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Chapter Forty Two
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2024-10-29 19:42:56While Elyssa would have preferred to ride with Zuker instead of Rita to the Ewing compound, she went with Rita. She was not surprised to see Keith and Jared downstairs either. Lucian was very sweet, and just thinking about him made her smile. Watching the cars go by, she wondered how he was doing, as she found it difficult to feel him despite their link, even though she wanted to.
Their car screeched to a stop along the quiet streets of Boulder Row, and Rita and she braced themselves. Keith cursed as he gazed out at the pack of wolves blocking their path from the passenger seat, then he unbuckled his seatbelt.
“Don’t confront them.” Elyssa interrupted him before he could step out of the car. “Who are they?”
“They are part of the resistance, Luna,” Keith said. “That tattoo on their necks is the crest.”
When Keith called her Luna, she caught Rita’s sideways glance and felt uncomfortable. Rita had d
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The Prey in The Dark Chapter One
Behind every great fortune, there is a crime. And Lucian Callisto’s crime was the massacre of her entire pack. If she hadn’t snuck out to Aubrey’s party that night, Elyssa Mazzeo would be dead too, burnt to a crisp with her entire pack in the Mazzeo estate. That warm October morning, she lost her family, her identity, and her inheritance, and was forced to roam the wilderness on the outskirts of Peskington as a lone, bitter wolf. As Elyssa stood in front of the full-length mirror in her loft in the Ember Tower. Her brows creased in a frown as she pushed her rage into the dark recesses of her mind. The time had finally come to have her revenge. “Are you sure Zuker got our names on the list? I don’t want to be drag out of the Callisto compound by my hair,” Taylor asked as she strutted to Elyssa’s side in her blue body-con ball gown. “Tay, if Zuker said we’re in. We’re in.” Zuker was one of the few people she trusted, few? She shook off
The Prey in The Dark Chapter Two
After slipping up the side steps, Elyssa arrived in a dark hallway on the second floor of the castle. Now that her mate’s scent was gone, her wits had returned. She took a minute, leaning against the wall beside the heavy curtains, to savour in the discovery of her mate. Her mother’s description of the sensation did not compare; the throbbing, the yearning, and the insatiable desire to be near him. Her mouth watered as she thought of seeing him again. But did he feel it too? The moment his eyes met hers, they glowed a fiery amber that blasted the air out of her. Elyssa adjusting her dress and continued further into the hall, making sure to stay close to the wall so that she could duck behind the curtains in case anyone entered. But then Elyssa paused and turned to the empty hall. That was the most stupid idea, the building was packed with wolves who could sniff her out from miles. It would be better to step out in the open instead of hiding in the shadows, and drawin
The Prey in The Dark Chapter Three
Elyssa ran all the way home from Aubrey’s party following the news of the fire at her house, and the memory of it was ingrained in her mind. The entire estate burned down and not a single member of her pack survived. She knew it was no accident because her father and brother had tightened security weeks ago after the new family in town attacked one of the Peskington five families. At the time, Elyssa had believed they were being overly protective, which was mostly because she was not allowed out of the compound any more. She did start to worry when Antonio told her the same security protocols were in effect at the Marino compound as well. Lucian Callisto was the name they whispered in everything; a monster who took what he wanted and crushed anyone in his way. She had cried for hours behind the ruins of her family house before running off into the woods to keep her scent hidden. It devastated her that her parents and big brother, Gregory, would never witness
The Prey in The Dark Chapter Four
Lucian led her to the ballroom, where a fierce, ethereal beauty stood in front of the live band. With her greying black hair brushed into a bun, her haughty pose screamed Luna. “We all know why we’re really here.” The guests murmured in confirmation as she stepped forward, smiling and gesturing to the room. “It’s time to hunt.” Elyssa glanced sideways at Lucian before turning back to watch the woman with an uneasy frown. Hunt? What had the Callisto’s turned the Moon Ball into? What were they hunting? She searched the hall for Taylor and when she didn’t see her, tried to find her scent. “A tradition so old and fine, where the wolves race through the goddess’ Labyrinth in search of their mates. We will send the most beautiful, unmated elite females into the Labyrinth, and if any one of them catches your eye, track them down and mark them by sunrise.” She gestured as she spoke. “Nevertheless, we’re not animals; there are rules; you can only mark a consenting fem
The Prey in The Dark Chapter Five
The ladies followed Jeremy and a squadron of Callisto wolves out of the ballroom and down a stairwell to a white-lit basement corridor. Aaliyah's mate, Jeremy guided each female into a lift, one at a time, with only a five-minute interval between each one. The wolves stood guard so close to them that they could only exchange uneasy glances, barely speaking to one another. Maybe they were finally realizing the severity of the ritual. Taylor turned around to look at her and Elyssa gave her a small smile. With Taylor ahead of her, she would be the last to go in, and judging by the look on her face, Taylor only just realized how dangerous this was going to be. Soon after, she watched Taylor enter the lift, descend slowly while smiling nervously and the five minutes that followed were the longest she'd ever had to suffer through. Jeremy held the lift open for her and Elyssa stepped in with a gulp. "Good luck," Jer
The Prey in The Dark Chapter Six
They snarled at Elyssa and darted off in the direction of Lucian’s howl, forcing her to sprint through the opening after them. Following them towards his scent, she struggled to match their unnatural speed. Elyssa shook her head, not wanting to focus on why he howled, was he trying to get himself killed? The monstrous creatures made a sharp left turn ahead and the Labyrinth moved, Elyssa dropped, shifting immediate she hit the ground and jumped through the opening before the passage could shut her out. She slowed to a halt when she reached the field where the beasts were now locked in a fight with Lucian. Elyssa shifted back, unable to believe her eyes, as she watched Lucian fight the beasts she had thought would be too much for him. With his sharp canines, he tore out one’s throat, before knocking the other into a puddle of black dirt. Transformed, Lucian was the same size as the beasts; heavy and terrifying
The Prey in The Dark Chapter Seven
Elyssa stared at her mate. All six feet of him with his short ash brown hair and full face of beard she was tempted to caress. Although his well-toned torso gleamed like precious liquid under the moonlight, his eyes were his most striking feature. They resembled amber orbs that morphed colour to match his mood, and as they narrowed at her right now, seething with anger, she pouted. “I see.” Lucian’s voice was low, steady and levelled. He was livid that she rejected him, and while she knew how devastating it could be for a wolf, she didn’t care. She didn’t want to care. “So you lured me here just to turn me down?” “I did no such thing. Your mother sent me out here, Lucian.” Elyssa shot him a frown and looked around. Lucian stared at her with an unreadable expression as a cold breeze swept by, and she heard the chilling whisper in the gust of air. Azure. A jolt of cold racked through Elyssa’s useless robe
The Prey in The Dark Chapter Eight
That was his meaning? She almost rolled her eyes at it. A few people could tell by looking at her that she was an azure, but since the fire that took her pack, they believed the azures to be extinct, so most people didn't think anything of her appearance. As a child, her mother told her stories of the pack of beautiful wolves with hair as red as ruby, fur as white as snow, and eyes as blue as the azure sky overturned by savages. There were only a couple of survivors and their numbers had dwindled since, leaving just a few of them. Caitlyn Mazzeo was one of them. Her mother’s stories of her azure heritage started to make sense after her first shift, and the Ewing pack would not stop calling her a chosen. The azures were blessed with the goddess' grace and gifts, and were chosen Lunas of their packs. She didn’t even understand what it meant. Chosen for misery? To be alone, and forced to be the mate of the man who destroyed her life? “I hav
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The Prey in The Dark Chapter Forty Two
While Elyssa would have preferred to ride with Zuker instead of Rita to the Ewing compound, she went with Rita. She was not surprised to see Keith and Jared downstairs either. Lucian was very sweet, and just thinking about him made her smile. Watching the cars go by, she wondered how he was doing, as she found it difficult to feel him despite their link, even though she wanted to.Their car screeched to a stop along the quiet streets of Boulder Row, and Rita and she braced themselves. Keith cursed as he gazed out at the pack of wolves blocking their path from the passenger seat, then he unbuckled his seatbelt.“Don’t confront them.” Elyssa interrupted him before he could step out of the car. “Who are they?”“They are part of the resistance, Luna,” Keith said. “That tattoo on their necks is the crest.”When Keith called her Luna, she caught Rita’s sideways glance and felt uncomfortable. Rita had d
The Prey in The Dark Chapter Forty One
Elyssa snuggled into Zuker’s warmth, and he cradled her closer. Listening to him ramble on about the wolves and the gods, she smiled. Even though her intention had been to listen to this, Zuker was so close to her and drowning her in his scent that she could not focus on anything else.“You’re not listening, are you?”Looking up, she found his brow arched in question, and she laughed loudly as he shook his head at her.“I was. Please continue.”Intent on paying attention to him, she drew back from him and slid to the edge of the couch.“What’s going on over there? Come here.” He waved her over, and she refused with a shake of her head.Zuker closed the space between them, wrapping his arm around her waist and pinning her against him. With a gasp, her arms found his chest and slowly slid around his shoulder as she gazed at him.“I think I’m okay with having two mates, bu
The Prey in The Dark Chapter Forty
“Something happened when I went to the Ewing compound ahead of you.” Taking Lucian by the hand, Elyssa led him to her living room and lowered into a couch with him. As he waited for her to tell him what was going on, his brow furrowed into a deep frown. Meanwhile, she wondered when Zuker would join them. “What is it?” “Lucian, you need to understand things as I do know, so you know it’s no one’s fault; mine, his or yours.” “Don’t tell me you slept with him.” Lucian tightened his grip on her hand, and when her gaze fell to it, he slipped his hand away from her. “Go on.” “Do you know anything about the war between the gods and the dark?” she asked. On the couch, Lucian reclined, then he adjusted. “I am aware. My bloodline is adamantly opposed to the light, my forefathers pledged us to the dark. How do you know about that?” “My parents were both pledged to both sides.” Elyssa huffed, stunned by how stuck she was in the middle of a
The Prey in The Dark Chapter Thirty Nine
A confused Elyssa sat with her legs crossed in the white expanse, unsure of what was happening or what to do next. With no awareness of her physical surroundings, she wondered how Zuker and Lucian were doing. The two of them were probably at each other’s throats, and it was likely Zuker had revealed their match to spite Lucian. More than anything, she needed to be out of here, wherever it was, to make sure Zuker did not tell Lucian anything. “That is why you are here, Elyssa.” Her eyes snapped open at the echo of the voice within the expanse. Jumping to her feet, she looked around for anyone or anything. “What am I doing here? What is this place?” she asked. “Your mates must work things out and accept that you belong with them, both of you.” A churning of bells echoed in his voice, and Elyssa laughed at the absurdity of what he said. “Lucian would never accept such a thing.” “If he won’t conform, he will be removed. He
The Prey in The Dark Chapter Thirty Eight
Lucian’s POVAfter setting her in her bed, Lucian lowered himself to sit beside her and gawked, unable to look away from her. She was in pain, and he had no idea how to help her. The way she’d screamed in excruciating agony crushed him, and given that she was azure royalty and an alpha, the mesh of all that power made it difficult to tell which was hurting her now.He wanted to help her.Yet, it appeared that she didn’t want his help. Just moments after they’d shared the most mind-blowing night together, he managed to hurt her and make her jealous. Goddess, she had been so open and eager for him that it nearly drove him mad. With just one visit to Rita, he had managed to push her to the point where she wanted to distance herself from him and be with Zuker.Then he turned to Zuker who was standing in the doorway. The scent of his anxiety and worry filled the room.“Would you be so kind…?” L
The Prey in The Dark Chapter Thirty Seven
After stepping out of the shower, Elyssa donned a pair of red silk pyjamas and went to Zuker in her living room. She resolved to stay here until she was no longer bothered by Lucian’s inane questions. Then she scoffed, recalling the perverse question he had asked her following his admission of still having feelings for Rita and his reduction of her importance in his life.When he was crazy about Rita, why had he insisted on being with her? A lot more had to be going on, and Ravyn had to reveal it.“You’re fuming.”Zuker’s voice roused her from her thoughts, and she watched him, standing beside her living room window that overlooked the city.“I’m just a little annoyed.”“Is this about the witch or Lucian?” Zuker folded his arms over his chest. “I am upset that you went down that path alone. What if you had gotten hurt?”As she walked up to him, Elyssa smiled ear-to-ear.
The Prey in The Dark Chapter Thirty Six
The darkness of the path swallowed her, even with the scorching morning sun, and this far down the path, she couldn’t see back into the Callisto compound.But she was not afraid.The wind whipped up with unusual force, and she quickly plaited her hair to prevent it from thrashing over her face. Ravyn’s voice was everywhere, echoing over and over through the dark path, and Elyssa took a deep breath. When she reopened her eyes, she saw the path in front of her clearly, and her brows furrowed in wonder. As her eyes got hot, she raised her hand to calm them down. It was then she noticed the blue glow emanating from her eyes, and it startled her.“The azure eyes,” she exclaimed to herself and continued down the path.Unlike her other gifts, channelling this gift took a lot of energy from her. It caused her eyes to burn badly, and she held her head with a wince. Squeezing both eyes shut, she put her hands out and walked along the path bl
The Prey in The Dark Chapter Thirty Five
After she slipped away from Zuker, shaking her head to clear it of her new unfounded attraction to him, Elyssa returned to Rita’s side. It wasn’t that she didn’t already have feelings for him, she never acted on them or requited his advances because the goddess didn’t match them. As she channelled her ability, eyes clenched shut, trying not to leer at him, she believed that desire to be with a matched mate was an azure thing. “Anything?” Zuker’s voice boomed over to her, and she shook her head, eyes still closed. Then she pushed him and Lucian out of her mind for a moment; letting go of the doubts that plagued her, and the crippling fear that her life was headed in a direction she had never imagined. Rita’s hand heated up in hers, and Elyssa focused on the sensation. She followed it, or rather directed it, as the sensation spread throughout her body, and once it had settled Ely
The Prey in The Dark Chapter Thirty Four
As Alfred paced in front of them, Elyssa struggled to avoid looking at Zuker. She craved his presence for some ungodly reason, and it was a bittersweet feeling. Her bond with Lucian made her feel guilty, and she wondered if he felt her particular attraction to Zuker now. She was worried because Alfred and Melissa had no explanation, but they knew precisely how terrible it would be to have Lucian’s mate be matched with their son. It was still necessary for her to see Rita to know that she was recovering well. What she really wanted to do was help Rita recover. Victoria told her the royal azure had multiple gifts; she wondered if her mother’s healing ability was one of them. But a more riveting dilemma occurred, and she hated that she was once again stuck in the middle. “Has something like this ever happened before?” Zuker asked. “
