(Brielle’s POV)“Why don’t we talk in the living room?” His forehead creased as his eyes wandered around my bedroom. “Or… in the garden.”“Scared to be alone with your fiancée, Bryce?” I smirked, extending my arm and pointing at the chair near the window.I locked the door and sat on the edge of my bed across from him. After a long silence, I stood up and pulled off the engagement ring, putting it on the table beside his chair along with my favorite dagger.“Let me see Cole for the last time, Bryce,” I said, trying to calm my heart, unsure if my plan would work.He shook his head. I was expecting that already, but I would not face him without thoroughly considering my game plan. My eyes narrowed at the two precious things on the table.“Take the engagement ring. I am not marrying you, Bryce,” I muttered sternly. “I love Cole -”“He’s a vampire! An outcast,” He growled in a low tone.I scoffed, raising my eyebrows at him. “An outcast?” I nodded and walked toward the window, pinning my
(Brielle’s POV)Vampires were soulless killers. They are demons that lurked in darkness and looked at humans as prey. Despite their divine beauty and immortality, they were cursed to live in the dark and considered a threat to the Order.Their evolution in folklore somehow changed the ideals of humans about them, but even until now, they were considered mythical creatures, undead that would sometimes play a heroic part in the movies or books or a villain that consumed the blood of their victims.I threw away the book I was reading. Everything I learned from the institutions was irrelevant to me now.Cole is different. The Kirkwood is different.I stopped pacing the bedroom an hour ago. Instead of walking around and thinking of how to escape, I put my chance on Nina. I lay on my bed, covering my body with a blanket just in case my parents would come to check on me. Beneath it, I was fully dressed and had put on every dagger I could find in the bedroom.As the darkness began to spread i
(Brielle’s POV)I managed to get out of the perimeter of our house without being noticed. Having the residential area and the woods as my playground when I was young made it easier to leave without being noticed. I sauntered into the dark, not bothering to use a flashlight or anything that would catch anyone’s attention if a hunter was walking or patrolling at this hour.Without anything to guide me but my instinct, I tracked the course Nina mentioned. A few minutes later, I heard two faint voices talking in the dark woods. Gen was sitting on a tree stump while Nina stood before her.“Nina,” I murmured, getting their attention.“Brielle,” Gen stood up with hope in her voice.“What’s the plan?” I asked Nina, ignoring Gen. “Nina, I hope you’re not planning to throw Gen and me into our death.”“I’m not Nina. My name’s Levana Morgan,” she corrected. “I used a dead servant girl’s name and claimed to everyone I was her.” She began to walk without telling us where we were heading. Even in th
(Brielle’s POV)“Let’s go,” Levana murmured when she was sure the guards had left. “We can’t use the flashlight. It’s too risky.”“Didn’t you hear what he said? The woman is dying. Kione is…dying,” Gen’s voice trembled. “I won’t let that happen.”“If we’re caught, not only one will die tonight, but seven. So, be patient,” She muttered firmly. “Follow me, and don’t do anything stupid because my power is limited.”We sauntered through the dark hallway until we reached the door. The light coming from the inside told us that the door was slightly ajar. Levana crouched on her knees and pressed her palm on the ground, and then she nodded at us, giving us a cue that it was safe to go inside.I almost ran toward the door, and my eyes searched for one person I wanted to see. There were prison cells inside, and as to how many, I had no idea. I kept on running until we reached three occupied prison cells at the end of the hallway.Levana went to the first cell, murmuring a chant to open the lock
(Brielle’s POV)“Just a little sip,” Lucilla said, teasing Bryce on purpose.Bryce released a low growl when she smirked. “One day, I’ll regret not killing you today.”Lucilla smirked, rolling her eyes at him as she reached for the blood bag. Her hands were shaky, and she could hardly lift the bag if it had not been for my grandmother’s help. Grandma had to hold it for her, afraid she might drop it. Amazingly, as soon as it got to her mouth, her fangs descended and began consuming its contents.“I didn’t sign up for this, Gertrude,” Bryce muttered angrily. “You can’t let him bite her.”“Too late, he already did,” Grandma murmured, sighing but smiling pleasantly at Lucilla.“It’s the only way my brother will regain strength faster. Your friend shot him with a silver bullet, you idiot!” she scowled, taking another blood bag. “There’s a power in mate’s blood.”“A what?” Bryce’s eyes widened, horrified at what she said.“This isn’t the best time to explain everything,” Grandma sighed, ir
(Brielle’s POV)I had no answer.One thing I knew, we could not go back to the same hallway we had walked into. There was no way to escape. I turned my head toward Levana and swallowed hard, realizing we had no plan.“What now?” Lucilla asked. Her eyes glowered at her brother. “Goodness, Cole. You don’t expect me to fight alone. Just a little blood from Brielle!” She snarled.“She’s right,” Grandma took my arm, pressing my wrist to his cold lips. “You can’t escape this place faster when you’re weak.”“I won’t!” He growled, taking the blood bag Levana left on the ground and tearing it with his teeth.Grandma rolled her eyes, shaking her head as she gave the bag to Bryce. “Carry this. You’ll be needing this in your travel.”“Gertrude, I told you I didn’t sign up for this,” he muttered angrily. “I led you here because you begged me to help you save your granddaughter, and I agreed because I had to drag my crazy sister out of here.”Another loud thud startled us.“Too late for that. You’r
(Brielle’s POV)Levana slowed down, almost reaching us. When she walked past us, she murmured a chant and touched the ground. Nature took its course. The vines, roots, and weeds moved on their own, covering and changing the path we passed through.“This is an illusion, but temporary,” Levana said when I came back and stood beside her. She turned to me. “Gertrude and I have to return.”Cole stopped running and walked back toward us, panting as he stopped. “What? No?”Grandma tapped his shoulder, asking him to put her down. “We have to go back, Nicolas. Besides, no one knows I’m with you.”“You can’t be sure of that, Grandma,” I muttered worriedly, glancing over my shoulder and seeing our company stop running.They must be wondering what happened as they all headed to us, except for Ichiro, who lay on the grass to catch his breath.“Why are we stopping?” Lucilla asked. “What now?”“I’ll meet you in three days in Mount Grace,” Levana said calmly, glancing at Kione. “Find and cross the st
(Cole’s POV)“What’s with you?” Lucilla muttered angrily at me, panting from her walk. “I can’t believe you’re letting me do this alone, Cole.”We had been walking for hours, and Ichiro begged us to slow down because our walk was like a run to him already. He pleaded for a human pace kind of walk.I sighed, glancing at Brielle. “You know I can’t take her blood.”“She’s your mate!” She gritted her teeth. “She’s willing to give you her blood; only you didn’t.”“Do you hear yourself, Lucilla?” I snarled. “She’s engaged.”“Engaged? To whom? To that stupid hunter? Once we survive this, I’ll explain to him… No,” she shook her head. “I will shove the truth into his haywire brain that you’re his mate, and no one can change that. Where is that stupid stream?” she hissed in annoyance.“Wait!” Brielle raised her hand, tilting her head and closing her eyes. She smiled, opening her eyes and pointing her index finger in the west direction in the woods. “This way.”We followed her footsteps carefull
(Brielle’s POV)“So?” Xian blinked curiously at Bryce.I was still in shock at what Bryce did to Lucilla. Although I could not say if what I felt was jealousy, there was a prick in my heart, remembering Cole and Levana’s union and now him kissing Lucilla. I clenched my hands, hiding my worries about what she might do to him. I couldn’t shake off the disturbing thoughts that he gave her a reason to kill him.“So… What?” Bryce asked, wiping his lips on the back of his hand as if he had something awful in his mouth.“No magic?” Xian’s eyes were wide as she asked. “Spark? Or…”Bryce scoffed. “If you think I can be her life mate, you’re wasting your time. I told you I want to kill her with irritation, thinking I was -”Ichiro burst into laughter, interrupting Bryce. “Wow! I can’t believe you fell for that,” he exclaimed.“You said…” His face turned crimson as he pursed his lips tightly.“You really believe that? God, how would we know?” Xian rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Our sister’s eight
(Brielle’s POV)“I thought they could not read our minds?” Bryce asked, followed by his surprised gasp.Lucilla smirked. “Idiot! I don’t need to read her mind to know what she’s thinking.” She rolled her eyes and continued to climb the stairs.Bryce opened his mouth to retaliate, but Xian grabbed his arm, taking his attention.“I need your blood, hunter,” she smiled and blinked her eyes adorably. When he didn’t move, she sneered. “You need me to check if your blood’s healthy or…”“No need,” he sighed, frowning at the stairs. “If she can fly, why does she have to use the stairs?”I pressed my lips to suppress a smile, but when I looked at Xian and Ichiro, I was glad a laugh did not leave my mouth. They frowned, not finding his joke funny.“Not funny?” Bryce smirked.I glared at him, warning him to stop before Xian decided to get every ounce of blood from his body.““What? I can’t joke, but she’s allowed to hurt my feelings?” Bryce smirked. “Is she always like that?”Xian rolled her ey
(Brielle’s POV)“Gen, what have you done?” I murmured in horror, gasping in disbelief and standing beside Bryce.Bryce stood frozen in the doorway, his eyes widened and his mouth agape. His hands tightly gripped the knife handle, but he seemed unable to move it. He had probably tried to pull it out, but what he had witnessed inside the luxurious log house immobilized him. Like Bryce, I was in a state of shock. We both stood there for what seemed like an eternity, trying to process what had just happened.“Brielle, help me.”Immediately, I wandered my eyes around the room, looking for Kione. She was sitting in the farthest corner of the room, almost like hiding. Her body shook as she sobbed, and when our eyes met, I felt a pang of sadness in my heart. Gen was on the couch, motionless, and her left arm was hanging limply on the floor. The blood on her wrist told us what had happened before we arrived.Gen…I could not believe Gen was dead.“Oh, dear heaven! Kione, what have you done?”
(Brielle’s POV)I parted my lips, welcoming his tongue, hoping that when it touched mine, it would bring a surging reaction inside me, but nothing melted… nothing exploded. But I could say that Bryce was not only a skilled hunter but also an expert kisser.As Bryce wrapped his arms around my waist, closing the gap in our bodies, I lifted my arms, clinging like a vine to his neck, closing my eyes, and kissing him back with the hope of pushing away the pain of remembering Cole, not wanting me in his life, andHow should I define our kiss?It was sweet and…Bryce broke the kiss before I could finish describing it and eased back. His lips turned into an amused grin. He lifted his hand and grazed my cheek.“Done analyzing?” He chuckled softly.I bet my cheeks blushed because he laughed again. “I am not analyzing, Bryce,” I denied. “If it wasn’t obvious, let me tell you… I am kissing you, and I can say you’re good.”“Good?” he smirked, his eyes on my lips.I swallowed hard, looking elsewher
(Brielle’s POV)The diamond in the engagement ring on my finger sparkled when sunlight kissed the stone. I didn’t know why I still wore it when, in my heart, I knew I would not marry Bryce. After Levana left, I decided to stay and sit under the tree, looking blankly at the woods, not caring if there was a danger ahead of me.Even if the highest official of the Order of the Orion would come and threaten to kill me, I would not care. What I had seen in the cabin and what Levana had said were enough to make my body numb, and if anyone pierced a knife to my heart, the pain was too much to feel anything.“Brielle.”He seemed distant, and his worried call made me blink in confusion as I listened to the familiar voice. “Brielle,” he called again, shaking my shoulder.When I craned my neck to see who it was, I blinked again and saw Bryce standing before me. My eyes narrowed as I looked at him from head to foot. I noticed he was dressed in full gear, with all his weapons strapped to his body.
(Brielle’s POV)A cry escaped my mouth, remembering Cole, moaning Levana’s name. It shattered my heart into a million pieces, and the pain was beyond incomparable to anything painful that I could think of. I didn’t know how I managed to move, but as soon as I could, I ran away from the cabin. My eyes were blurry because of the endless tears rolling down my face, but despite that, I didn’t stop running. I didn’t care where my feet led me; I just wanted to get out of this place… of this island. Then I stopped abruptly, pressing my hands against the rough bark of the tree trunk and gasping for air, realizing one thing. I was running in a circle and never reaching the inside of the protective sphere. My body was still shaking from running and crying, and when I looked around to gather my thoughts and steady my breathing.“Damn it!” I hissed, looking up and planning to get up on the tree to see where I was exactly.Four days ago, as I set foot on this island, I admired its beauty, but n
(Brielle’s POV)Lying on the couch in the dimly lit living room, my eyes were drawn to the old grandfather clock standing in the corner. It was five minutes before one in the morning. I didn’t have to spend eternity with the Kirkwood not to know Aarush’s pattern. At this wee hour, he would go down, walk to the kitchen alone, and have his midnight snack before going to bed.Humming, Aarush’s steps creaked on the wooden floor as he walked toward the kitchen. I leaped to the ground, landing softly in front of him.“Uh-oh!” Aarush groaned and turned around, trying to escape.I lunged forward and grabbed the collar of his shirt, pulling him towards me. Determined to keep him under control, I maneuvered his arms behind his back quickly, pinning them in place with a firm grip. I could feel the tension in Aarush’s body as he wriggled, trying to escape, so with one hand holding onto his wrist, I used my other arm and applied pressure to his neck, making sure he could not move an inch.“Not so
(Brielle’s POV)Lucilla stood before the grand, arched window wall from the living room. In her slim but long white summer dress, she could pass like a ghost as if waiting for the return of a loved one. After getting the result from the sample I gave, Xian gave me medicine that knocked me out, and when I woke up, it was past four in the afternoon. I thought Lucilla was alone, but when I climbed down the stairs and got to the living room, Gen was on the couch, brushing Kione’s hair with her fingers as her girlfriend rested on her lap. Xian and Travis were on the floor, sitting with crossed legs and heads almost sticking together while their eyes pinned on the screen of a laptop, murmuring what seemed to be a heated discussion, while Aarush and Ichiro were in the bar area, drinking beer. Not that I was worried about Bryce, but not seeing him inside made me anxious. I didn’t trust Travis, and he could have done something terrible to him. Bryce may be a skilled hunter, but Travis be
(Brielle’s POV)“How did you know?” My eyes were wide as I asked curiously.Gen pressed her lips tightly and guffawed when she could no longer hold it. “God, I can’t believe I got you,” she said, her face red from laughing. “Brielle, you graduated at the top of your class. You’re the best hunter in your batch, and yet, you’re… you’re -”“Stupid?” I continued for her. Her eyes filled with tears, and she gasped for breath until she was able to calm down. She took a deep breath and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes before turning to me.“Brielle, Levana’s family is like the Kirkwood’s protector,” she said with a look of amusement and disbelief. “Didn’t Travis tell you they’re twins, and their family has been serving the Kirkwood for a very long time? Their dad serves in their council, like your dad to the Order.”I sighed and pursed my lips, not answering her question. I knew the first one, but Travis didn’t need to tell me what they do for the Kirkwood. Levana came to rescu