"How was the relationship between lord Cain and his brother Mendez?" I had asked Mrs Galakir that night. After my heated conversation with the new vampire lord, I couldn't shake off the feeling that there might be more than what met the eye. There might be betrayal of blood, greed of power and a rift between brotherhood. "They were good except a few disagreements here and there," Mrs Galakir had answered. "A couple years ago lord Cain punished lord Mendez over something, but it wasn't big. Even if it was, the family didn't let it slip out into the world." It might've even been anger built-up over the years. I wished I could talk to Hades right now. He'd know what to do. I couldn't even let go of the feeling that I might've pushed him in a deeper trouble by provoking the vampire lord. He had been inimical towards Hades from the beginning, now I probably made it worse. I couldn't sleep the whole night with all the disturbing thoughts circling my head relentlessly. Then there was th
Just when I thought I couldn't breathe anymore, the door was ripped off, and strong arms wrapped around me, pulling me out of the car. He dragged me a few meters away before lowering us on the ground and bracing me with himself. A blasting sound deafened me for a moment before my ears started to ring. "Gisele, look at me. Look here. Look me in the eye." I did as told. I gazed at his piercing silvers, forgetting all my pains for a fleeting moment. "Breath. Breath as deep as you can." I did that too, filling my lungs with a much needed supply of oxygen. "Now I want you to kiss me." My gaze shifted to his busted lips but still as plump and pink. They parted in anticipation and sheer lust. "Come on," he encouraged, the timbre of his voice low and inviting. I couldn't wait anymore. I closed the gap in-between and pressed my lips to his hot ones. They felt like a distraction, tasted like elixir. The way they moved against mines, then the subtle brush of his tongue, I might as well
"It's too bitter," I whined, tilting my head away from the soup Nola made me. Since the pack doctor suggested last night while he grimly put my two broken fingers in a cast that kale could ensure a quick recovery according to its health benefits, Nola made it her mission to feed me just that first thing in the morning. When she was unsuccessful, she resorted to her ultimate weapon. "Bitter works better," Hades replied while literally pushing the spoon through my lips. "No." I furrowed my brows from the unfamiliarity of those words. "You just made it up, didn't you?""I did." My eyes widened. How conceited could he be to admit that even?I stuck my tongue out at him. "It's not gonna work on me."He stared at me for a few seconds, a ghost of an amusement dancing in the corner of his lips. "In that case," he put down the bowl on the bedside table and reached into his suit jacket, "I might have to bribe you." I frowned again when he pulled his hand out of his inner breast pocket. A
I closed the book with a thump, not being able to concentrate. I had been trying to distract myself for the past half an hour with no luck. I didn't want to think about the answer my mind was undoubtedly cooking in the back of my mind. I did ask myself the question as Nola requested. Did I love Hades? At first the answer came out as maybe, and a part of me smacked me in the head and said, 'How can you possibly love someone who had been hating you, torturing you, and now keeping your father as hostage?' It made sense. I couldn't. But then another part in me sat back and started reminiscing all the time he saved me, all the kisses we shared, and all the feels that flooded through my veins at his proximity. The answer began to lean more to the yes side, and dread filled my insides. Shaking my head, I put the book on the bedside table, and a piece of paper flew off of somewhere, landing on the floor. My brows furrowed with confusion as I leaned over the side of the bed and picked it
The next moments went in a blur as he leaned down and wrapped his arms around the back of my thighs. A whoosh of air swiped the hair off my face, and my back came in contact with the soft mattress of his bed. My breath hitched when his plump lips crashed into mine, and explosions of a thousand fireworks burst in my stomach. I kissed back just as fiercely, with the passion of a thousand burning suns. My nails scraped across his head when his hot tongue skimmed over my bottom lip, asking for entrance. I resisted at first, scheming of playing with him a little. A groan sounded in the back of his throat, indicating his impatience, and it drew out a giggle off of me. His hand moved under me, reaching lower and squeezing one of my butt cheeks into his palm. A shot of electricity ran through my veins, making me gasp, and giving him the perfect opportunity to shove his tongue inside. A taste of his lusciousness, and my soul soared high, like it found its favorite kind of drug, a moan escap
That day Hades came back home before his usual time. Though he wasn't exactly in terms with me wanting to fight. He believed he wouldn't let any inconvenience slide that far. Though I trusted him, I didn't want to come off as a weak baggage with no knowledge at self defense. Besides, I could help Hades in times of danger that way. I glanced at his collection of probably every variety of knives and picked up a claw-like one. "If you're thinking of fighting a supernatural with that, then you're already dead," Hades spoke from behind. He had put on a pair of black sweatpants with a gray shirt so tight it put his magnificent muscles on a close exhibition. My eyes rose to find his skimming me from head to toe, and a bulge started to form in his pants. What the! I looked down at my appearance. A pink yoga leggings with a matching sports bra. My cheeks rosied although I was so happy when I found this. But seriously, he had seen me a lot more bare than that. Literally naked even. He brus
That night when I went to bed, he wasn't there anymore. Neither when I woke up the next day. I could see a crack in the friendship I thought we were in the process of building, and that punctured my heart with a burning arrow. My mood went downhill the moment I noticed the lack of crinkle in his side of the bed meaning he never came home or came to our room. How could he be that mad at me for wanting to see my father or even stating true fact? He was in the middle of annihilating my father's bloodline for revenge on his father's death for God's sake. Then why was it any different in my case? Why couldn't he understand we harbored the same feelings for our fathers? My father wasn't perfect, but he was still my father, and he still brought me up with the utmost love and care. A drop of tear rolled down the side of my eye, and I wiped it away with force. He was the one being unfair, so why should I be crying over it? Letting out a heavy breath, I decided to fall back to sleep. It was t
Life is so unpredictable. One moment we're dreaming, hoping, and then in the next, we're crashing, crumbling. Leaving my papa into that torture cell was the hardest decision I ever made. Even though I promised I'd get him out of there, I didn't spot the belief, no hope in his eyes. I, myself wasn't sure how I was gonna do that. If I ever could do that. Stepping out of the room, I glanced back, the door disappearing behind the illusion of a cracked wall. My gaze steered to the elderly lady too focused on her crocheting task. I didn't have to think twice to discern who she was. A witch. "Luna, are you okay?" "Take me back," I told Wyett, already walking out of the house. I could feel his concerned glance finding me through the rearview mirror from time to time, but something in my expression kept him from approaching about it. He let me stare out the window without any interruption. Maybe it was the cold fire in my eyes, or the spiraling storm beneath my silence, or a new surge of
Eight years later~ "Elizah?" I stared at the empty room, my brows furrowing. He was supposed to be in his table studying. "Elizah," I called again in a low voice afraid the twins might wake back up.I and Nola spent three hours trying to get them to sleep, and then I dozed off, completely forgetting that I had promised my elder son to help with his homework. Walking down the hall, I checked in the other rooms, even the twins' just in case he decided to visit them like he did sometimes, yet no sign of him. My stomach knotted with unease. Normally, he'd come running to me on my first call, occasionally the second no matter where he was in the house. He was such a sweet kid. But today as I ran around looking for him, I knew something wasn't right. Not working myself up as the doc suggested because of the heart problems I developed over the years as heirloom, I decided to check his hiding spots. There were several throughout the house, the most used one being behind his bookshelves in
One month later~ I sat before the huge mirror like a mannequin princess being coddled by a dozen women. A soft, warm air blew on my hair as someone blow-dried it. Two painted my nails, and another ran several brushes on my face applying make-up. This was the big day. My wedding. Yet as I looked up searching for familiar faces among the people surrounding me I missed the ones I called family. Some more than the others. Some I hated that I ever loved. They took things from me. Significant things. Parts of my heart that I can never get back. But it was a relief knowing the ominous time was over. The evil lurking in the dark waiting to pounce and feed on our happiness was gone forever. And if someone new decided to test their luck, I knew Hades would be right there, protecting his family, and his pack like the feared blood alpha he was. And with him beside me, I too could tackle any storm, swallow any pain and vanquish any enemy that dared to wedge their evil ploys between us. "The d
"No!" I screamed, my chest constricting so painfully I could be sure I was having a heart attack. But it turned out to be fruitful because Gordon's head shot my way, and Hades took that opportunity to slam his forearm on his elbow pit, making a crack echo through the trees. He didn't stop there because the next moment he headbutted the elder sending him flying across. Hades was bloody all over, but he was okay. However, there was no relief as I knelt beside Tera, my head spinning, and a strange pressure building in my belly. Shaking my head, I glanced at the huge broken branch sticking out of her torso. "Tera," I cried out. "Why did you do it?""Don't... get your knickers... in a twist, woman. I'm not... dying for you," she spoke between coughs, her eyes squeezing shut as she clutched the wood and tugged at it. But it didn't budge. She tried again, a gritting scream leaving her lips, but once again, the wood piece refused to come out. It was stuck to something inside. Falling b
The blood in my veins went still as I stared at the man before me. Silver rooted hair and grey eyes. He had the proudest smile plastered on his face as he closed the gap between him and Iris into a loud, sloppy kiss. "Mhm, I missed you, babe," Iris cooed. "I'm here now, my love," he cooed back, and they both turned to me with matching looks of pure mockery. The nerves!Those two? Together? All this time? Shock and disgust combined with each other struck me frozen for a moment. My gut feelings had always been right. Of course it had to be him. Every single of those evidences denoted so. I should've known. I should've fought harder with Hades to prove my reasonings. But then the shock got buried under the weight of the brazen revelation of his dirty game.Every ounce of blood in my veins started to downright scorch. "The fuck you just said?" I snarled. "Manners, girl," uncle Gordon spoke, but then his lips curved into a wicked smirk. "Oh wait, I forgot you didn't have a mother to
Once Garett called off the celebration, the guests started departing with confusion and disappointment washing off the earlier enjoyment from their faces. Some even looked annoyed, but of course they knew better than to complain. I, on the other hand, felt like there was a stress attack swirling deep inside me, but I couldn't freak out now. I had to think about my child. I had to keep it from any kind of harm's way. And when Nola and Iris ran my way, the panic somewhat alleviated from my core. "What happened?" Iris asked. "Are you feeling alright, darling?" Nola followed. "I'm fine," I replied, taking deep breaths to calm my nerves. "I think they caught Alpha Ryan." Nola gasped while Iris sent me a baffled look. "Who's that?" "An alpha who attacked our pack a while back. He even tried to hurt Gisella," Nola explained.Iris' eyes rounded, and she looked around, her gaze alert. "Luna," Wyett and the two other bodyguards stepped closer, "We should go. Alpha asked to take you back
"Why are we here?" I asked, looking around at the fancy shopping mall Hades brought me first thing in the morning. His arms wrapped around my torso and whirled me around. I frowned, staring at the shop before me, but then the name and the long white fluffy gown on display of the shop quenched all my curiosity, and I gasped, my eyes widening. I whipped around too fast, felling a dizziness follow. But I shook it off, my heart pounding in my chest. "Are you going to buy me a wedding dress?" "You're not planning on marrying me in one of your pink sundresses, are you?" I giggled, my insides bubbling with excitement. "No, but a pink bridal gown wouldn't be bad, don't you think?" "Nothing on you looks bad. Drill that into your head, pet." I smiled, feeling a silly swooning moment pass me at the nickname. I missed hearing it from him. It might sound crazy, but I might even prefer this over love, or weird enough, my own name.Hades did as per my wish though. Because the next thing I kne
I sat at the hospital bed anxiously watching Hades and the pack doctor talking between themselves. I couldn't fathom what gotten into Hades all of a sudden. The whole way back home he had been so paranoid even the smallest sounds or movements around got him unduly worked up, and so overly protective even the smallest of road bumps made his free hand shot out to shield me. I had asked him, but he refused to answer before the doctor checked. I told him I was fine. It was only the weakness from not eating enough, but he wouldn't budge. He even made sure half of the nurses from the hospital come aid me like I was some patient with serious illness. My perturbation palliated a little when Bree barged into the private chamber. "Bree," I relieved. Greeting the Alpha, she rushed to me. "Luna, I heard what happened. Are you hurt?" I shook my head. "No, I'm not. But Hades is acting weird I don't understand why. Do you know anything?" She sent me an apologetic smile. "I'm having my hunches,
Sneaking Sam's car keys wasn't the easiest thing, but I did it. I took his car and slipped out of the Church ground. I left my scarf in the shade just so Hades wouldn't lose my scent completely and go berserk. I knew it was the stupidest thing to do right now, but I also knew Hades wouldn't believe me. Not without proof. Whichever uncle Gordon was talking about. And at this point, I was desperate. Something in my guts told me he was speaking about my papa's apartment. Something inside suspected he was behind this murder. I only needed to prove it to Hades and the world. But what I didn't understand was why he would do that. As Papa said the one who started it steered Papa and the other hunters looking for the culprit to the Vilkas spouses. He framed them to get out of the hook. But would Gordon really do that? He had been raising Hades since their death, and sometimes it even felt like he was angry at me for being the daughter of the one who took his brother's life. Then... Could
"Gisele, let me handle this." "So you can let him off the hook?" "I'd never do that," Hades clipped. I stared at him. Maybe he wouldn't because as I had always heard, Hades took justice to a whole new level. He didn't even spare a rare hybrid for wronging one of his allies. Didn't care what the council had to say. "If he's guilty," he added. My teeth gritted. Maybe it was because he never punished a family member before cause when it came to family, even the great rulers fell weak. Turning away from him, I barged through the office door uncle Gordon worked in now. He had been staying in the pack since we arrived from Alaska and helping Hades operate the pack business while he had been recovering and spending more time with me. It felt like a blessing until now. I couldn't keep control of my anger as I stormed right to his desk and slammed my hands on it. "You. You killed my father." He looked up, eyes widening for a brief moment, then they hardened. "Gisella," Hades appeare