Mia's POVMy heart beat wildly as Lycidas ran across the vine. Though I couldn't see Mason, I knew he must have already reached the tree and was probably making his way down. He was way too good at rope walking to fall. On the contrary, it was I and Lycidas I feared for. It had only been seconds till I jumped on him, but I now realized what a stupid decision it had been. I didn't know how good he was. We could fall down here and that would be the end of us. A very ridiculous death for two people apparently prophesied to be the savior from the evil clutches of the Silver Hands, even if I still didn't know how the hell Lycidas got it into his head that he was the one prophesied about. "Hey, slow down," I whispered in his ears. The next instant, wind whipped past my ears as his speed instantly increased. I had to stifle a scream. I don't know why he did it, but if it was for mischief, I wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of knowing he scared me no matter how hard my heart beat
Mia's POVI snatched up the veil from the ground and prayed no one had ever described Mia to him. Even in the heat of battle, the possibility of him being my mate still worried me. Especially if he had corruption in him. I made a mental note to ask Mabel about this mate business. I didn't know much about soulmates, not even how they recognise each other. "Your eyes!" I gasped when my face was securely behind the veil. Lycidas shrugged and held up his palms. "Don't worry, it's still me. I'm not Corrupted," he said. I scoffed. "Your eyes say otherwise," Without waiting for his response, I turned and started walking back to my tree. He caught up and walked alongside me. "You know, I don't really know what I did to court your ire," he said. I ignored him and swung myself on to the tree. Sighing, he took his place on the tree opposite mine. A while later, Mason rushed past us again on his way to draw more people into the ambush.Silence lingered between us as we perched on the bran
Mia's POVMabel looked around at all the corpses lying around the battle site and sighed. "We have to leave the cottage," she said. "Why?" Mason and I asked at the same time. "Because, this place is going to be smelling like hell in a few days time," Lycidas said with an air of overbearing patience, his chest puffed out. I scoffed and turned to Mabel who was smiling slightly. "No. A wave of Corrupted comes in the afternoon and a wave of normal humans comes later at night, that tells you our little lair has been discovered," Mabel said. I cast Lycidas a mocking sidelong glance. "Don't be too fast with your mouth," I told him. "But yes, this place is going to be stinking in a few days time," Mabel added. "Unless we can clear all these corpses. But like I said, we don't have enough time. They will probably send more in the morning if they have got more men in the pack. Otherwise, they would send more in a few days time when they've gotten reinforcement from their headquarters," Ly
Mia's POVWe decided that Mason and Mabel were the best suited. Maya was Mason's mate, and Mabel knew the way. According to Mabel, the tunnel system was like a maze and it was easy to get lost. Besides that, we also needed to pack out all the necessary things from the cottage to give the illusion that we ran away. There was a cavern that would hold them till it was safe enough for us to return to the cottage. After they left, a heavy silence descended on the chamber. The tension was very palpable and so thick a claw could probably slice through it. For some reason, I suddenly felt uncomfortable with Lycidas and avoided looking at him. The silence stretched on and finally, I could not endure it any longer. I just had to look. When I did, I found out he was staring at me quietly in…I had expected amusement, but what I saw instead was confusion. And it knocked the air out of me. "Do you hate me?" he asked quietly. "Yes, I do," I gritted out. "Why?" he asked, bewildered. "We have n
Amelia's POV"All these blood…smells delicious," he whispered in my ears, his tone almost reverential. Through the pains clouding my eyes, I saw him look at the pool of blood around me again. His expression quickly soured. "But it's a bit much," he called out to one of the other guards. "Get me some bandage and hemostatic," he said. "I'm not allowing her to bleed out yet." Turning to me, he smiled. "You denied me, didn't you? And see you now, all mine to do with as I pleased," 'Please, keep talking,' I said in my head. 'Please! The pain is too much!' Thankfully, he did. "You know, I was just outside the door when Luna accused you of treason. I could have saved you from the alpha king's wrath….thanks," he said, stretching out his hands to collect the hemostatic and bandage. "Know why I didn't come to your rescue then? Alpha Hazel trusts me. He would have believed me if I vouched for you. Know why I didn't?" 'Keep him talking.'' That was all I could think of. I shook my head at hi
Hazel's POV I paced around the room. Selena was still awake. I was trying to figure out a way to defeat these packs I planned to wage war on. They were way bigger than me, so my father would have called my decision unwise. But they also had resources I didn't have, resources that would make me stronger. I knew what the Silver Hands does, though they think I don't know. But I don't mind being Corrupted myself, I craved the power that came with it, in fact. But it was the pains and the insanity, and the everlasting life of being fought and despised that worried me. I couldn't accept that life. If corruption would give me unnatural powers and longevity, I wanted to enjoy both in relative ease and peace. The Silver Hands are not really making any progress on how to remove the insanity of the Corrupted, so I had to make my own way. Taking a deep sigh, I put on some decent clothes and walked out of the room. Two flights of stairs brought me to my secret lab at the top of the castle. I
Hazel's POVI stare at the empty cell in shock, thinking that it couldn't be possible. This would be the second time someone was escaping from my cells, and they were supposed to be the most secure place in the city.That didn't go down too well with me, not one bit. I couldn't let this continue, or I would become a joke among other alphas. It had already been very embarrassing when Xavier escaped my cell on my Luna Declaration Ceremony day, and some alphas never stopped teasing me for it till I was forced to wage war on their pack and conquer them.I had never been able to find out how Xavier managed to do it. I don't believe the guard was lying when he said he knew nothing about it. He couldn't lie with the way I tortured him.But how had she done it?The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. That was my authority being undermined. Fury coursing through me, I turned away from the cell and marched up to the normal level of the castle.I knew one thing: it was impossible to esca
Mia's POVI glared at Lycidas across the cave, same as he was doing to me. "Can we get on with it?" I growled. It has been two days since the invasion, but our tempers with each other were still running as high as ever, not diminishing in the least. If anything, it had only gotten worse, so much so that even Mason had commented. And Mason doesn't comment on a lot of things.We hadn't talked to each other since then, grunting and pointing and glaring when we needed to communicate. Though it was never spoken, it had been a challenge. One each of us was determined to win, even if it meant never ever talking to each other again. And I just lost. Lycidas: one pointMe: zero"Would you just speak? Or you want Mabel to come back here and find out we haven't done anything?" His lips stretched in a triumphant smile, but he remained silent, just glaring at me. Something in me snapped and before I knew what I was doing, I was already across the cave and holding his throat. The next second,
Mia's POVA stone struck true, pulverizing the creature's eye with a sickening crunch. With a howl of agony, the wolf collapsed to the ground, its lifeblood staining the earth beneath it. As the last vestiges of life faded from its eyes, I breathed evenly and transformed back. Running up quickly, I jumped and kissed my mate. The flames on his hair were hot but they were not unbearable and they died down as he held me and kissed me back. It took all my willpower to break free from him and let us breath. Strands of sticky saliva trailed our lips as we parted and I was flushed up to my ears, breathless."Mia?" He breathed, looking at me in surprise.I would have grinned at him if I were not too busy being stunned."Xavier?!" I exclaimed. "What in the world?! How? I thought...""You never did see me without my turban," he teased. And he was right come to think of it."So the memory loss...""I did lose my memory," he said, shaking his head. "But I guess could say that an eyeball helped me
Mia's POVHe was no corrupted - he was much worse.In a desperate bid to end the chaos, I shifted into my wolf form, my white fur shimmering in the dim light of the throne room. With a newfound agility, I darted around the monstrous creature, my speed unmatched as I evaded its savage blows.But Hazel was relentless, his attacks coming fast and furious as he sought to overpower me with sheer brute force. With each passing moment, the battle grew more intense, the clash of claw and sinew echoing throughout the chamber.I ducked and weaved, narrowly avoiding each blow as I fought to keep the creature at bay. But despite my best efforts, I could feel my strength waning, the relentless pace of our battle taking its toll on my weary body..The battle raged on, each blow striking home with deadly precision as I fought to bring Hazel to his knees. With a primal snarl, I launched myself at the creature once more, my claws tearing through its flesh with savage ferocity.With one final, decisiv
Mia's POV"Yeah," I grinned at her. "Now please someone tell me what is going on? How did everyone get here?""There is little time for that," Amelia said, a scary amount of hope alight in her eyes. "Alpha King Hazel has gone mad and he is turning people left and right corrupted." I could see that everyone was surprised to hear this. But the forest itself whispered to me that she spoke the truth. "But he also has a way to cure the corruption. It is a wand in beneath his throne."I smiled at her and gazed out at the Sulfur Hands gathered. I did not see Lycidas but that was not a problem. I was certain he was alright."Well guys, it is the night of the blood moon. I have to tell you that I've got a castle to storm so come on out all of you and get away already. You've all done your part for me. Let me do mine for you."I saw them off and turned to face the vague direction of the palace.The eyeball (I could not get its name) had told me; Blood Moon prophecy Layer 5: The Inheritor shall
Mia's POVWith a surge of adrenaline, I plunged the knife into the creature's main body, my hands steady despite the trembling of my limbs. The blade sank deep into its flesh, eliciting a guttural roar of pain as the creature thrashed and writhed beneath me. Each movement was a dance of desperation, a desperate bid for survival against an opponent that seemed unstoppable.But even as I fought with all the strength and skill I could muster, I could feel the tendrils of exhaustion creeping into my limbs, sapping my strength and clouding my thoughts. How many times had I faced this creature? How many times had I died, only to wake and face it once again?The creature's death throes were violent and chaotic, its massive form convulsing with the last vestiges of life as it fought against the inevitable. But I was relentless, my resolve unshakeable as I drove the knife deeper and deeper into its flesh, refusing to let up until the creature lay still and silent beneath me.With a final, ragg
Hazel's POVAs I stand in the dimly lit chamber, the vial of corrupted blood held delicately between my fingers, I can feel the weight of expectation bearing down upon me. Zion's eyes bore into me with a pensive gaze, his expression unreadable as he observes my every move. The air is heavy with anticipation, charged with the possibility of what is to come.With a steady hand, I bring the vial to my lips and drink deeply, allowing the thick, viscous liquid to slide down my throat. The taste is metallic, tinged with a hint of something dark and otherworldly. But as the last drop passes my lips, I feel no surge of power, no sudden transformation. I am not surprised.I never expected the corrupted blood to grant me any sort of supernatural abilities. My purpose in drinking it was not to gain power, but to align myself with the prophecy, to force my way into its narrative. And in that regard, I believe I have succeeded.As I lower the vial, I meet Zion's gaze with a sense of calm resolve.
???'s POV Amidst the vast expanse of the celestial realm, I found myself floating among the stars, my consciousness adrift in a sea of cosmic wonders. Suddenly, a commanding voice reverberated through the void, pulling me from my reverie with its otherworldly resonance."Little thing," the voice called out, its words echoing through the cosmos like the distant rumble of thunder. Startled, I responded tentatively, my voice barely a whisper in the vastness of space. "Who... who's there?"I was ignored as the voice continued to speak. I listened intently as the voice spoke of the troubles that plagued mortals, of the ebb and flow of life, and of the chaos that reigned in the mortal realm. The voice seemed to ramble on for a while, its words swirling around me like a whirlwind of cosmic energy. It spoke of mortals and their endless troubles, of how they always seemed to find new ways to bring chaos and destruction upon themselves. It seemed rather easy to notice that it was the 'eyeball'
???'s POVI opened my mouth to protest, to demand answers to the questions that burned within me, but she cut me off with a dismissive wave of her hand. "I don't want to hear it," she said coldly, her gaze hardening as she turned away from me. "Just go. Leave me alone. Go do whatever you want to. I don't care. My Lycidas is not here. Please, just... Stop. You truly are not Lycidas. I do not know who you are, but you are not my beloved."I stood there in stunned silence, the weight of her words hanging heavy in the air between us. Part of me wanted to press her for answers, to demand to know what she meant by all of this. But another part of me knew that it was futile – that she would not deign to repeat herself. And even though I could not claim to know much else, I knew somehow that she was hundred percent certain that I was not Lycidas. And not in a character or behavioural kind of way. As in, I was fundamentally not Lycidas.With a heavy heart, I turned and walked away, the sound o
Lycidas' POVThe soft glow of moonlight filtered through the curtains, casting a gentle illumination over Mia's room as I sat by her bedside, my fingers intertwined with hers as if holding onto a lifeline. The rhythmic rise and fall of her chest was the only indication of life, her face serene in slumber as she lay unconscious before me.I never realized how much I would miss her until now – the absence of her laughter, her vibrant energy, leaving a gaping hole in my heart that seemed impossible to fill. And yet, here she lay, so close yet so far, trapped in the grasp of an unknown darkness that threatened to consume her whole.I squeezed her hand gently, willing her to wake up, to return to me so that I could see the light in her eyes once more. But no matter how fervently I wished for her recovery, she remained still, her breathing steady but shallow, a silent reminder of the fragility of life.My mind drifted back to that fateful night when the ritual had gone awry, the memory of t
Amelia's POVI sat in the room with Alpha Gonzales and the injured Alpha Fenrir, my mind consumed by a whirlwind of thoughts and worries. The conversation between the two Alphas drifted in and out of my consciousness, the words fading into the background as I struggled to focus on the present moment.My thoughts kept returning to the letter I had received just before setting off with Alpha Gonzales—a missive that had filled me with a sense of foreboding unlike anything I had ever experienced before. The words were etched into my mind, haunting me with their ominous implications.In my mind's eye, I saw the image of the small mouse, my faithful messenger, as it hurried into my room with urgent purpose. Its tiny paws had trembled as it presented me with the letter, a sense of urgency emanating from its very being. With trembling hands, I had broken the seal and unfolded the parchment, my heart sinking as I read the words inscribed upon it.The once cryptic message had become alarmingly