.&nb
Barbara had always managed to enthral Serena with her culinary skill. The simple chicken soup she made felt heavenly to her taste buds. The warmth curled and swirled inside her mouth, and she could feel her insides rejuvenating. She took a second helping as if she had been starved for days although Viviane had said she was given fluids through channels at regular intervals. She was still high from the kiss she shared with Dorian, even though it was more than that. She ducked her chin, feeling a blush creep up on her cheeks. All the while, Barbara fondly looked at the young girl, a girl who had been nothing but a stranger, a helpless one a few months ago. “Liam has been calling me non-stop, asking me about you,” she commented. Serena gulped a spoonful of soup before saying, “When will he come?” “Tomorrow, perhaps. I wi
Dorian halted in his tracks. His hackles rose. He turned around immediately, Kai coming to the forefront. “How did you know?” If Jared knew then so did his father and so did others and that just added to Serena’s dangers. Jared’s unwavering gaze remained neutral. He neither looked triumphant, nor did he cower when Dorian glared at him. “This town isn’t very big and we are supernatural creatures. Don’t think that people will not know when something happens.” “So you think me becoming the king would add a benefit?” Dorian cut the chase and directly asked because he saw only the downsides of the position. Jared nodded. “There are many.” Dorian crossed his arms and waited for his cousin’s explanation. At the back of his mind, he knew that he was probably getting late and worrying a number of people but he knew that his co
“Jared, my cousin and the alpha king suggested I become the king,” Dorian said, his voice a soft murmur against her hair. Serena snuggled into his side, and just basking in the warmth that she found in this innocent intimacy. A sudden bout of dizziness had interrupted their makeout session and her mate had carried her to her room. However, she didn’t let him leave and he easily relented, joining in the bed and holding her like no one else ever had. She wanted to savour this moment and applaud herself for taking the initiative, for not pushing him back from her personal space and somehow she could feel Dorian’s gratitude at being let in. “And…?” she prompted, tilting her head up slightly to look at him and as if he had read her mind, he inclined his head. “I...declined,” he said after a pause. Serena felt relieved as she sagged against his side. “Were you worried that I would say I acc
“I think you haven’t heard about this, but…” “Jared has been banished from his throne.” Dorian reiterated in a clipped tone. His grandfather had called in the morning, asking him to meet the former immediately. He had left a sleeping Serena and a harried Viviane as she arrived to meet his grandfather. His grandfather looked at him, taken aback. “How did you know?” “I have sources,” he lied, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Despite being considered as someone who is feral, he knew better than to divulge others’ secrets. His grandfather’s lips thinned. Dorian did not cast his gaze away. Instead, he silently challenged his grandfather to refute his lies. Alexander sighed. His grandson was st
Her heartbeat quickened. She sat up straight. Her thumb hovered on the empty message box before she swapped on the screen and closed the app. Was it really Tomoe? Was her vision a lie? Or would she just walk into a trap by willing to meet her? “What’s wrong?” Viviane’s voice startled her enough that her phone fell from her hand on the bed. Serena looked at the other’s furrowed eyebrow. “Ah..it’s nothing…” She flashed a nervous smile. Viviane did not prod. Instead, she handed her a mug of steaming coffee. “When will Dorian return?” she asked, taking a sip from the mug. The hot beverage scalded her tongue. Viviane shrugged. “Who knows? Kyle said they will go to the company. Work has been pending for a couple of days now.” Yet again the young seer felt t
~2 years later~ Serena’s eyes brimmed with tears, not because of sadness but out of happiness. The little bundle of joy, the one she had carried for the past nine months stared back at her with guileless golden eyes. All the exhaustion, the tears and mood changes, everything was worth it. When she conceived, she had already become protective, but now as she held the little one in her arms; she felt she would do anything for her. “Isn’t she beautiful?” Dorian whispered, his voice hoarse with strained emotions as he pulled her closer to him. Serena blinked back to the present and nodded, unable to utter even a single word. Her throat closed up as the bay made soft sounds as she rocked her gently. 4 years had passed in the blink of an eye and now as Serena stared at their daughter, she couldn’t h
Serena could feel her heart constrict. She felt like she couldn’t breathe. She distantly heard someone shouting, then someone grabbing her arm because she was swaying on her feet. Her vision had become dim. Black spots danced at the edges of her eyes. Her eyes stung as she breathed through her mouth. Why would…why would he leave? Again? Was she being rejected? She couldn’t even feel his emotions strongly. They were so faint. She blinked furiously, hardly realizing that she was crying. Someone held her close to them, caressed her hair and shushed her. But her sobs suddenly seemed uncontrollable. She was trembling and then she felt a pinprick and before she knew it, her head had lolled to one side. ~~~~~~ Dorian hadn’t expected that his stepping out and going for a run to c
The next day, Alexander King came to visit his grandson in the morning. The old man paused outside the cabin and stared at Dorian through the rectangular glass on the door. He firmed his grasp around the cane and composed himself so that his grandson wouldn’t get a glimpse of his fear, of the terrible feeling of hopelessness he had experienced when Dorian didn’t wake up. He clutched the bent wooden head of the cane tightly to stop the quivering of his fingers. He pushed the door open and walked in. Dorian opened his eyes as soon as Alexander stepped in. Ronan stood up from the couch and bowed. Kyle was yet to arrive and take the former’s post. The beta was juggling between the pack and the company. “I will let you both talk,” Ronan said respectfully before leaving. Dorian sat up.
“How are you feeling?” Serena turned her head to look at Viviane. Her gaze was nothing but sympathetic. She bustled around a bit before helping her to sit up. She didn’t know how to explain what she felt. She was glad but that emotion seemed hollow. She felt a strange emptiness in her heart, a sickening satisfaction at having killed Yvonne and…“How’s Dorian?” she asked instead. Her voice came out raspy. Viviane held a cup in front of her mouth with a straw. She took slow sips before pushing the cup away.Vivane placed the cup on a nearby table and said, “He is fine. Exhausted but he is resting and…” Serena read her silence.“He knows.” It wasn’t a question. She let out a shuddering b
Serena opened her eyes to the same terrain, on the muddy grass where she often finds herself. She felt that her head was on someone’s lap. There was no pain or exhaustion as she sat up, taking in the calmness. The cliff did not look so threatening, and neither did the sea feel tumultuous. It was unnerving to some extent. “You are wondering why everything is so quiet today, aren't you?” Serena turned quickly to see her mother smiling at her, but there was a hint of ruefulness in that smile and a tinge of sadness in her gaze. “Mom..” she whispered before rushing towards her, even though she half-expected to feel her warmth but was pleasantly surprised to feel her mother’s arms envelope hers, pulling her into a hug that she often missed since she lost her.
[warning: mild gore] Dorian did not really feel the hit. His brain took a second to decipher, and Kai’s roar followed after that. One moment he was trying to break Barbara and Liam free from the binds, and the next moment he felt his entire body become immobile. He could hear Serena’s shout and Barbara’s scream but his vision was turning hazy and before he knew it he fell on the ground in a heap, like a dead weight. ~~~~~~ All the visions that she had seen played in her mind in a nightmarish loop. Was this what it meant? Was this how this would end? Serena refused to believe this. She scrambled towards his prone form, every other thought leaving her mind. “Dorian…” she gasped, his name a litany on her lips as she felt the pain that her mate might be feeling twice more than her. But…bu
Yvonne’s smirk and malicious gaze were enough to turn the simmering embers into a blazing fire. Her eyes flashed golden, but a hand wrapped around her wrist, tugging her back. She looked up to see Dorian, shaking his head subtly. “Listen to your mate, Miss Viotto. I wouldn’t want to harm someone close to my son after all,” she said tauntingly, making Serena angrier. She suddenly regretted bringing the book with her. It felt as if she had walked right into the trap. She clutched her tote bag tightly. “I don’t need his permission. The fact that he is stopping me because he knows what i am capable of,” she retorted and was thankful for the snarkiness in her tone. Yvonne’s face darkened before she began to walk towards her. Dorian immediately came in betw
Serena rushed to her father who collapsed on the floor as soon as Jordan let him go. Jordan watched the reunion with baleful eyes before his gaze settled on Dorian who was staring back at him with open hostility. The Alpha King’s gaze flickered to the former Fae King momentarily before they went back up and remained settled on Jordan. “What happened? Are you…are you hurt? Oh my gosh, what happened to your wings?” Serena bombarded the two fae men with question after question as she continued inspecting her wounded father. Vulcan felt too tired to speak, the teleportation having taken much energy away from him than he had fathomed. “I think we should move him to the guest room. I’ll call Viviane.” Dorian proposed. Jordan who had been silent until now murmured his assent. Dorian helped Jordan to pull Vulcan up and practically dragged him to the room because the older man was in no condition to walk, even with help. Serena’s heart clenched as he watched the once regal ki
She was standing in front of her father, tears streaming down her cheeks as she looked at him writhing on the floor. His wings lying somewhere far, bloody and twitching. “Save…save me…save me…” But Serena remained silent. The moon shone brightly, brighter than any other day. She could hear the high tides, she could hear their impatience. The rune of Nauthiz (ᚾ) hovers and disappears. She doesn't know what to make of it. It’s the rune of need, urgency, but also conveys the acceptance of the unchangeable. Did that mean…? Her eyes closed for a moment, as she tried to gather enough courage to say the next words. But those words didn’t leave her mouth for when she opened her eyes, Vulcan was lying still, a garbled groan came out of his lips. A sob esca