5 YEARS LATERCAMILLE'S POVNo really told you blood wasn't the worst hell you would have to face in the hospital. The vomiting and the poop was the true hell. I walked into the bathroom, holding my breath so I wouldn't throw up with a face mask hanging over my face. The gloves went in the bin first, then the nose mask. I stared at the revolting regurgitation on my scrubs and let out a sigh. The blood was the mild part. After getting rid of my soiled scrubs, I scrubbed in again. My hands methodically lathered with antiseptic as I prepared to put on another glove.My morning routine in the hospital was a roster of routines and precision and I was needing with the routine. I put on my gloves and secured my mask before entering the bustling ward.There were beepings, murmurs, and distant chatter everywhere. It was a wonder to me how people came here to heal. But it was why I chose this line of work. After my father's letter, I wanted to save as many lives as I could."Are you alright
DIMITRI'S POVGreat days didn't happen often in the Galdina Estates. Today would be much worse because my body was rejecting the pills. It was days like this I would be at my worst and keep up my reputation as a heartless man with too much power in his hands. But I was happy. It had been five years since Camille Dumont died because of the nefarious intentions of her stepmother and her then mate, taking away the hopes I had of a normal life. It had been five difficult years of struggling to keep my disease under the covers. But all that ended today. Neil's digging around and my conversation with the human elites had led me to strike a gold mine. Another healer was alive and well and this time, I intended to keep her close. I stepped out of the bathroom with a towel dangling loosely on my hips. I needed to be in the proper regalia to address her. I was also pondering on what words to say to her. Considering we kidnapped her children, she wouldn't be so keen to help out.There was a
CAMILLE'S POVHe got up and approached me. I never realized how tall the man was which was valid because I had only laid eyes on the man three times. The first was hazy and he was naked. The second time, I was facing the council for crimes against humanity and the third... I swallowed, remembering the explosion. It was all in the past now"Forgive me, Miss Cameryn," he told me, offering his hand. "But my men had to resort to kidnapping beautiful creatures like Collins and Sofia."I didn't take it. Not because I was wary or mad. I was struggling. His scent was stronger now that he was close. Against better judgment, I looked up to meet his eyes. They were dark. Ink black orbs that glistened like pearls. Now that he was this close for comfort, I realized how tall he was. He was at least 6 feet 5. I swallowed, fighting the urge to wrap my hands around the nape of his neck and bring him closer.It was hard to think or even function so I took a step back from him. "No need for introductio
CAMILLE'S POV"Did you say something?" Dimitri asked as he wore back his shirt.I had not realized how loud my mutter sounded, or perhaps his senses were so sharp that he caught it. "No," I lied, turning back to face Hector.I still held a lot of anger for the man, but seeing him in such a state made me... pity him. No one deserved to be in so much pain. I wasn't the type of person who would sit down and allow someone to suffer because we ended things on bad terms. Hector had crouched away from me the second he heard I was a healer, which told me I was not the first to use him as a guinea pig for the Lycan king. It also told me that he had not reacted well to the healing attempts. I wasn't sure why. But I began to doubt my gifts. I didn't want to add to anybody's pain. I also did not understand why Hector was imprisoned by Dimitri. What sin could he have committed?I turned to Dimitri again and asked, "Why did you imprison a werewolf?"Asking that question was weird in itself. The i
CAMILLE'S POVHector was dragged back to the dungeons, and soon after, servants of the Lycan kingdom came to escort me and my belongings to one of the many rooms in the mansion.The ground floor was where Dimitri had accepted me, and my room was somewhere on the second floor. From what I could notice, there seemed to be a third floor, which I believed was relegated to the servants of the house."Can you lead me to the garden?" I asked one of the servants as soon as I stepped inside the room I would be spending the night in."Sure thing," the maid nodded, dropping my belongings at a corner.Surveying the space, I found the room decent. There was a queen-sized bed that I was certain Collins would enjoy turning into his trampoline. A dresser with an inbuilt mirror sat at one corner, and opposite the dresser was a smaller door that led to a bathroom.Sweaty from the heat of my disguise, I yearned to tear away the black fabric from my skin and sink into a bath of cold water. But Collins an
CAMILLE'S POVNeal followed me all the way to the second floor. I believe he was that worried about me. He only stopped when I reached the room I would be spending the night in. As soon as I opened the door, my children raced in, marvelling at the spacious surroundings."It's so big," Sophia blurted, her eyes bright with glee as she joined her brother to jump on the surprisingly springy bed. That would be an issue."I should leave you," Neal said.I turned to face him. "Thank you for earlier.""It is no problem. Do try to avoid Eva."It was no issue for me. As long as Eva wasn't actively out to get me, the castle was big enough for both of us until I left."I will."With that, Neal left me and my kids. I stepped inside and shut the door behind me."The bed isn't a trampoline," I warned, rushing at them. I picked Collins first. He was the instigator. Sophia would become bored of it if he wasn't there to rile her up."We are guests," I told my little boy. "it would be rude to leave a
CAMILLE'S POVWell, I can't run from him forever, I told myself. Plus, he was right. We needed to get to know each other.Slowly, I sat at the edge of the pool, pulling up my dress so my legs could take a dip in the water."That is disappointing," Dimitri commented, swimming towards me."What is?" I managed to whisper as I did my best to ignore the catch in my throat. He was getting closer now. So was that scent. I think it was worse that he didn't have any clothes on. All I could breathe in was his masculinity."You were going to take a swim," Dimitri replied, stopping where my legs were at. "Do I make you uncomfortable, nurse?""You kidnapped my children to force my hand. So of course, I find you despicable." I retorted in response. "I was a desperate man and maybe that desperation wasn't far-fetched. The prisoner you healed seemed to have made a full recovery. I expected..." He paused. "Perhaps, even hoped it wouldn't work just so the fucker would continue to suffer. But you have
EVA'S POVShe brushed past me, nearly pushing me over. She held a grudge. Probably from the way I had treated her earlier before I knew she was the new healer hired to help Dimitri. She looked mighty proud of herself. But I couldn't bring myself to shake the sight I had walked into. They had been close. A little too close for comfort. If I didn't know better, I would believe they were about to kiss.When the healer was out of sight, I spoke to Dimitri."What was that?"He looked at me, confused as he adjusted his robe. "What do you mean?""It looked like you two were about to kiss."Dimitri chuckled. Like always, he was full of charm. "She fell in the water and I handed her a towel."I nodded. She had walked away wrapped in a towel and her hair had looked straight and slick. So it had to be wet. I was overthinking things."Do you think she is capable of healing you?" I asked, strolling over to the pool and slipping my feet inside the water. It was cold and made my skin burst into goo
CAMILLE'S POV I took a deep breath as the massive ornate doors of the Lycaon Church slowly creaked open. My heart was pounding like crazy - this was such a huge moment. As the doors parted, a sliver of light spilled in, and I stepped forward, the delicate lace veil over my head obscuring my vision and hiding the intense emotions I felt from the hundreds of eyes watching me enter. The air inside was cool and thick with the sweet smell of incense. I could hear the rustle of fancy silk dresses and reverent whispers as everyone turned to watch me walk down the aisle. Soft, beautiful piano music began playing, a serene piece I had chosen myself to start off this grand ceremony. As I made my way up the gold carpet that seemed to glow like a path of light before me, the veil cast everything in a sort of ethereal, dreamy haze. I could feel the intricate embroidery on my exquisite gown as my fingers brushed against the fabric - it was an actual work of art, adorned with symbols of our histo
CAMILLE'S POV"No..." Eva shuddered when the weight of her sentence finally settled in. "No..."She ran towards my feet and knelt, her eyes wide with desperation. "I know what you want, Camille," she pleaded, her voice cracking. "You want me to beg for all the horrible things I've done. And I understand now, I do. I'm sorry for being so cruel. But two wrongs don't make it right. This is inhumane! A collar is a for a dog.""A troubled dog." I corrected as I knelt down to meet her gaze."I'm only being a good sister, Eva," I said softly. "You were raised wrong by your mother, Adele. Despite everything, I didn't think you deserved to suffer for something your mother and my grandmother had a hand in creating. So this is your chance at a new beginning, Eva. Be good."Eva's face twisted in disgust. I watched her muster the courage to do it. At first, fearing that the collar would catch on to her nefarious intentions if she tried to spit on my face. The second the collar caught a whiff of he
EVA'S POV (THREE DAYS AFTER THE EVENTS OF RAVENFORD)Three days of pure torture had passed. There was no clean drinking water, bath, or even a basin to wash my face or hair. The guards were rough whenever they could be, and I had only been given a decent meal once. So, panic seized me when I heard keys rattling in the lock of my cell, and the door creaked open.I looked up and saw three guards approaching. With each step they took, I shrunk back further."You can't kill me. I haven't been tried yet. I'm innocent."One of the guards stepped forward and slapped me hard across the face. I dropped to the floor, shuddering from the impact."You whiny bitch! You kill one of our own and try to harm our prince, and you have the audacity to call yourself innocent. You have no idea how much every one of us is fighting not to take your life and be done with it." Through gritted teeth, I managed to speak, "I am Eva Dumont, future Luna of the Lily of the Valley pack, and a cursed beast like you
DIMITRI'S POVI turned away from the Deltas, my mind already buzzing with plans. Their eyes followed me, filled with a mix of worry and resolve. They knew what we were up against and grasped the dangers. This was no time to hesitate."Follow me," I commanded, heading toward my chambers. The guards moved with me, their steps precise and silent, a result of years of training. The atmosphere was thick with the seriousness of our mission.Once inside my bedroom, I went straight to the dressing table and grabbed my phone. I dialed quickly, the familiar number bringing a brief sense of comfort in the chaos. Ginger answered almost at once."Ginger, it's me again. Back to business. I have three men with me, so the spell needs to be done twice."There was a short pause before Ginger's calm, reassuring voice came through. "No problem, Dimitri. I can manage that."I set the phone down on a dresser and turned to the first sentinel guard. "Step into the rune. Ginger, start the spell."The guard an
CAMILLE'S POV The necrotic green glow exploded out of me, shattering the windows and shaking the very core of the building. The door I had transmuted into a wall disintegrated completely. The light consumed everything, and when it finally died, my eyes struggled to adjust to the debris and the afterimage of that sickly glow. My breath came in short gasps, and I blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of the scene before me. Amid the wreckage, I saw Abigail not far from where I stood. She lay on the floor, her eyes wide and filled with shock. A tremor ran through me as I wondered if the spell had worked. Had I failed? Abigail’s movements drew my attention. She stared at her hands, her expression one of bewilderment. Then, her gaze shifted to the ceiling. The rune I had drawn to seal her magic was now fractured, broken by the cracks that laced the ceiling. Fucking hell! She rose to her feet, power radiating from her as she turned to face me. “I gave you the opportunity to touch a r
CAMILLE'S POV The space around me seemed to thrum with the weight of Asmodeus's words. "The rune is known as the Sigil of Perdition," he said, his voice low and measured. "It is an ancient power, capable of manipulating the fabric of reality in ways that no ordinary spell can." I felt a shiver run down my spine as I emboldened myself to ask the question that mattered the most. "But, will it work?" Asmodeus's gaze met mine. It looked like he was almost disappointed that I would ask. "Well, I hope so," he replied. "What I am gambling on is your raw strength, Camille. You are much stronger than Abigail. I felt it when you awakened. The demon blood that runs through your veins is not recessive like it was with Bo." I frowned, not fully understanding. "What do you mean by that?" Before he could answer, a bright light assaulted my eyes, turning my vision completely white. Panic tugged through me as I tried to blink away the blinding light. My senses felt dulled, as if I were suspen
DIMITRI'S POVI awoke with a start, finding myself on the cold, hard floor. The chill sent shivers through my body. Blinking rapidly, I struggled to shake off the haze of unconsciousness. As my vision cleared, I noticed intricate rune drawings on the floor beside me, softly glowing in the dim light. My heart sank as I recognized the teleportation sigil. Beside it lay Neal, motionless, his chest rising and falling in shallow breaths.That could only mean one thing. Camille had knocked him out cold, too, and gone to Abigail alone.An admission that heavy made my skin crawl.“No, no, no,” I muttered, my body starting to tremble. “Camille, what have you done?” I approached the rune, my steps heavy and reluctant, each one echoing my growing dread.Without wasting time, I turned and opened the door, my mind racing. I needed help, and I needed it fast. I hurried down the hallway, my thoughts a chaotic swirl of worry and rage. I was angry at Neal, and more importantly, I was angry at myself.
CAMILLE'S POVI tried to keep my eyes open, but I was unable to, and my whole world turned dark.When I blinked my eyes open, I found myself in a blank white space. I turned around, seeing no exit and no door. I looked down at my body and noticed it phasing in and out, looking whole one second and translucent the other second. I whispered, "Where am I?"A voice whispered from behind me, "You've lasted longer than I expected."I turned to face the voice and saw a handsome, pale-skinned man, shirtless, with what looked like liquid darkness covering his body from his hips downward. He had horns that curled back from his forehead.I recognized him from the memory of Abigail. He was the demon Abigail mentioned was her mate. "Asmodeus," I whispered."In the flesh," he retorted.I took a step back, uncomfortable and unsure of what this meant. Was I in hell? What had I done to deserve hell?"Why am I here? Why are you here?"Asmodeus replied, "You are here because you are tethering between l
CAMILLE'S POVHearing her sound so callous of people's lives reminded me of someone. It reminded me of Eva. In fact, they were more alike than I would love to admit. Vindictive. Myopic and downright cruel.I forced myself to stand. It was hard, but I could manage. My body had started to heal itself. "The Galdinas suffered for a sin they had no idea of. They had no idea what they did to deserve such a fate, but they still suffered because you were spiteful of your father? Do you know what that did to me and my son?" I demanded, my voice rising with every word. "Do you know what that did to my mate?"It was clear that Abigail didn't give two shits about my pain. As long as the Galdinas were involved, she seemed perfectly capable of blocking out her empathy if any still even remained. But seeing no remorse on Abigail's face set my blood on fire. I charged at her and swung with all my might, knowing damn well this was a fight I couldn't win but not caring regardless. She easily dodged