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~ ENRIQUE ~I don’t know what happened. All I remember is how sick and disgusted I felt knowing I was hurting her, resenting myself for not being able to protect her and keep her happy. That and this anger I felt when I sank my teeth into her neck.I marked Rhea. Then it was followed by excruciating pain, and then everything went blank. I came to, feeling as if I had been drowning, and then I awoke with not only my hand, but even my prosthetic buried fucking claws deep into Mi Reina’s hips.I have hurt her. I could feel her insides against my fingers, see the blood on my hands and on the floor around her, soaking her beautiful dress.She was pale, and although she was in pain, she was only concerned about me. Once again, I had hurt her, and she only cared for my wellbeing.As I step away from the hospital, watching the doctors and nurses discuss how much blood she has lost, reading out her vitals and the doctors throw orders to the nurses, I feel numb.I didn’t want to leave her, but I
~ ENRIQUE ~ The crawler had finally been moved to the dungeons, with hopefully a prison secure enough to hold him. Royce, Raihana, Delsanra and I formed it together. Seeing them perform spells, I almost felt I understood them. I was told I could perform magic without the need of spells. That is something I have yet to try when my mind isn’t consumed by turmoil. Now we see if the cell holds. However, aside from hissing and shrieking, we got nothing out of him. Raihana suggested we wait for Kataleya to wake up since Azarakh has conversed with her before, but that she will continue to try to get it to speak. I want to head back to the hospital but there’s still so much pending. “Jose, get the car. I need to visit the family of the deceased,” I order. “Alpha Enrique. I need your permission to allow me to question Hugo, with magic, if needed. He has lied, or at least kept things from you and us,” Raihana says. I frown, “What do you mean?” “You don’t need the Ash Stone to control th
~ ENRIQUE ~ The next was a devastated mate who had felt the pack-link break and had gone into labour earlier than she should have. The worst time for someone to learn they have lost their mate. She had already known he was gone. I won’t forget the look in her eyes as she clutched her baby daughter, asking me why he died. I hit send, sending the plans I want put in place to secure any future attacks on the power lines to Jose, who would get me the supplies needed to create a barrier around them with some parts that needed to be made to keep them accessible when needed and ready for me. I will have to work with the electrician on that as soon as they are ready and the current wiring is all fixed. ‘Elena, how is she?’ ‘Same as she was twenty minutes ago, Alpha.’ ‘I get it,’ I answer through gritted teeth. ‘Sorry, Alpha. I know you’re worried, but we are doing what we can and I spoke to her sister. Her mother will be flying out soon. She is the blessed wolf. She is a healer.’ I
~ LIAM ~ “Nothing...” Raihana sighs as the crawler simply hisses at her again. “Well, seems we won’t be getting answers from him. So shall we talk now?” “What is it? I told you I had something to do. That’s why I left.” “Yeah, but we were meant to stay together, especially at such a moment. Kat is…” I sigh, I don’t want to blame her, this isn’t on her, but maybe things could have gone better and no one might have died if we had them both here too. “Are you accusing me of Kat’s state? Couldn’t you guys handle it?” Raihana asks sharply, her eyes flashing with hurt. “I wanted to help her; we needed answers.” “No, I am not, Raihana. I’m just saying-” “I’m done with this conversation. I don’t answer to you.” “You kinda do. I was put in charge,” I say, blocking her path, my eyes glimmering. “We all know I was sent to make sure everything went smoothly. Do you want me to report your actions to Alejandro?” Her eyes flash as she steps closer, glaring up at me. “Don’t threaten me.” “I’
~ ENRIQUE ~“What did you just say?” I ask, staring at Benigno, my eyes simmering with rage.He bows low. “Mi Rey, it is as Antonio confirmed. We are sorry, but Hugo is nowhere to be found.”“Keep looking, I want him found!” I snarl. ‘Jose, send a team out to find Hugo. I need the hijo de puta to be found and brought before me!’‘Understood. I will deploy a large number of warriors to make sure this is done,’ he replies.I punch the wall beside me, glaring at Benigno. “So how about you start from the fucking beginning? Why did you conspire against me? Why did Rhea play me as if I owed you something? Why did Hugo say the very fucking same? I am not like my father, but I assure you if you cross me, I will fucking kill you,” I snarl.He bows low, placing his forehead on the ground. “I ask on the behalf of my guardsmen and myself for your forgiveness, oh mighty king. We only wished to protect you and your bloodline. Please understand, we did this for you. May I speak freely?”“Yeah, I want
~ DELSANRA ~Liam… is not entirely wrong. I sigh softly, knowing Rayhan would definitely be angry. Alejandro has a soft spot for Raihana, but Rayhan will be harsher. He has a temper and there are certain things he will not tolerate. Plus, Liam is his best friend, and he always respects his views.I sit down, running my fingers through my hair. It’s been an hour since I spoke to Liam and I saw Raihana. She was quieter when we were in Kataleya’s hospital room. I’m currently in the hospital lounge, taking a moment.I know Ri, and I know she would never use her powers with the wrong intentions. Everything she does is to help others. If she wanted, she could have asked to see Chris a thousand times. She could have asked for me to help her go to the veil even, but she has never done that.I’ve seen the woman she has become, and even without her mate by her side, she is there for Heaven and Tatum. Even when I know it is hard for her, she smiles at them and makes sure she doesn’t become like h
~ ENRIQUE ~It’s a while later, and the annoying Solaris King has not left my side. It’s been thirty minutes since the jet asked for clearance to land. I’m waiting for Elena or anyone to tell me that the Queen Luna has succeeded. It’s taken too long… it shouldn’t take this long.How will I even face her when I was the one who hurt her daughter?“Where are we headed?” Royce asks.I cock a brow. “Who said we are headed anywhere? I’m headed somewhere. Alone.” I correct him.He smirks. “I’ve decided to come with you,” he states.I scoff. “Isn’t your woman’s mother here? You should go show some respect and visit her,” I say sarcastically.“Yeah? She’s also your woman’s mother, remember? And you’re the alpha of this pack, so really you should go visit the hospital to welcome her. Not to mention it’s Kataleya, your woman, who is in the hospital.”“Yeah, because of me. Remember?”“Not you, you weren’t yourself. That thing had taken you over,” he says quietly.Yeah, I heard… but no matter what
~ ENRIQUE ~When we reach the hospital, everyone is there; Liam, Ahren, two other men I’m certain I saw with Leo Rossi at the summit, including Marie, Carlos, the two alphas who flew in, and a few others, like this is a fucking party.And I’m not about to go in there with them all standing around. So, I headed to the packhouse and showered first. Ordering the kitchen staff to serve food for the guests and the house staff to have accommodations in place for the new guests. I then return to the hospital, dressed in a pair of grey sweats and a white T-shirt.“Accommodations are prepared for the additional guests at the packhouse. And the guests who stayed at the Villa, you have also been relocated to the packhouse as Hugo is missing, and I’m not sure how safe the Villa is,” I say clearly. “Food has been prepared, so you should all head there. I’ll stay with Kataleya for the night.”My eyes flicking across the group, daring even one of them to defy me.“We are hungry,” Savio, the dumb dat
~ KATALEYA ~I wake with a gasp, my lungs clawing for air, it feels like I’m drowning. I suck in a breath, clutching my throat. My heart is thudding but it’s as if the sound of it is coming from all around me, reverberating through the chilling darkness. It’s too silent.This place… it’s similar to Azarakh’s crypt, but not quite.It holds the same evil. Feeling something move, I look down and realise something cold and slimy is clinging to my legs, black tendrils - slithering as though alive.I gasp as I scramble to my feet or try to. The stench of rotting meat and damp earth so thick it feels like it’s inside of my mouth. Shuddering, I try to get up quickly, flinching as pain rushes up my waist and I touch it; there’s no wound, but the pain remains.How did I even get here?I frown slightly, trying to remember what happened.That woman! Her face was so warm and innocent. Was she a part of this? I touch my head. It hurts too.Dragging myself to my feet from the tar-like slime that cove
~ SKYLA ~Rayhan…I won’t forget this moment, and it won’t be one of those good, happy memories. This one is devastating. The heartbroken Delsanra who has always rushed to help others despite the risk to her own life. Ray…. Ri…Despite everything, they always were there for us, but in their time of need, where the fuck were we?Fuck! Why them?Raihana now wraps her arms around Delsanra as both women kneel on the ground, their grief so strong, their pain so sharp it could carve away flesh from bone.There has to be something we can do!Enrique is examining the symbols, his power swirling around him subtly.I look up at Royce, “Let’s try to open the portal, maybe he’s ok. Royce, Dante, you both saw the symbols-”“It’s too late for that. Kiara said Ahren felt the shift in power. He is now the Alpha of the Black Storm Pack,” Dad says brokenly.“How can he be Alpha?! He doesn’t even have his wolf!” I shout. This can’t be happening!“Love…” Royce wraps his arms around me tightly.“We have to
~ DELSANRA ~“Rayhan…”Something isn’t right, I know it.I know I shouldn’t leave my spot, but the worst is sorted. I warn a few of the warriors I’m moving, and I rush to the crack where Rayhan and the others disappeared. I jump in, creating a barrier around me to protect myself from the crawlers that are still trickling out from the ground.They’re coming in smaller doses now, but they are still resilient.“Does anyone know if they managed to find the opening?” I ask worriedly.“No, not yet. We lost contact ” Liam replies, worry clear in his voice.He’s currently manning the break in the packhouse wall, making sure no crawlers get inside to the people.“We need to get down there!” I hear Sky shout from somewhere above.“What happened?” I ask.“I don’t know. Royce called for help!”My heart thuds as I keep going, moving as fast as possible.I can sense both her and Raihana not far behind me, the urgency and fear within me growing. I suddenly stop as a powerful pulsating that comes from
~ ROYCE ~We kept going down, and the deeper we go, the more I feel a power that is fucking immense and there’s only one other aura I’ve felt with this much power and that was Apophis’.“Do you guys feel it?” I ask, my voice low, but even then, it feels too loud in this darkness. Occasionally, a crawler or two will hiss and claw at us as they come from somewhere beneath us. A confirmation that we are headed in the right direction.“The aura?” Dante mutters. “Yeah, and I have no idea who it belongs to.”His unease is obvious, and I remain on alert. My royal mark is glowing, and I am not the one who is summoning it forth. Almost as if it too is warning me of the dangers ahead.“Don’t worry I won’t let anything happen to you both.” Rayhan jokes, although we’re both stronger than him.“Don’t fuck around,” Dante’s harsh reply comes.Rayhan turns to him, a flicker of concern on his face. “Dante, do you want to turn back?” he asks.“All three of us?” Dante replies.“I speak for myself. You tw
~ ENRIQUE ~Magic fills the air, strong and powerful and I know it’s Raihana’s. I can feel Delsanra’s reinforcing the barriers, her magic feels different, and there are parts that are not like ours – not from Hecate.Raihana is working on blocking out the moonlight, in a huge attempt to completely stop the crawlers from coming out of whatever shithole they are coming from. Jose quickly filled me in, and I sent more power to both witches, giving them the strength to continue.They are two witches alone and they are doing a lot. Royce, Rayhan and Dante have gone down to find the exact location. ‘Send some warriors to handle the crawlers so they are not burdened.’ I command Jose.It doesn’t even make sense that so many crawlers are able to get in. It’s not a fissure in the veil, but that’s something that’s been obvious from the start. The crawlers have appeared everywhere at any time, not from one point like the chupacabras. They had a different way to get through. Another means that we n
~ KATALEYA ~My eyes widen as I turn sharply and stare into Enrique’s molten gold eyes.“Enrique!”‘No!’ Azarakh shrieks, the earsplitting sound hammering into my head causing me to flinch.“I’m sorry it took a while,” Enrique murmurs in his deep, beautiful voice that makes my stomach flutter. I shake my head before looking back towards the spot where Dad had fallen. I can’t see him! I can’t sense a heartbeat amongst the storm of crawlers.“How did you break free?” I ask softly, torn between running to Dad and keeping my hold on Azarakh.I know Enrique is in control for now. I can sense his presence, his aura strong and free from darkness.“You needed me,” he answers softly as he stands tall. “You’re my strength, Mi Amor.” My heart surges with so much emotion as we gaze into one another’s eyes, pink and gold, perfectly complimenting each other.Azarakh’s form has solidified as he fights to keep a grasp on Enrique, but he’s failing.His unearthly shrieks are all that he has left as Enr
~ KATALEYA ~Azarakh’s mouth twists into a snarl as he lifts his claws, aiming for my heart. I can see the glint of triumph as he lunges at me, but I hold my ground, letting him think he’s got me. But the moment his claws dig into my waist, slicing through fabric and skin, the smell of the hot rush of blood, and the sharp sting of agony makes me cry out. I suck in a gasp, gritting my teeth as I clamp my hand around his wrist, ignoring the searing pain at the contact.In a single motion, I call forth every ounce of power I have, letting it surge forward in a blinding wave. A scream leaves me as I put everything into it. My blinding pink aura swirls around him in a flash, engulfing him completely. Azarakh recoils, his shrieks cutting through the night like metal scraping against metal. He claws at his prison of light, his form writhing, his shadowy form twisting in agony as he tries to escape and get away from my aura.But not this time. My aura is like an iron cage holding firm, shackli
~ KATALEYA ~‘We can share! I told you together we could have had it all. Yet you declined!’ Azarakh hisses, but he’s still only clinging to Enrique. The shadow form still surrounds him, but he hasn’t possessed him yet. Or perhaps he can’t.I fuel my power forward, trying to reach through our half-formed bond.“I would never choose you,” I say, my voice quiet yet firm. “Never.”‘You served your purpose, and you will continue to do so. That is why you were chosen, whether you wished for it or not.’ He chuckles darkly.What does he mean?“How do you have a hold on, Enrique? He is not evil,” I ask as our powers continue to slam against one another, attacking, hammering against one another. Light against dark.‘We were created from the blood of the same goddess. One could say we are brethren.’ I shudder at the very thought as his evil eyes now burn into me. His sharp teeth stained with blood. ‘The Goddess Hecate created us for another goddess, yet she betrayed my goddess by creating someon
~ RAYHAN ~“Alright, let’s do this,” I say, looking at Royce and Dante the moment the three of us are within reach of one another.“We’ll have your back and cover you from behind,” Royce says.“I’m assuming you can’t mask the moon, Magic Fingers?”“I wish I could, but with that tornado thing going on, it would need a lot of power without being sure of the results.”“And you would call every single crawler to you,” Dante adds.“Not necessarily a bad thing, really. I could be the decoy,” Royce answers as they both cut through the crawlers and I asses the area.“I don’t think so,” Skyla says through the earpiece.“Don’t worry, Love, I’ll return to you in one piece. But call me back if you need my help, Raihana, I’ll be there.”“Thanks, I’ll let you know,” she replies.“It’s intriguing how our auras attract the crawlers but somehow Kataleya’s is the only one who isn’t attracting crawlers with her aura. Instead, hers is deflecting them,” I murmur as I look through the storm of crawlers, aur