CAMILLE'S POVHe was right. Maybe the curse didn't matter. The infection found its way back to Hector but I also saw his body heal itself from the plague and without my aid. His body had developed some kind of immunity to the disease or curse. Whatever it was now. I guess the reason why I had been vocal about it was because of Collins. An inherited disease that affected the males on his father's side was bearable. But a curse?"You're right," I agreed. "If I can heal it, it doesn't matter.""Should we reschedule for tomorrow then? Give you time to rejuvenate.""No," I told him. "I can manage."Healing Dimitri was taking something from me but it did not siphon as much as it did when I tried with Hector which even solidified that Hector's situation and Dimitri's situation were completely different ball games."Are you sure?" He asked.Our eyes met in the middle. I wondered if he was this compassionate to everyone. What would he be like with Milana if he was this protective of me and ev
DIMITRI'S POV"Chains!" I roared, securing a collar of unforgiving metal around my throat.The servants who were well-versed in this dance because it accompanied the rise of every full moon, followed my command. Our heritage, like the first one, Lycaon, began as a curse bestowed by a mad god. Yet, we, the Lycans, had turned that curse into our strength—heightened durability, brute strength, and rapid regeneration, were all gifts that came with the curse But it was also accompanied by the inevitable transformation during every full moon.However, this wasn't a night of the full moon. The servants, no doubt puzzled, diligently wrapped chains around me, ensuring they were as secure as ribbons on a gift.As an Alpha, I was a direct descendant of Lycaon. So I bore both the boon and the darkness of the curse. My beast, more primal and bloodthirsty than any mere Lycan, craved something different this time. It wasn't the flesh of innocents but a singular focus—Cameryn's flesh. She was...
CAMILLE'S POVWhy was he acting strange? One minute he couldn't keep his hands off me and the second, he couldn't be in the same space as me.I waited in the lounge till I could no longer feel his scent before I left. As I walked back to the dining room where Neal swore he would be with the kids, I tried to circle back to the events that happened in the lounge. Why had his reaction changed so fast? At first, I believed he must have realized he was being inappropriate but it seemed to be much more than that. Suddenly, I stopped in my foot tracks. Had Dimitri seen how I was gawking at him like he was the most beautiful thing to be in existence? A shiver danced down my spine just thinking about it. Now that I had fixed up Dimitri, there was no need to stay in the Lycan kingdom. I would get a hefty check and be sent on my way. The smart thing to do would be to take the money and leave. Pray that I never crossed paths with Neal, Dimitri and even Eva ever again. But for some reason, I wa
CAMILLE'S POVHugo Galdina was a miracle child. He was born when his father the king had given up on ever having a child. Hugo's father had many mistresses believing that his wife had been the problem only to come to realize that perhaps the gods didn't want to give him an opportunity to continue his bloodline. That was when his queen conceived.Because of this, Hugo was treated like an egg. He was beloved by his parents. From what I read, Hugo Galdina grew to despise it. I could understand both sides. Hugo Galdina was a golden child. A miracle. Of course, they would love him to death. But it must have been lonely. However, it was a time when hunters grew into prominence and started to hunt supernaturals that wouldn't obey the natural laws. To protect their child, Hugo Galdina was sent off to an academy to hone the Lycan curse. It was written in the book that Hugo enjoyed his time away and hid his identity as royalty. He however had to graduate early because his father turned two hu
EVA'S POVI was sunbathing next to the pool when Amity rushed to my side like a woman with plenty to say."Mistress, I have an idea."I begrudgingly put my sunglasses over my head and turned to meet her face. "And it cannot wait?""I do not think so." She replied. I sighed and sat up. "This better be worth my time, Amity.""You said that there is a chance she is running from something or someone.""A chance? I'm certain she is running from the father of her children. That is what happens when you fuck around with criminals.""So I was thinking, instead of us just watching her every move, we just find the children's biological fathers through their DNA."Amity could be smart when she wanted to be. It was a good thing I kept her by my side. My thoughts immediately went to the Lily of the Valley pack's doctor. I didn't remember his name. But the man had connections. If the nurse's baby-daddy was in the system, whether it be through medicine or crime, the man could easily find him. But th
CAMILLE'S POVI had never been the type to believe in destiny or life being preordained. But at that moment, I felt my system falter. This was information nobody had told me. This was information that I maybe didn't care about before. My great-grandfather was a warlock. Maybe the same warlock that cursed Dimitri's family.I was in too deep now and I couldn't stop. I stared into the encyclopedia for close relatives. Victor Blossom was dead. So was his stepsister. My grandmother had passed from what I had heard and my mother had died in childbirth. Who was I to rely on to find out the truth about things?I peeled off the mask on my face because it was starting to pose as a disturbance to the research I was doing. My search led to a dead end because there was nothing. I was going to give up before I realized that most Lycans weren't infected. Someone in the castle might have existed at that time. Someone like that would have information that could help me. I thought about asking Dimi
CAMILLE'S POV Together, Neal and I put the records and the encyclopaedia back in place before leaving the library. I waited until he looked like he was all right before I asked, "Do you think we can meet the first sentinel today?"Neal turned to me. "It's evening already Cameryn and you haven't even had breakfast. You can do what you want tomorrow. But for now, I think you should eat."My body seemed to agree with him because my stomach growled in response. "I'm a nurse. Fasting is a requirement of the job.""And you are a healer in these walls. This job requires that you be healthy."It was nice to have someone look out for me. In a way, Neal was like the family I once had. He reminded me a lot of my adoptive father. It was sweet and painful to acknowledge at the same time.With the flick on his wrist, Neal called a servant over. "Could you get us two sandwiches? Bring it to the garden when you are done."The servant nodded in response before leaving to get it done."Two sandwiches
DIMITRI'S POVI cooped myself in my chambers until night arrived while I pondered on what Neal had told me. Milana had come by several times but I had given the Sentinels by my door explicit instructions not to allow her. I wasn't ready to face her yet.I was still reeling from the shock that I had a mate. A healer at that too. But why did it feel more like a burden? A burden I had brought upon myself. If I had been patient, if I hadn't lost hope that things were going to get better, if I hadn't been pushed to lean on science in order to feel better about the damage that my disease has wrecked on Eva's pack, would things have been different?The mate bond also seemed to be one-sided. I was the only one going mad with the desire to claim Cameryn as mine. Even if the odds were in my favour, would we work? Cameryn had children. She must have known love before. Although in the grand scheme of things, it seemed like that love had died and she was running from the man in question. The t
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