*****************CHAPTER 63~Arianna’s POV~I did not bother arguing when Damon said we should train. All I wanted was a way to survive two weeks from now. If whatever he had planned for me could do it. Then, so be it. Damon led me down a long hallway, past some offices and through a heavy steel door at the back of the penthouse.The moment we stepped inside, my breath hitched.The room was massive—a full-blown training facility. Dim overhead lights cast long shadows over the walls, filled with rows of weapons. Silver daggers. Guns with silver bullets. Chains, cuffs, throwing stars, and even an entire wall of swords.I swallowed hard. This wasn’t just a training room.This felt like a war zone.Damon strode toward the center without a second glance at the weapons. “Your gear,” he said, tossing something at me.I caught it clumsily, looking down to find a pair of black leather trousers, a bralette, a tank top, and a simple hair tie.I arched a brow. “Seriously?”Damon smirked. “You’l
*****************CHAPTER 64~Damon’s POV~I watched Arianna disappear down the hallway, her footsteps quick and uneven, like she was running from herself and not just me or the fact that she took me down.My hands curled into fists.She had done it—for a split second, her wolf surfaced. But not through instinct, not through control—through rage.I wasn’t sure whether to be proud or frustrated. I had to go with the latter. Frustration was my meal today. She couldn’t use rage to summon her wolf against Sterling. He was impeccably good as he was annoying. If he sensed it, he could negate that rage and make her fool herself. Then fooling herself would be our least worry but saving her.She had power. That much was clear. But power without control was dangerous. If I kept pushing her through anger, it might work—but at what cost?Arianna was not like us. She had never known what it was like to feel a wolf’s presence beneath her skin, guiding her, protecting her.I would not let her first
*****************CHAPTER 65~Arianna’s POV~ Although Damon explained the Luna Trials to me and all it entailed, the training that followed was something that left me drained. The next few days were pure hell. Damon didn’t hold back.Every morning, before the sun even touched the sky, I was dragged to the training grounds behind his penthouse. No breakfast. No rest. Just pain.“Again,” Damon barked as I gasped for breath.I was on the ground for the umpteenth time—again. My arms trembled as I pushed myself up, sweat dripping down my face. Every muscle in my body screamed in protest.I wanted to relax, to rest and catch my breath but Damon was unrelenting.Damon circled me like a predator, his gaze sharp, unforgiving, ready to pounce at any time.“Your senses are weak,” he said coldly. “Your reaction time is slower than a human’s.” He scoffed. “Pathetic.”My teeth clenched. He was doing this on purpose Again. Breaking me down, inch by inch.Forcing me to awaken whatever was inside me
*****************CHAPTER 63~Sterling’s POV~The dimly lit room reeked of aged wood and power—a private lounge reserved only for the elites of the werewolf world. I leaned back in the leather armchair, swirling a glass of blood-red wine in my hand, my lips curving into a slow smile.“Your little stunt worked perfectly,” I said, glancing at the woman across from me.Trisha Don Mars.She sat on the edge of the couch, her legs crossed, looking every bit the picture of confidence and poise. Her lips curled into that signature smirk of hers, one that dripped with malice and self-satisfaction.“Of course it worked,” she replied, taking a sip of her own drink. “Arianna’s cracking, isn’t she?”I chuckled. “She’s human—what did you expect? Damon’s pushing her to the edge, and even he knows she won’t survive the Luna Trials. It’s just a matter of time before she breaks.”“And when she does,” Trisha said, her voice soft but venomous, “Damon will finally realize what a mistake it was to choose h
*****************CHAPTER 63~Sterling’s POV~The dimly lit room reeked of aged wood and power—a private lounge reserved only for the elites of the werewolf world. I leaned back in the leather armchair, swirling a glass of blood-red wine in my hand, my lips curving into a slow smile.“Your little stunt worked perfectly,” I said, glancing at the woman across from me.Trisha Don Mars.She sat on the edge of the couch, her legs crossed, looking every bit the picture of confidence and poise. Her lips curled into that signature smirk of hers, one that dripped with malice and self-satisfaction.“Of course it worked,” she replied, taking a sip of her own drink. “Arianna’s cracking, isn’t she?”I chuckled. “She’s human—what did you expect? Damon’s pushing her to the edge, and even he knows she won’t survive the Luna Trials. It’s just a matter of time before she breaks.”“And when she does,” Trisha said, her voice soft but venomous, “Damon will finally realize what a mistake it was to choose h
*****************CHAPTER 63~Sterling’s POV~The dimly lit room reeked of aged wood and power—a private lounge reserved only for the elites of the werewolf world. I leaned back in the leather armchair, swirling a glass of blood-red wine in my hand, my lips curving into a slow smile.“Your little stunt worked perfectly,” I said, glancing at the woman across from me.Trisha Don Mars.She sat on the edge of the couch, her legs crossed, looking every bit the picture of confidence and poise. Her lips curled into that signature smirk of hers, one that dripped with malice and self-satisfaction.“Of course it worked,” she replied, taking a sip of her own drink. “Arianna’s cracking, isn’t she?”I chuckled. “She’s human—what did you expect? Damon’s pushing her to the edge, and even he knows she won’t survive the Luna Trials. It’s just a matter of time before she breaks.”“And when she does,” Trisha said, her voice soft but venomous, “Damon will finally realize what a mistake it was to choose h
*****************CHAPTER 65~Arianna’s POV~Although Damon explained the Luna Trials to me and all it entailed, the training that followed was something that left me drained. The next few days were pure hell. Damon didn’t hold back.Every morning, before the sun even touched the sky, I was dragged to the training grounds behind his penthouse. No breakfast. No rest. Just pain.“Again,” Damon barked as I gasped for breath.I was on the ground for the umpteenth time—again. My arms trembled as I pushed myself up, sweat dripping down my face. Every muscle in my body screamed in protest.I wanted to relax, to rest and catch my breath but Damon was unrelenting.Damon circled me like a predator, his gaze sharp, unforgiving, ready to pounce at any time.“Your senses are weak,” he said coldly. “Your reaction time is slower than a human’s.” He scoffed. “Pathetic.”My teeth clenched. He was doing this on purpose Again. Breaking me down, inch by inch.Forcing me to awaken whatever was inside me.
*****************~Arianna’s POV~Although Damon explained the Luna Trials to me and all it entailed, the training that followed was something that left me drained. The next few days were pure hell. Damon didn’t hold back.Every morning, before the sun even touched the sky, I was dragged to the training grounds behind his penthouse. No breakfast. No rest. Just pain.“Again,” Damon barked as I gasped for breath.I was on the ground for the umpteenth time—again. My arms trembled as I pushed myself up, sweat dripping down my face. Every muscle in my body screamed in protest.I wanted to relax, to rest and catch my breath but Damon was unrelenting.Damon circled me like a predator, his gaze sharp, unforgiving, ready to pounce at any time.“Your senses are weak,” he said coldly. “Your reaction time is slower than a human’s.” He scoffed. “Pathetic.”My teeth clenched. He was doing this on purpose Again. Breaking me down, inch by inch.Forcing me to awaken whatever was inside me.But no mat
*****************~Arianna’s POV~A strange whisper brushed against my mind, soft yet insistent, like a breeze carrying a secret only I could hear.I stiffened.I turned sharply to Iris, my heart hammering against my ribs, ignoring whether or not I’ll startle Damon. “You… you just mind-linked me.”Iris’s lips curled into that familiar smirk. “Of course I did.”My jaw tightened. I wasn’t stupid—witches didn’t just reach into someone’s mind for fun.She wanted something.I tried to hold back the urge not to fold my arms across my chest. “What do you want?” I asked in my mind.Her voice was light, almost playful, but beneath it lay something deadly serious. “Remember, you owe me a favour.”I narrowed my eyes. “You want it now?”Iris shook her head. “It is a promise.”A beat of silence stretched between us, thick and heavy. I knew Damon wondered what was going on but I just smiled and beckoned him to lead the way.Then she said it, mind-linking me.“Promise me you will find the ones that
*****************~Damon’s POV~Of course, she moved again. Witches were paranoid by nature, and Iris was no exception. If anything, she was worse. Always running, always hiding.I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Send me the location.”“Already did,” Xander replied. “But I should warn you—she’s not exactly thrilled about visitors. The last guy who tried to force his way into her place is still missing.”I smirked. “Good thing I’m not just anyone.”Xander let out a dry chuckle. “Yeah, yeah. Just don’t get cursed or something. See you soon.”The line went dead.I tucked my phone back into my pocket and turned toward the stairs. Arianna had disappeared into her room the moment we got back. I hesitated for half a second before pulling out my own phone and dialling her number.It rang twice before she answered. “Hello?”“Get ready,” I said. “We’re leaving in ten minutes.”There was a pause, then a quiet, “Already?”“Yes. We found Iris.”The call went silent as though Arianna was contemplat
*****************~Arianna’s POV~“Give me your hand, Arianna,” Iris commanded softly, her tone laced with authority and mystery. I hesitated, a chill creeping over me, before slowly extending my hand. The cool air of the cabin seemed to pulse with energy as Iris’s touch met mine, and she closed her eyes as if to summon forces beyond mortal ken.I watched, wide-eyed, as she began chanting in a language I couldn’t comprehend. Her voice rose and fell, a rhythmic incantation that vibrated through my very soul. Before I could steady my racing thoughts, a strange sensation washed over me. Then—suddenly—her eyes snapped open, glowing white.A startled breath escaped me. Before I could react, my own vision blurred, my body stiffening as a rush of overwhelming energy coursed through me. My fingers tightened around hers involuntarily, and then—The world around us disappeared.I saw a vision of my earliest days, a memory that felt both foreign and achingly familiar. I saw myself as a tiny inf
*****************~Arianna’s POV~A crystal ball sat atop a blackened silver stand between us, swirling with faint tendrils of mist inside. The moment Iris tapped her finger against the glass, it pulsed with a bright, ethereal glow. My breath hitched.“Give me your hand, Arianna,” Iris commanded softly, her tone laced with authority and mystery. I hesitated, a chill creeping over me, before slowly extending my hand. The cool air of the cabin seemed to pulse with energy as Iris’s touch met mine, and she closed her eyes as if to summon forces beyond mortal ken.I watched, wide-eyed, as she began chanting in a language I couldn’t comprehend. Her voice rose and fell, a rhythmic incantation that vibrated through my very soul. Before I could steady my racing thoughts, a strange sensation washed over me. Then—suddenly—her eyes snapped open, glowing white.A startled breath escaped me. Before I could react, my own vision blurred, my body stiffening as a rush of overwhelming energy coursed th
*****************CHAPTER 70~Arianna’s POV~I sat down reluctantly at the round table, still skeptical of everything unfolding around me. Magic, witches, visions—it all felt like something out of a fantasy book. Yet, here I was, willingly placing my fate into the hands of a woman I barely knew.A crystal ball sat atop a blackened silver stand between us, swirling with faint tendrils of mist inside. The moment Iris tapped her finger against the glass, it pulsed with a bright, ethereal glow. My breath hitched.“Give me your hand, Arianna,” Iris commanded softly, her tone laced with authority and mystery. I hesitated, a chill creeping over me, before slowly extending my hand. The cool air of the cabin seemed to pulse with energy as Iris’s touch met mine, and she closed her eyes as if to summon forces beyond mortal ken.I watched, wide-eyed, as she began chanting in a language I couldn’t comprehend. Her voice rose and fell, a rhythmic incantation that vibrated through my very soul. Befor
*****************CHAPTER 69~Damon’s POV~The moment we got back home, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out, glancing at the screen.Xander.I exhaled sharply and answered. “Tell me you’ve got something.”“We found her,” Xander said without hesitation. “Iris moved again, but we tracked her down. Outskirts of Thania. You need to come immediately.”Of course, she moved again. Witches were paranoid by nature, and Iris was no exception. If anything, she was worse. Always running, always hiding.I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Send me the location.”“Already did,” Xander replied. “But I should warn you—she’s not exactly thrilled about visitors. The last guy who tried to force his way into her place is still missing.”I smirked. “Good thing I’m not just anyone.”Xander let out a dry chuckle. “Yeah, yeah. Just don’t get cursed or something. See you soon.”The line went dead.I tucked my phone back into my pocket and turned toward the stairs. Arianna had disappeared into her room
***************~Damon’s POV~Damon didn’t move, didn’t flinch, as I closed the distance between us. My heart pounded, each beat a whisper of hesitation, of something I didn’t fully understand.“C-Can I?” I asked softly, barely above a whisper. My hand hovered in the space between us, close but not touching.He didn’t respond right away. His dark eyes locked onto mine, searching—maybe for my intent, maybe for something else. Then, after what felt like forever, he gave a small nod.I exhaled shakily and reached out. My fingertips grazed his skin, featherlight as they brushed over the bruise on his ribs. Damon tensed under my touch but didn’t pull away.Gently, I traced the edges of each mark, my fingers gliding over the discolored patches of skin on his abdomen, the faint scars on his chest. My touch was careful, reverent, as if I could erase the pain they carried by simply being soft with him."Do they still hurt?" I murmured.Damon shook his head. “Physically, no,” he admitted. His v
*****************CHAPTER 68~Damon’s POV~I swallowed past the lump in my throat, my fingers twitching at my sides. My anger had burned out like a candle in the wind, leaving only this—raw, aching silence between us.Slowly, almost hesitantly, I took a step forward. Then another.Damon didn’t move, didn’t flinch, as I closed the distance between us. My heart pounded, each beat a whisper of hesitation, of something I didn’t fully understand.“C-Can I?” I asked softly, barely above a whisper. My hand hovered in the space between us, close but not touching.He didn’t respond right away. His dark eyes locked onto mine, searching—maybe for my intent, maybe for something else. Then, after what felt like forever, he gave a small nod.I exhaled shakily and reached out. My fingertips grazed his skin, featherlight as they brushed over the bruise on his ribs. Damon tensed under my touch but didn’t pull away.Gently, I traced the edges of each mark, my fingers gliding over the discolored patches
*****************CHAPTER 67~Arianna’s POV~I followed Damon through the dense trees, my legs aching with every step. My body was still weak from the brutal training, but curiosity kept me moving.“Where’s this place?” I asked, scanning the area as we emerged into a clearing.The air here was heavier, filled with something unspoken. The ground was packed dirt, uneven and scarred, as if countless battles had taken place here. Wooden dummies, worn and splintered, stood in a jagged row. Rusted chains dangled from a thick iron post, the metal stained a dark crimson. Against the farthest wall, an array of weapons hung—knives, whips, staffs, and even crude spiked bats.“This was where I used to train when I was young…” Damon’s voice was quiet, almost distant. “With my father.”I froze. Damon barely talked about his father. Hearing him mention the man so casually made my stomach twist. I turned to look at him, but he wasn’t looking at me. His gaze was fixed on something only he could see—s