Himari’s POV.-I pick on my nails anxiously and receive a curt swat of someone’s hand against my hands. I flinch to see Claire frowning at me with disapproval. She scolds, “Don’t ruin our work, Mari. You’re overreacting unnecessarily”. I cower into myself, shying from my transforming appearance reflecting in the mirror. I mutter in a timid voice, “I’m sorry, I just can’t help it”. I hear her sigh, and I feel Tess’ hands retreat from my hair. I lift my head with a flustered face and they both chuckle softly.Tess steps away from behind me to stand next to Claire and she says to me, “You know, it’s an annual Ball and the guest scroll seldom changes. You don’t have to be on the edge, master Zorien did assure you it’ll be alright. Besides, it’s not like you don’t have us there as well when you start to itch to escape”.My head sinks between my shoulders to hear that, and they both laugh at me. Claire claps her hands, “Bring the dresses in!” At her call, I’m also turning arou
Himari’s POV.-“They’ll be thrilled to meet you.”Zorien prevents me from saying anything when he begins to bring me through the crowd of guests and toward the main entrance of the mansion. We stop right here, with Zorien acting ignorant of the paparazzi taking endless shots and making my eyes flood with lights.‘He’s here’ Through the chaos in my mind, I hear his sleek voice and feel his hand clutch my shoulder to press my side into him. I bring my eyes to peer forward and notice the flooding lights seem to have changed their brutal target to someone else.Zorien leans to tell me, “You’ve met him before. He’s Ashton’s father”.‘I knew it’d be him’ Runa scoffs in my head and I frown. That’s one Demon I don’t wish to meet. I’ve got no issues with his son, but I still can’t sympathize with my first encounter with him. I drag my frown up to Zorien, “You didn’t mandate I go to greet any of the guests that arrived, so why do you have to bring me to welcome him?”Zorien simp
Himari’s POV. - “You’ve kept this from us all so inconspicuously, Zorien. But not anymore, I know what they are. You’ve compromised our trust and let the Wolves in.” My feet screech to a halt upon that disdainful voice, and I look up at the solid back of my mate who huffs and scares me when he begins a slow and malicious deep laugh. I shudder and step back, what’s going on? How has Ashton come to know of what we are? Did something happen while I was still in the hall? Panic grips me, and I whip around to my family and see them all with unhappy faces. Then I notice someone is missing from the group. Where’s Vilma? “You must’ve thought I wouldn’t get a whiff of their scent, is it? Too bad then, this one got too excited and expelled her scent without knowing” Ashton speaks again, in a very disgusted voice and shock hits me upon realization. I whip back and step to Zorien’s side to gasp when I see Vilma begin held in Ashton’s hands. She whimpers from this grip on her neck and I frow
Himari’s POV.-I beam around the egg, crouching my frame as I drag my feet around with large inquisitive eyes blinking with an enthusiastic smile. Welma busy doing her magic stuff sighs at me for the hundredth time and gives a push against my temple just before I hit her with my poked-out head.“Ugh, calm down, Mari. They’re not hatching today either.” She frowns at me who giggles and mutters my apologies. Kitra and Vilma chuckle at us, and Vilma leans forward from where she’s sitting on the floor away from me.“You’ve become a parent so suddenly” Vilma teases and Kitra huffs with a grin as she adds, “More like an adoptive parent. She didn’t lay the egg”.I force a tight smile as I look across at them who rear back like they expect me to jump on them. “Say whatever you want, they’re my babies nonetheless” I remain adamant about my joy as I continue to watch the egg heat up in a warm golden glow.Before our eyes, crack lines begin to trace over the shell of the egg. I recei
Himari’s POV.-“Their coming here only means I should look forward to a revisit. With their eyes on me, I can’t play recklessly anymore. So I’ve decided, you’ll all go away until this is settled”.Zorien’s decision has me snapping at him with a shake of my head. “You can’t just decide that. Are you going to send us back to the Pack?-”“Pipe down, you. The safest place for you and everyone else is not here, you’ll all have to go down to Winter’s. The Coven can protect you, and I can’t risk losing you” Zorien shushes me up and I flush and lower my gaze in turmoil.Does it all come down to this?“Isn’t there anything we can do to help?” I hear Elsa’s frail voice and lift my head a bit to see her staring at us worriedly. Zorien hums for a moment and replies with a grinning voice, “Stick to Winter and do as she directs. It’s only for the time being while I set things right”.I bite my lips as my eyes swarm with tears. I can’t believe how unbothered he’s behaving right now. H
Himari’s POV.-“I love you….”“Mari”I turn around and meet gazes with my mom, and instantly run into her arms. My tears take the moment to pour freely as I wrap my shaking arms around her tightly. I’ve never let the thought of separation once cross my mind during my time beside Zorien. I don’t know if I’m overreacting or doing otherwise. I just can’t quell this dreary pound in my chest.“Himari, calm down child. You need to believe in your mate” Mom coos at me while rubbing my back slowly, and I feel a different hand over my head, recognizing it to be dad while I sniffle and try to fight back my sorrow.“The timing though, how’d they know to come so soon?” I hear Kitra say in an angry voice and I slowly calm down and bring myself free from the soothing embrace.That’s one thing I need urgent answers to. Zorien had spoken about being revisited by the same Demons who came that day. But Ashton’s report had featured a different thing. I look at the worried faces of my paren
Himari’s POV.-“I’m afraid you can’t go with us, Himari. The enemy knows who you are and they know your whereabouts. Not to mention the danger you’ll be plunging not just yourself, but the Chimera offspring as well. You must stay here”My lips wobble in defiance, but I can’t go against Winter’s orders. I look to my parents who conform to her reason and I sigh rattlingly. Even while our territory has been bordered by dormant Darklings like a ticking time bomb, we can’t do anything to help just yet. Numerous lives are in danger because the enemies want me, and all I can do is ‘stay put and keep out of notice’.“Mari, you can do this much, right? Don’t feel as if we’re pushing you away on purpose. We only want to protect you” Elsa holds my shoulders, staring down at me with sympathy and I just listen with my heart in turmoil.They’re setting out to aid the subjugation forces to prevent the plague from getting to the town. While the Coven does help, it’s almost pointless since
Himari’s POV.-In this world of temporary darkness, I manage to synchronize minds with Zorien’s, weaving the thin thread of our consciousness as my hands remain afloat in search of a tangible spot to establish a connection. But I stumble upon a blockade in form of a massive black wall that distinguishes itself from the rest of the darkness shrouding around it.I pound many times but it doesn’t budge. When frustration pushes me to stop, a sudden wave of gusting wind comes expelling from the wall to sweep me away. In my screeching scream, I feel tendrils wound up around my limbs, wrapping my body speedily as I writhe and struggle.What is this compressing pressure crushing me from all sides? Tears sting my eyes as the pain ruptures through my body. I feel a fire, so intense and sinister as it swells in my chest and threatens to gut me out. In the height of this curdling pain, I see something flash before my eyes.“Zorien- Ah!”My eyes snap open and my body jerks off the be