Diana
Trigger Warning: This chapter contains scenes of SA, violence and blood. Read at your own discretion.
Sharp pain explodes in my scalp as Beta Marcus grabs me by my hair and drags me down with him onto the floor.
I struggle fiercely “Let me go, you bastard!” I scream and manage to kick out at him before clawing away.
“Oof!” he exclaims exaggeratedly when my foot collides with his hard chest- with mounting despair, I realize that my feeble strength can’t hurt him at all, “Seems we have a fighter on our hands! How feisty! But I like it!” he chuckles.
He grabs me by the ankle and drags me back towards him, my thrashing useless against his overwhelming strength.
He flips me over onto my back and grabs my flailing arms in one hand before pinning them down above my head.
I raise a knee to kick between his legs but he quickly situates himself between my two legs, cutting off my chance to do so.
Screaming hysterically, I thrash my body, bucking my torso in a bid to throw him off- screaming for him to get off, to let me go, but it just seems that the more I struggle, the more sick amusement he finds in the situation.
With his free hand, he roughly lifts the hem of my shirt to my neck, exposing my chest. He pants lasciviously and grabs my breast through my bra, squeezing it brutally.
I whimper at the pain, “No! No, please! Please stop! You’re hurting me!” I sob, trying to inch my body away from him. With everything I have, I try to dislodge his disgusting touch which sends bile to my throat.
“Someone please help me!” I scream desperately when he palms the other breast. I thrash my head in stiffening terror and when my eyes glance behind him at the door, they happen to clash with brown eyes- wide with shock, through the small crack of the slightly ajar door.
It seems that when he shut the door earlier, something had caught on it and he hadn’t noticed that the door hadn’t quite closed all the way.
Seeing this, hope blossoms in my heart. I can still be saved! Someone could still save me from this nightmare!
“Please! Please help me!” I scream even louder, this time, my voice has taken on a shrill tone in my desperation.
“Please!” I implore the person standing petrified behind the door, my eyes boring into familiar eyes.
My loud scream apparently annoys my assailant because he growls before backhanding me across the face, the hit resounding with a loud slap.
“Are you trying to burst my eardrums?!”
My head whips to the side and my vision goes blurry, a loud ringing in my ear. My lip also splits from the force behind the slap. However, I shake my head, forcing my consciousness through the dizziness brought on by the blow, the pain is nothing as long as I am able to escape. I determinedly keep my gaze on those brown eyes behind the door- eyes strikingly similar to my own.
“Please” my eyes boring into his, dripping with desperation.
This is my brother. My twin brother. And regardless of our past, I have never had a doubt that if I were in a real pinch, he would come through for me. After all, he is my family. My own blood.
With my eyes, I implore him to hurry up. The tears of fear flowing down my cheeks and into my hair becoming those of relief. I have no doubt in my heart that he would save me. And even as Beta Mason unbuttons my jeans, relief courses through my veins instead. I am saved.
Right at this moment I expect him to barge into the room and throw Beta Mason away from me…but instead, something inconceivable happens.
Apollo turns around on his heels and strides away.
What?
No…
The shock of it stuns me- my previously thrashing and fighting body icily locking into a state of petrification.
No…
He wouldn’t…
He WOULDN’T!!
DianaTrigger Warning: This chapter contains scenes of SA, violence and blood. Read at your own discretion.Despair, the likes of which I have never known wracks through my form and I literally tremble from the force of it.My mate’s rejection had hurt badly. It still does. But this…somehow this is worse.Though Alpha Magnus is my mate, he is still not more than a stranger to me. His rejection hurt me because of the bond between us. But this! This is my own brother! my own twin! Born of the same womb!Apollo’s betrayal increases the pain already in my heart, multiplying it by a thousand times. My naive heart, burdened by too much shock refuses to believe it, spiralling me into a deep dark well of denial. My eyes, tinged with a hint of madness and desperation continue to stare at the crack in the door. He will come back…He has to…I’m his sister, how could he truly abandon me?He just went to get help…Yes. Any second now, I would hear his voice shouting for people to come and I wou
DianaI barrel into my house, sweating and trembling from shock as I collapse to the floor. Barely a second later, Billy barges in.“Hey! Did you find your ma-“ It takes only a second for him to take in the tears streaming down my face as well as the blood around my mouth, torso and hands, and the original small smile on his face disappears, replaced by a grave expression.With long strides, he reaches my side and stretches out a hand to touch me but stops when I subconsciously flinch. He draws back his hand but frantically looks me over with his eyes.“This blood…” he starts, “It’s not yours”, he concludes a second later. It’s not a question. He can tell. Decades of being a warrior has taught him enough.“Whose?” he asks simply, face dead serious.I flinch again but still answer, “Beta Mason”, my stomach twisting as I force out the name.Billy suddenly stills before abruptly standing up. He then begins to pace the short length of my room.“What happened?” he grits out.“He- he tried
DianaBut after a few steps, I run back to him again and hug him. “Thank you Billy”, I whisper against his chest, “For everything…I love you”.Sighing, he wraps his arms around me too, crushing me in a bear hug against him, “I love you too pipsqueak and I’ll miss you”, he lets go, gently pushing me away.“There’s no time to waste. Now go!”I nod and dash into the trees behind the shack. Luckily, my house is at the furthest end of the Omega district and the southern border is directly behind it. I speed the entire way through the forest, ignoring the stitch in my side.I stop a yard away when I catch sight of the sentry posts.Taking a deep breath, I jam my hands into the pockets of my sweatpants before walking with forced casualness towards the border.Instantly, I feel eyes train on me, scanning my form with an intensity that makes my heart skip a beat- the piercing gaze most likely coming from the hidden sentries. Maintaining a casual facial expression is hard but I try my best, an
DianaWith a start, I jerk up in a panic, my body vibrating with tension as my head whips around the room in alarm; my pupils blown wide as my eyes dart around, looking for the threat. I am completely disoriented and it takes me a full minute before I finally remember where I am, and another, for my racing heart to slow down.My body sags from the rush of adrenaline and I collapse limply back on the bed, staring up at the dirty ceiling in a daze.I’m safe…this is a human territory…I’m safe…they haven’t found me… and my mind whispers a dark ‘yet’.As I bring my breath back under control, I slowly turn on my side, curling up in a fetal position and hugging my knees to my chest. A hiss escapes my lips as the movement sends sharp zaps of pain coursing through my body, reminding me of the multiple aches and bruises on my person. Injuries that I had accrued; more piling on top of the existing ones day after day- injuries I had had no time to treat, much too busy running for my life.It had
DianaAt the door, hesitant to leave the safety of my room, I peek out first to make sure that there’s no one suspicious lurking. What if they’ve already found me? What if they’re outside, just waiting for me to come out so they can catch me? My anxiety spikes as numerous paranoid thoughts run through my mind. The larger part of my brain reminds me that this is a human territory but the fear is ever present. I grimace when my stomach growls loudly. If the old clock hanging on the wall is right, it's past noon already and the last thing I ate was a stale sandwich two days ago. I peek out one more time to make sure it’s safe before stepping out and locking the door behind me. Getting directions for the nearest diner from the very bored receptionist at the front desk, I walk out of the motel and stare contemplatively at the only road there. Going left would take me out of town. Yanking the hood more firmly over my head, I go right. Apart from what seems to be an abandoned car repa
DianaI don’t walk back out with the job.Apparently, they had just hired someone yesterday- I'm literally just a few hours late. I’m not discouraged though. I have a whole pamphlet full of restaurants, diners and cafes. I’m sure I’ll get something.I leaf through the pamphlet for the nearest one and realize it’s quite far. I would take a cab there but unfortunately, I’m broke as hell.Slipping my hand into my pocket, I take out the crumpled bills I have left and count them. The balance makes me wince. With the pitiful amount I have left, there’s barely enough for one more meal. And then after that, I’m screwed. Thankfully, I had paid for a day's stay at the motel so I at least have shelter for the next few days. But unless I get a job soon, I’m out in the streets.Well, walking it is then. Five restaurants, four cafes and one bar later, and my earlier optimism has been stumped to dust. I realise just how naive I had been.It is incredibly hard to find employment.To be honest, I d
Diana My eyes dart to the gas station store but the employee isn’t looking out here, I can see that he’s got headphones in and that his attention is focused on his phone. Even if I were to shout, the glass door and windows are all shut so the likelihood of him hearing me is slim.At this moment, I become painfully aware of just how secluded this place is. Not just the employee. No one would hear me.A chill spreads through my limbs and my hands glow clammy. I turn around and start to speed walk back the way I came, hoping and praying that they would just go back to what they were doing and leave me alone. But my luck has never been that good. Regret floods my veins at the foolishness of my actions this night.Stupid! Stupid! I should have waited till tomorrow…“Hey!” Out the corner of my eye, I notice that they start to walk even faster, closing the space between us. My heart sinks and I break out into a run but they react immediately. They fan out and flank me on both sides. One
DianaIt happened so fast that the man didn’t even have time to scream. One second, he’s still here, and the next, a sickening crunch sounds in my ear and then he’s gone.Warm blood splashes onto my face, flows down my cheeks and drips down my chin, but I’m too dazed to care. All I am able to do is lay there, eyes wide as I listen to the creature tearing into the man. The sounds; a cacophony of ripping flesh, crunching bones, and guttural growls, echo through the stillness of the wilderness like a macabre symphony of nature’s brutality.“Ahhhhhh!” the short one screams, turns around and runs away. He trips, and falls, but scrambles back up and continues to run. In his fear, he doesn’t even realize that rather than running in the direction we came from, he’s heading deeper into the woods.Of the two remaining men, one falls to the ground and a pungent smell starts to emit from him. He had pissed himself.The next second, we hear a piercing scream of terror coming from the direction of
DianaI don’t say anything. I can’t—because part of me agrees with him.He searches my face, voice cracking.“I already lost your mate. And for 13 years, I believed I lost my child too. I won’t lose you.”The silence between us stretches again. The grief in his words coils around my ribs like a vice.After a long moment, I exhale.“I promise,” I say softly, reaching for his hand, “we’ll talk about this. We’ll figure it out. But right now… let’s go back inside. There’s still more Eleanor has to tell us.”He looks at me for a long moment. Then, finally, he nods.We walk back together, quiet and heavy with unspoken thoughts. Inside, the room is just as we left it—Dominicus and Eleanor still seated, their faces somber.Billy crosses his arms as he steps in, his tone dry but edged in steel.“Might as well just leave her with the humans. She was safe there. Let her stay hidden.”Eleanor tilts her head slightly.“Yes, she’s safe,” she says calmly. “But for how long?”He frowns but doesn’t an
Diana The room goes quiet. I blink in confusion, taken aback and not understanding why he’s so angry. My brows furrow as I watch him in confusion. He seems to be getting more furious by the second. It’s a fury I don’t think I have ever seen on him before. My mind races a second more and it clicks. My heart stutters before dropping to the pit of my stomach. I hadn’t thought of that. Not fully. Shit! Blood drains from my face and I suddenly feel sick. Billy asks again, slower this time, the words like steel. “Who the fuck did you say was gonna fight him?” Eleanor’s expression crumples into something close to guilt. She looks down. I bite my lower lip. Dom’s brows draw together. Billy’s voice is calm but dark. “Three people, right? That’s what you said?” He points at Dominicus. “One is the Amadeus Alpha. He’ll fight the physical battle.” Then he points at me. I flinch. “Second is the Castellanos Alpha and Priestess. That’s you.” I can’t meet his eyes. “And the third…
Diana He starts pacing toward the door like a man possessed. I glance outside—the sky is pitch black, the moon high and silver. “Billy,” I say gently, “it’s late. Why don’t we go tomorrow?” But he shakes his head, already reaching for the doorknob. “I can’t wait. Who knows where she is? What kinda situation she’s in? If she’s far, the sooner I leave, the sooner I’ll reach her—” Eleanor lifts her eyes to Dom in a silent signal. Dominicus stands immediately, moves forward, and catches Billy by the shoulders before he can bolt. “Wait,” he says gently but firmly. “Where are you going? You don’t even have the tracker yet. How will you find her without it?” Billy blinks. “Right. Right, right.” He lets himself be guided back, still jittery, heart pounding in his chest. He turns to Eleanor again, eyes wide and pleading. “Then give it to me. The… the thing you said. What is it?” “I’ll make you a Scrythorn,” Eleanor replies. “It’s an ancient charm, carved and imbued with s
Diana Billy hasn’t moved. His eyes are bloodshot and shining, and when he finally speaks, his voice is hoarse. “You said you used dark magic, too,” he rasps to Eleanor. “But you’re still here. Still… you. Why couldn’t she do the same?” Eleanor’s face softens. “Because she wasn’t strong enough. Six years of dark magic, even in small doses, is too much. I stopped after one spell. I cut myself off. Let the darkness bleed out slowly over time. But your mate…” She sighs. “She didn’t have that luxury. The curse had corrupted her too much”. But I know the rest. Eleanor is the Primarch Arcana. Stronger than any light witch alive. That’s the difference. That’s why she survived. Billy lowers his head, shoulders slumping. He doesn’t speak for a long time. My chest aches with a pressure that builds and builds until I can barely breathe. All those years, I thought no one loved me. That I meant nothing to anyone. I was wrong. Now I know—my parents, the witches who could have teleport
Diana Eleanor folds her hands in her lap, her face as gentle as ever, but I see the flicker of regret in her eyes. “I’m sorry, Billy,” she says softly. “What I’m about to tell you might be hard to hear. But I believe it will answer the questions you’ve carried for a long time.” Billy glances between Dom and I, seeing the corresponding seriousness on our faces and sits straighter, “Go on,” he says. Eleanor nods. “Just as I was explaining to Diana and Dominicus, your mate—Myralie—was the one who suppressed Diana’s wolf. It was the only way she could keep her from shifting, and from being found.” Billy’s head jerks slightly. “Myralie?” he repeats, his brow creasing. “You mean… Myra?That her real name?” I watch the flicker of pain flash through his eyes. He once told us he didn’t know much about her. Only her name. And now it turns out… even that was only half true. There’s a bittersweet sadness in his face as the realization sets in. His mouth parts slightly, but no words come. “S
Diana Dominicus stares at her, brows drawn. “So… you’re not dying,” he says, voice low, suspicious. “I’m not dying,” she insists, looking directly at him now. “I swear it.” He holds her gaze for a beat longer. Then, finally, he nods. I feel the tight coil of tension in his body loosen, the faintest ripple of relief coming through the bond. I exhale too, only now realizing I’d been holding my breath. “It’s not fair,” I whisper. The words slip out before I can stop them, soft and aching. Eleanor looks at me with kind eyes, and then gives a small smile. “Magic isn’t a person, dear. It has no consciousness to look into the facts surrounding the incident and decide whether or not it’s fair. It doesn’t think or feel. It simply is.” She sets her teacup down gently, the sound barely audible. “Light magic doesn’t coexist with dark magic. It won’t. The moment I used it—even to save someone—I knew what it meant. My days as the Primarch were numbered.” Her smile turns wry. “The fac
Diana She lifts her eyes, and they shimmer with something like wonder. “I felt it. A divine ripple. Like something ancient had stirred. Like the pattern of fate had twisted slightly on its axis.” Her fingers curl around the porcelain cup. “I didn’t know what it meant. But I knew—something was coming. I didn’t know what, or who, but… I hoped.” She looks at me now. And her expression softens into something almost reverent. “And then, one morning… a girl walked in.” My throat tightens. Eleanor’s voice drops into a hush, as though telling a sacred secret. She gives me a small smile. “A werewolf… a werewolf with a sealed wolf”. “A beautiful girl,” she continues. “Her eyes were haunted and it was obvious she was running from something.” My stomach tightens. Eleanor’s expression softens again. “It took me just one look. I knew exactly who you were. The Castellanos Alpha heir. The one who escaped the massacre. I was… stunned.” She shakes her head with a quiet chuckle, bu
Diana I swallow the lump in my throat. For the longest time, Dom had no one. I’m so glad is finding more family and loved ones. He doesn’t answer. But his eyes shine, and he reaches up, catching her wrist. “You should’ve told me,” he murmurs, his voice thick, “I wasn’t in the right state of mind for a long time, but when I got better-“ She looks at him with weary affection. “Because you’d already suffered enough,” she says softly. “You were just starting to come back to yourself. I didn’t want to pile all this… this heavy, dark mess on your shoulders.” Her eyes flick over to me, and a teasing smile tugs at her lips. “And you had just started falling in love, too. I couldn’t bear to spoil it.” My cheeks warm instantly. Eleanor chuckles. “After nearly a decade of pain and silence, you deserved a little reprieve. Both of you. Watching it happen—watching you fall for each other—it was so cute. And awkward.” I let out a tiny, strangled sound and cover my face with my hand
DianaShe stops in front of him.“The witches at the Castellanos pack…” she says, voice quiet, “they did reach out to me.”I bite down on my lower lip. Hard.“But not to ask me to come. They weren’t calling me for help.” Her gaze flickers to me. “They just wanted me to know what was happening. That the dark witches were there. That the Castellanos were preparing to fall.”Her voice dips, heavy with the weight of regret.“I wanted to go. I swear I did.” Her hands tighten at her sides. “But I knew… I knew if I went like I was, I’d only be a burden.”The words hit like a cold wave.“I couldn’t use my magic properly,” she continues. “It was still tainted. I was still walking that razor’s edge. And if I stepped into a battle like that—drew onto the bulk of magic to battle- the dark magic inside me would’ve stirred violently… fed on the chaos”Her throat tightens.“I would’ve had two choices: fight it or give in. If I had resisted, it would have killed me. If I had given in…” She looks up a