[Chloe’s POV]"Leah!" Thia shrieked, clutching at Leah’s unmoving body. "LEAH!"The room around us was silent as Thia frantically tried to wake Leah. The scene was almost surreal, and I found myself wondering if this was a dream. How could Leah be that wreckless? Didn’t she know that there was a better way to go about this?"Thia," Ashton murmured, kneeling beside her and wrapping an arm over her shoulders. "She is going to be fine.""Fine…" Thia repeated, slowly turning her gaze to Edward. "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO MY SISTER?" In one swift motion, Thia was on her feet and surging towards Edward, but was stopped by Ashton’s arms wrapping around her. "LET GO!" Thia wailed, thrashing around. "LET ME GET TO THIS BASTARD!""You have quite the temper, don’t you?" Edward observed, completely unphased by Thia’s threatening his life."I'll show you just how bad." Thia growled, continuing to try to break free of Ashton’s hold. "Look what you did to my sister!""She will be fine." Edward po
[Leah’s POV]I slowly crept around the side of Kelvin’s castle, looking for a way to get in without being noticed. However, I was coming up empty-handed. I knew that it had been a long shot, but I had come this far. I couldn’t give up now. No matter what, I had to get into the building. Arabia and Asher were in it waiting for me.Letting out a breath, I pressed my hands against the castle's wall and began to feel around for any cracks or crevices that could be used as claw-holds. However, the thing was smoother than my legs after shaving."Poor lost little Lycan." A bubbly voice chirped, causing me to tense up. "Don’t you know that bad things can happen when you venture off alone?"Trying to remain calm, I slowly turned to face Aldina. As our eyes met, a slow smile spread across her face as she flashed her fangs at me."Do you want to come home and be my pet?" She purred, remaining completely at ease. "Or would you rather just be put out of your misery right here and now?"Slowly shif
[Leah’s POV]I don’t know how much time passed as Kelvin continued to attack my back with his whip. It could have been seconds, minutes, hours, or even days. Time only existed between lashings. And when he decided he was finally done, I was unceremoniously tossed into a cell, bleeding and broken.I curled into myself, trying to ignore the pain that continued to radiate through me. Why wasn’t I healing? Was it some trick or was that whip dosed? I didn’t know, nor did I care. All I cared about was surviving so that I could save my daughter from that bitch, Aldina."Arabia," I whispered, trying to fight back the sobs that wanted to escape. "I’ll save you.""You won’t be saving anyone in that condition, beautiful." A deep, gruff voice growled, drawing my attention to the hall ahead. "She’s quite the looker, isn’t she, Stan?""Perhaps," the one known as Stan murmured. "Maybe if she wasn’t bloodied and covered in wounds.""She’s a lycan and will heal soon enough." The first man laughed.Lif
[Asher’s POV]I waited until Leah was safely out of the area before turning my full attention to Kelvin. There was no getting around it this time. I had committed a grave sin against him and now all that I could do was fight to stay alive until I could get Arabia back."How sweet." Kelvin laughed, giving a small clap. "The hero saves the damsel.""I’m not interested in your ridiculous back and forth." I snapped.Drawing on my powers, I focused on the roof above Kelvin’s head, sending a ball of energy crashing into it. Immediately, rubble and debris began to fall, giving me the opening that I needed. Rushing forward, I avoided getting hit as Kelvin fought to see.I didn’t look back as I felt Kelvin’s powers reaching towards me, threatening to stop me in my tracks.Drawing on my own, I created a barrier and continued to move, turning down a long, winding hallway that would lead to the main portion of the building. Behind me, I could hear Kelvin whistling as he leisurely followed. That a
[Asher’s POV]Pain... That’s all I could feel as my body hit the spikes below. A pain so intense and so all-consuming that it felt like I was being ripped into tiny pieces. It was nothing like the time I was nearly burned to death helping Haidan, and it made clear that my life truly was over.Biting back the screams of agony that wanted to escape me, I opened my eyes and stared at the large spike that was sticking through my chest. Blood slowly oozed from it and covered the ground below."I’m sorry, Leah." I coughed as my lungs filled with blood. "I couldn't...""Couldn’t save her?" Kelvin offered from above. "Couldn’t play the hero and save the day?"A look of amusement flashed in his eyes as he crossed her arms. Clearly, he was enjoying all of this. Typical Kelvin."Don’t worry." He continued, lifting a hand that caused my body to begin to lift. "I won’t let you die that easily."As he spoke, I continued to lift until I was dropped on the ground at his feet."See, it doesn’t pay to
[Ashton’s POV]"Stay back." I hissed as Thia attempted to follow Leah and Ian into the fray. "You don’t have any of your abilities right now.""That doesn’t matter." Thia snapped. "My family is in danger. I can't just sit here!""Yes, you can." I countered. "Please, just listen to me this once. Go and find the kids; get them far away from all of this. I’ll find you as soon as I can. "Before Thia could argue, I quickly leaned forward and kissed her. The kiss was nothing more than a quick peck, but I could feel so much from it. Pulling away, I gave Thia a smile as Tatiana appeared behind her and placed her hands on her shoulders. Once they vanished from sight, I turned towards the battle field and began to move.Around me was pure chaos, and it was hard to tell who was gaining the advantage. The ground beneath my feet was scattered with both the bodies of the enemies and those of my fellow comrades. Why Azura and her warriors hadn’t appeared was beyond me, but I couldn’t focus too hard
[Leah’s POV]I watched as everything seemed to move in slow motion. Ashton was moving through the air, Asher releasing the ball of energy, and then the energy hit Ashton’s forearm, causing it to disappear entirely as it was eaten away by the power."ASHTON!" I shrieked, scrambling forward as he hit the ground."Stay back." Ashton warned, clutching what was left of his arm to his chest.Stopping, I looked from Ashton to Asher as he prepared to make another attack. I couldn’t let this happen!"I’m sorry, Ashton." I hissed, running past him. "I can’t let Asher do something he will regret.""That isn’t Asher!" Ashton yelled.Maybe to them it wasn’t, but to me it was. Despite his current state, I could still feel the real him in there. He was struggling, and I couldn’t let him go through that alone."Please!" I gasped, continuing to move until I was an arm's length away. "Don’t do this!"Asher didn’t respond as his cold eyes met mine and his lips began to turn up into a slow evil smile."B
[Leah’s POV]"Could you explain why you’re here?" I demanded as Craig began to pull me along."Later." Craig huffed, looking over his shoulder at the creatures that were following us. "First, we need to get away from these guys!""Why not fight them?" I asked, digging my heels into the earth. "You’re just leading them back to my home like this!"None of this made much sense to me. Craig roaming around outside of my home and then not seeming too surprised at seeing these creatures. There was clearly something going on that I wasn’t aware of, but what was it?"Are you crazy?" Craig asked as I finally managed to break free of his hold. "What can you possibly..."The rest of his words died out as I called on the fire and let it explode towards the creatures. Giving a satisfied smile, I watched as the monsters closest to me began to shrivel and shriek. I would make sure they understood that they fucked with the wrong person."Leah, look out!" Craig called, just as an arrow flew by my head
[Asher’s POV]A gasp escaped me as my eyes flew open. What was… lifting a hand, I touched my forehead to find it covered in sweat. Sitting up, I watched as a black comforter fell down my body, revealing perfectly smooth skin."My scars..." I murmured as my memories of everything that happened up to this point crashed into my head. "Sssss.""Asher?"Trying to regain focus, I held my breath as I slowly looked over beside me to find Leah staring up at me in confusion. As our eyes met, a small smile played across her lips, sending my heart beating a mile a minute."Are you okay?" she yawned, slowly sitting up and touching my cheek. "You’re covered in sweat. Did you have a nightmare?""Nightmare," I repeated, remembering the moon goddess’ words about me being the only one to remember everything that happened before Selene was killed. "Y-yeah," I sighed, wiping sweat from my brow."I guess it was.""Mmm."Leaning over, Leah rested her head against my shoulder and let out a contented sigh."D
[Asher’s POV]"Asher!"Antoine’s voice drifted through the roar of the power I was slowly drawing in as Selene struggled to break free. From the sound of his tone, I knew that he already had an idea of what I was about to do and wanted to stop me."Stay back!" I called, turning to meet his terrified gaze. "Just... stay back."Given the amount of power I was calling on, there was a good chance if he got too close he would be joining me and Selene in death. I couldn’t let that happen, since it would mean his death in our time as well."You’re going to end up killing yourself!" Antoine shot back stubbornly. "You need to stop!""No!" I hissed, feeling my power reaching its plateau. This was it. It was time to end this."But…""Promise me one thing." I began, realizing that there was one more thing that had to be done for the future to go back to normal."Promise?" Antoine repeated, furrowing his brows. "What?""Make sure he stays alive!" I responded, motioning towards a man that resembled
[Asher’s POV]Jumping up, I kept Leah close to me as I drew on my power once again. The duo would pay dearly for what they had done. And then, once I was done with them, I would go and join Leah."Asher!" Antoine called as footsteps began to make their way towards me. "You need to calm down.""Calm down?" I repeated, feeling my anger spike once again. "How the hell am I supposed to remain calm when my mate is dead?""If you don't, you’ll end up killing everyone." Antoine pointed out in frustration. "You need to get a grip.""He’s right." Ian added, coming to stand beside me.Shaking my head, I continued to pull in power as Kelvin and Selene braced themselves. They were acting pretty pathetic for two powerful beings right now. Or were they?"Dammit," I growled, realizing that they were simply pretending. "Cut the shit." I spat, handing Leah over to Ian."Aw, poor hybrid." Selene giggled. "This is why emotions don’t belong in battle. When you let them take control, you’ve already lost.
[Leah’s POV]"Stop it!" I shrieked, shoving Selene aside. "You’re hurting him!"Behind me, I could hear the yells of my comrades, but I wasn’t about to stop now. Sucking in a breath, I lifted my fingers and began to wipe the blood from Asher’s injuries."Why did you let her do this?" I murmured, feeling my heart break. "Why?""Because he is mine to do what I want." Selene offered in amusement."He isn’t a thing to be kept!" I snapped. "He is a human being!"At my words, Kelvin and Selene burst into laughter, causing a chill to race down my spine at how vile and evil it sounded."Asher dear," Selene cooed, pressing herself against his arm. "Would you please do something about this pest."Nodding, Asher reached out a hand and placed it against my throat. However, the minute his skin touched mine, an explosion of warm-soothing energy began to fill me."Asher," Selene snapped, realizing something was wrong. "Finish her!""Yes…" Asher hissed, as his eyebrows furrowed."If it will help you
[Leah’s POV]I kept my gaze fixed on Asher as I continued to touch Ian. Despite the indifference that remained in his features, I could see the jealousy burning in his eyes. Good. This meant that even when the darkness had taken over, he still felt the bond between us. That meant there was a chance I could somehow trigger his other self, and no matter how small that chance was, I was going to take it."What are you doing?" Ian hissed, quickly realizing that I was up to something. "Are you trying to set off the angry demon?""Whatever it is." Kelvin called, easily hearing his words. "It won’t do any good. Your precious Asher is gone, and there is no way to bring him back. ""So you say." I growled. If there was a shot at getting Asher back, I was willing to take it. It was simply a matter of how far to push.Letting a slow smile spread across my face, I moved on from Ian and began to touch Craig’s neck and then his face. In the past, Asher had slipped from his act of being cold and pus
[Leah’s POV]"Mallard has been around for a very long time." Craig began, growing serious. "I know that sounds impossible, but some claim he may even be immortal."Immortal…Shivering, I tried to picture being unable to die. After losing those closest to me, I found it hard to imagine carrying on. I couldn’t possibly imagine how it would feel to have to go through that again and again."Immortality only exists for those who dabble in the dark arts." Ian pointed out, "Are you saying you seek the help of a dark mage?""We do what we have to in order to keep the peace." Craig explained, seeming completely unphased by Ian’s accusation. "Wouldn’t you do the same?""Some…" Ian began, shooting me a quick glance as I realized who he was referring to. "Of us would." He agreed. "However, aren’t our opponents dark mages? Who is to say that your informant isn’t helping them?""Mallard is a trustworthy man." Craig countered. "You don’t have to worry about him being a traitor.""Maybe you trust him.
[Leah’s POV]"You’re Asher." I insisted. There was no way that I could mistake the sensations I was feeling from where we touched."Who?" The man asked in confusion."Leah," Ian murmured, giving my body a slight tug. "That isn’t Asher."Frowning, I continued to take in the man. The eyes that met mine were the exact same color as his, as were the facial features that surrounded them. I mean, sure, there weren’t any burn scars and no mask, but this could be how Asher looked before the accident."I’m sorry," the man said gently, grabbing my hand and beginning to pry it off. "I’m not the person you’re searching for.""R-right."Stepping back, I felt my pain shoot through my heart. He wasn’t him; he wasn’t. My Asher was gone. He lost his battle to the darkness, and it was all my fault."Come on, Leah." Ian whispered as I continued to stare."Yeah."Despite wanting to stay with the man that reminded me so much of my mate, I allowed Ian to begin to lead me away. Maybe after some rest, my hea
[Leah’s POV]I held my breath as Craig led us into a dark hallway with a long stairwell leading down beneath the earth. Once we reached the bottom, the sound of laughter drifted towards us, filling the deafening silence that was becoming unbearable."In here." Craig announced, beginning to knock an odd beat against the door. "They’ve been waiting."Nodding, I watched as a tiny peep hole was opened and a single golden eye peered out at us."Craig?" A low voice growled. "I thought you were dead!""Not so lucky." Craig responded, letting out a laugh. "I’ve brought the help as promised.""Mmm." For a moment, whoever was behind the door seemed to say something to someone beyond."Could you let us in?" Craig asked, taking a step back and crossing his arms."Yeah, yeah." The person behind the door grumbled.A huff escaped Craig as the peep hole slammed shut and the sound of locks being undone filled the space around us. "You sure we are welcome?" Antoine asked as the door ahead of us opened
[Leah’s POV]I remained quiet as Antoine and Ashton seemed to go straight into battle mode. How were they both so okay with doing something that could alter everything? Sure, even if things were changed, the mates we were given by the moon goddess wouldn’t, but how would we know to look for them if we remembered nothing?"Leah?" Ashton called, drawing my attention to him.‘Hm?’"I know you’re worried." He began, seeming to immediately pinpoint my issue. "But you heard Ian." He continued. "Everyone is dead and we’re next if we don’t do this."‘R-right.’I knew he was right and I knew that this was what needed to be done, but I still couldn’t stop the pain I felt at the thought of not remembering Asher or Arabia.Arabia… As her perfect face flashed in my mind, I felt a knot begin to build up in my throat and tears prick at my eyes. My precious girl was gone. As was everyone else that I cared for. Something about it didn’t seem real."Would you rather stay here?" Antoine suggested "You d