Bayswater Beach
Annabelle Aoki
I hurriedly exited the kitchen and chased after the boys, leaving a very confused Romeo behind me. He had held out his hand to me, which I blatantly ignored.
Did he think he has a claim on me now that I've confessed to him that we're mates?
Oh how I wish he did, but he doesn't. If only he knew of the truth.
I marched into the living room, my footsteps purposeful and heavy. When I entered the room, I found the space vacant and the hidden door already ajar.
Darn it!
Despite their large and muscular build, these shapeshifters' movements were surprisingly silent, swift, and agile. They must have purposely left us behind, a not-so-subtle attempt at allowing privacy for me and Romeo.
Light footsteps sounded behind me and I quickly advanced towards the partially opened door, my heart thumping violently as I moved.
I'm not ready to face h
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Crimson Bay Romeo Price I found myself in the middle of overgrown bushes and when I turned to look behind me, brambles had already covered the secret door to the underground passage, making it invisible to the naked eye. Despite the thick foliage that we were standing in, none of the leaves and flowers grazed our skins, making me think that perhaps the vegetation is conjured by magic. A simple but effective cover against intruders or prying eyes. "Where are we?" Jughead's voice sounded in awe as if we had stumbled into Narnia, after entering a broom closet at the beach house. The reality is, we're probably somewhere nearby. Despite the powerful magic that I sense Annabelle can wield, I don't think she's powerful enough to transport us to another dimension or realm. Or could she? I tugged her hand and led her forward, enjoying the tingles coming from where our skins touched, a pleasant sensation that wa
Crimson Bay Romeo Price Our footsteps were silent when we entered Montgomery's residence. The room that we entered through the backdoor appeared to be a kitchen, an island counter dominated the center of the room and cooking appliances were placed against the wall, all spotless and clean. If this is the kitchen, why did my sense of smell pick up the lingering scent of blood and depreciating lifeforce from outside the house? No, there must be something more, perhaps a secret door to a hidden chamber similar to what Annabelle had at the beach house. Dimitri's scent was so strong that I was practically gagging from the cloying sweet smell that accompanied the vampire. On the plus side, I'm pretty sure he's still alive, in that undead way of his. I would not have been able to scent him if he had been reduced to ashes. I signaled for the guys to follow me. It was a fort
Bayswater Beach Annabelle Aoki I had just completed a spell, the first transfer of items from the underground library to another safe house when Romeo and the boys burst through the underground passageway, causing a racket loud enough to wake the dead. I and Trav paused what we were doing and looked up, only to find a haggard-looking Dimitri tied to a chair and carried by Arch and Roman. Behind them were Romeo and Jughead, carrying a limp, battered, and bloodied girl. What on earth happened in Crimson Bay? My powers were severely drained from the intensive use of magic and the flurry of activities brought in by Romeo and his mates are making my head spin. The boys placed Dimitri in the middle of the library, still tied to the chair, while the injured girl was laid down carefully on one of the long tables in the middle of the dusty library. Romeo was in full Alpha mode, barking orders to the boy
Bayswater Beach Annabelle Aoki The day had been filled with surprises, from unwanted visitors searching for the ruby stone to exploring the beach house's underground passageway and exiting at Montgomery's backyard to rescuing Dimitri and his human mate. What a day indeed. During dinner, Romeo had announced that he would remain at the beach house with us. He suspects James and his posse could be returning for another search and wanted to make sure that I am safe. How gallant of him. It must've been due to the text message I sent him. It was a temporary lapse in my judgment and I shouldn't have done it. Sorry Romeo, there's is no need for you to be my knight in shining armor. Just because we're mates, that doesn't mean that you need to look after me.I can take care of myself. After we had left the guest bedroom, Romeo wanted us to discuss the i
For some unknown reason, Nari's luck ran out after she returned from the Moonstone pack. She had lost the vampire's stone that she obtained in the second induction test by Maxwell, earning his disapproval. Her eyebrows furrowed as she tried to recall the events leading to the loss of the stone. A few hours before the induction test, using a glamour spell, Nari had posedas Stephen and met Annabelle at Lava Java. And then using an enchantment spellshe kidnapped Annabelle and brought her to the hidden chamber in her bedroom. She wanted information on Romeo's location, so sheused an inferno spell, slowly burning Annabelle's skin and raising the heat to a scorching level in order to get Annabelle to spill. Unfortunately, Nari's plan didn't go as planned, forminutes later she was called by the Wiccan Council for her second induction test. So she had to leave before she was able to extract any useful
Royal Hall, Former Wiccan Castle, Crimson Bay Nari stood tall as she recalled fond memories of thefirst time she was called to appear before the Wiccan Council at the Royal Hall. She was standing at the very same spot in the huge chamber under beautifully painted ceilings and tall molded arches. She had stood quaking with fear that day. With everything that's been happening around her, it seems as if a lifetime had since passed but it actually wasn't that long ago, merely a week give or take. This time she was standing in front of the Wiccan Council with her back ramrod straight and head held high. Nari had arrived in Crimson Bay a few hours ago and went back home for a shower and a fresh change of clothes before alerting the council members of her return.She came bearing good news andwas pleased to find the council calling her for a meetin
Bayswater Beach Romeo Price A pang of disappointment flooded my chest when I woke up to an empty and cold bed. My plan for some alone time with Annabelle last night failed miserably when she took to bed like a fish in water. Not that I blame her, we had quite the adventure yesterday, discovering an underground pathway that leads straight to Montgomery's residence. And adding to that, she also had to apparate items from the underground library and heal Dimitri's, human mate. That must have taken a toll on her magic. I arose from the bed, showered, and strolled off to the kitchen. The smell of bacon and eggs guided my nose like a beacon, assuming that Annabelle would be sitting at the breakfast nook with Dimitri and his human mate. I wonder how Annabelle knew the girl's name.What did Annabelle call the girl again, was it, Gisela? To my surprise, the kitchen was empty except
The vampire prince and his mate left at noon, just as he said he would. He didn't divulge their destination and I didn't ask. Somehow, I have a gut feeling that I'm going to see him again, soon. Although the vampire was gone, his words played in my head like a broken record. "We all have secrets, my friend. Perhaps you should worry about your mate's rather than mine." I've known all along that Annabelle has secrets. For now, I trust her. Or at the very least, I am giving her the benefit of doubt. Because if my mate wants to share something with me, she will. Besides, she did say we'll talk once she's finished moving the items in the underground library to another safe house. The whole day, I gave a wide berth to Annabelle, letting her do her magic in the library, and waited patiently for her to finish. It felt awkward to have nothing pressing to do, no paperwork to sign, no issues to solve. Don't get me wrong, my w
Kingdom of Draconia Annabelle Aoki Ahsan took us back to his kingdom this morning and since then he hasn't left his palace. He’s locked in a meeting with his advisors and warriors, drawing names and allocating dragon shifters and fae warriors into different groups. I on the other hand returned to the mansion and occupied my time by checking on the books and paraphernalia that were brought back from the beach house. The servants had dusted and arranged everything systematically in my new library. The space is larger compared to the underground library in the beach house. And with light spilling from tall windows on one side of the room, it's also airy and bright. I am satisfied with how everything turned out. Books are sorted based on categories and titles on one side of the room, while runes and magical items properly arranged and cataloged on the shelves at the other side of the room. A large oak table flanked by ten chairs dominated the center of the room. Placed haphazardly arou
Annabelle Aoki I would have to say the meeting among the stone guardians tonight went surprisingly well, considering we all barely knew each other. I wasn't surprised to find some odd looks thrown at me when Ahsan mentioned that he had a mate before, all of which I blatantly ignored. It's not as if I didn't know about it. He's made the fact known to me since the very beginning. However, with the exception of telling me that his mate is dead, centuries before I was born, Ahsan never mentioned anything else about the late fae princess to me. And I've never asked either, because it's not my business to know. After the meeting ended, Ahsan walked me to my room, a short distance from where we had the meeting, and left soon after. He told me needed to get back to his room where his advisors are currently waiting. They have to discuss their next course of action once we return to the Kingdom of Draconia. Feeling tired and sleepy, I quickly entered the bathroom, getting myself ready for
Romeo Price My eyes roamed the figures crowding the small living area adjacent to my private quarters. Dimitri, Gisela, Annabelle, and Ahsan were seated on the sofa around me. While standing at the back of the room were Roman, Arch, Trav, and Jughead. We were gathered for a meeting among the royal stone guardians, the first I've ever attended. Like Annabelle, most of the stone guardians prefer to keep to themselves, and rarely would we interact and establish close friendships with each other. Except perhaps, me and Dimitri. Some might say me and Dimitri are an anomaly compared to the other stone guardians. I used to consider the two of us as good friends or comrades, but that ended when he withheld information of my mate's engagement to the Dragon King. Dimitri made me look like a fool. I had planned for the meeting to be held at one of the bigger spaces, we had many meeting rooms in the palace but Ahsan requested a smaller chamber, one that is protected against magic. The wall
Richard's funeral was graced with blue skies and white tufted clouds, and despite it being the middle of autumn, the weather was sunny and balmy, as if angels had opened up the gates of heaven to welcome the late Alpha King into their midst. The event was held beautifully, the atmosphere calm and reverent. Various bouquets and flower wreaths of different shapes and sizes were placed near the palace gates, making it appear as if the grounds were colorfully bathed in flowers. Flags were hung at half-mast, roads in the city devoid of trafficas shapeshifters from various regions and states lined up the main road from the palace to the royal mausoleum, grieving for the loss of their former king. We returned to the palace to offer our condolences after the procession was over. A somber atmosphere hung in the air, at odds with the castle which was usually bustling with activities. In a few hours, guests and nobles will be readying to leave, now that Richard has been l
The boys doggedly followed me to my room after my scuffle with Dimitri. His betrayal stung me, more than I cared to admit. I thought he was my friend, or at the very least, we have formed a relationship based on trust and respect but it seems I thought wrong. I was a bloody fool to have trusted him. "Annabelle is engaged to King Ahsan?" "What's going on between you and Annabelle?" "Did you know this about Annabelle?" "I thought Annabelle was with you, man." Just as I thought, the questions spewed out of the boys' mouths right after we entered my room. I glowered at them but to no avail. Instead, they returned my stare, Jughead and Roman even had the audacity to roll their eyes. In front of everyone else, they would be on their best behavior, bowing and listening to my every word but when we're alone, Goddess, they're annoying. These boys have known me for almost my whole life. "We are not leaving unt
I pulled her in for one last kiss, light and soft, my lips lingering over hers for a while before we separated. And just like that, my first and most probably the last date with Annabelle is over. I folded the picnic mat while Annabelle returned the leftover food and wine back into the picnic basket. We were both silent as we strolled hand in hand and when the palace came into view, she snatched her hand away. In the absence of her touch, I felt bereft, lonely, new cracks appearing on the surface of my already broken heart. An unfortunate reminder of how the rest of my life will feel like. Separated from my true mate and alone. "Your Highness, the guests are here." Alfred, the royal butler met us halfway and led us towards the front steps, where a silver Rolls Royce was waiting. Behind it were several SUVs, all in uniform black paint and heavily tinted windows. Mum, Uncle Reynold, Jughead, Arch, Roman, and Trav were already waiting on the step
Lux Lupus Romeo Price "I'm proud of you, son." After the Alphas dinner, Dad's words replayed themselves relentlessly in my twisted mind, over and over again like a broken record. How could he be proud of me when he is dead because of me? Dad had pushed me out of Sebastian's way and substituted himself. He bloody sacrificed himself so that I would live. I. Killed. My. Dad. I am the reason he is dead. I could feel myself spiraling into the darkness, my vision replaying the way Dad's eyes had lost their luster as life extinguished from within him, the screams of pain from Mom and Uncle Reynold, the cold, lifeless body that lay on the floor. When he died, a part of me died too. Unexpectedly, I found light. What surprised me was my mate, Annabelle. That night, she called for food that I didn't want to eat and assemble
My heart was shattered, my limbs heavy and all I want to do is curl up and sleep, wishing never to wake up from this ugly nightmare. However, sleep evaded me, inside my chest was a chasm that used to be where my heart was. All that was left was an empty void, a shell of what used to be me. Unable to bring myself to face Romeo, I stayed in the room throughout the flight, coming out only when the stewardess had knocked on the door informing me that the plane is making its descent. We consciously stayed away from each other or perhaps it was just me, as I chose to sit with Lucy and Reynold while he sat alone, silent and pensive. One thing I've learned from observing Romeo is that his emotions are the most turbulent when he is still and quiet. I wonder if he regretted my confession. Even after the plane had landed, I high-tailed behind Lucy and Reynold and entered their car, leaving Romeo alone with the driver in his car. If t
We arrived on the tarmac next to a plane that was painted with the Werewolf Kingdom's livery and crest. The interior was equally impressive, the walls are covered in wood paneling, plush leather seats in clusters of two, three, and four, and a small minibar sat at the corner. There was a door which I later found out led to a bedroom with an equally impressive king-sized bed. The plane took off not long after we arrived, and once we were surrounded by white fluffy clouds, Jughead started briefing Romeo of his schedule and engagements, one that both amazed and scared me. It has made me realize one thing, he wouldn't have a single moment available for my confession, so my best bet is to get a private moment with him while we're on the plane. Two hours later, Jughead finally left Romeo's side and I watched, my eyes half hooded, my expression relaxed, pretending to be asleep as Romeo made his way to where I sat. "Follow me." He crouched next to me and whispe