The shore is a busy place. Pitchford warriors are preparing to leave while General Brandon is talking to other werewolves. Klevon stands beside me, quiet and just silently taking in the scent of the sea and nearby flowers. I feel sad about leaving Nowra again. I shift my attention to her and reach for her hand. We exchange a sad, knowing smile. We’ve been inseparable ever since I arrived on the island. “Kaiya, they are calling for us,” Klevon whispers. I embrace Nowra tightly, and she whispers, “I promise we will meet again. I will do my best to pass that exam.” I nod and step back from her. Her eyes are glistening with unshed tears. Her eyes shift to Klevon, and she says, “Well, Klevon, for the past few days that you’ve been tailing Kaiya, I know you like her. Unfortunately, you won’t have a chance with her.” “I am born persistent,” he says. She smiles. “I’ve been born persistent, too. And I am telling you to just take me in,” she says and winks at him. “You will not be happy w
“It’s dark now,” Theo comments and offers his hand to me. “I will walk you to your quarters.”I place my hand in his and smile. I allow him to lead the way. And before I know it, we are already standing in front of my door.Theo and I have been spending a lot of time together for the past few weeks. There may be a few kisses and touches here and there, but that’s it. We mainly focus on our conversation rather than on our desire. Although, as days go by, it is me whose desire is getting more and more uncontrollable.“Seems like you will get another promotion soon.”I nod. I look into his eyes but I can’t help but wander on his lips. I want to kiss him, however, there is a hesitation. Should I allow us to be together now?As if sensing my need, he leans towards me, and I close my eyes as he presses a kiss on my forehead. I want to feel him more and much longer.“Kaiya?” he calls.I open my eyes. He is peering at me. I flush scarlet at being caught enjoying his kiss.“The others helped a
I am lying in bed in a state of half-filled dreams and half-awakened consciousness. I feel a presence beside me and hear the gentle sound of my name being repeated. It sounds like Theo, who should be doing his work as a King, but instead, he is staying in my room. Then I notice the ceiling. This is not my quarters. This is Theo’s room.“I am trying my best to take her out, but she keeps slipping,” Inanna says. There are bags under her eyes, and she looks thinner than the last I’ve seen her.“But you said that the Moon Goddess failed to reap her...” Theo whispers. He looks so helpless, as if he’s trying to carry the pain in my body on his shoulders.Wait... pain? I feel weak, but there is no more physical pain. My mind is exhausted, and I remember Inanna trying to take me out of my dream state.“Theo...” I whisper.Instantly, Theo moves towards me. A look of grief on his face. “I am so sorry, Kaiya,” he says softly, brushing a stray strand of hair away from my forehead. “It’s all my fa
With a sudden flurry of conflicting emotions that races through me, I run outside, away from Klevon, who doesn’t make any move to stop me. My heart pounds with an intensity that I had never felt before. My mind is a jumble of thoughts, my hair flowing behind me like a flag as I run.Outside, the night is calm and peaceful. The air is crisp and clear. The full moon above cast its gentle glow on the landscape, but it doesn’t mirror what I feel now.I run towards the tree where Theo gave me a ring with the Pitchford crest. I want to be near him. I want to feel his embrace and to know that whatever we had was real. That this disgust I am feeling over myself can still be cleansed.I am relieved when I see him leaning over the tree. He stands up upon seeing him.“Kaiya,” he says. “Is it done?”Instead of answering, with a sudden rush of emotion, I run towards him, and like an animal, I attack him with a flurry of kisses. He is taken by surprise that he stumbles backward with his arms around
I enter Inanna’s simple room. It smells like there is an ongoing ritual—floral incense, herbs, and woodsmoke. A small fire is also burning in the fireplace which fills the room with a comforting heat.“Welcome to my simple abode, Kaiya,” Inanna greets. She is lying on her bed, thin and weak. Her eyes are unseeing, but sensing my presence all the same.“I didn’t know that you—”“—got almost defeated by the Moon Goddess? And all I’ve done is temporarily keep her away?” she asks, her head turned towards me.She tries to sit up, and I help her up. “I am sorry. I am giving you such trouble, ain’t I?” I ask.Inanna smiles weakly. “I heard from Gezer and Ninus that you couldn’t copulate with Klevon.”I nod. “I was hoping there is another way.”“There is none.”“Then—”“Kaiya,” she starts, her tone admonishing. “Have you talked to Klevon after that? Did you explain to him why it’s hard for you to do it?”I shake my head. “I think he already knows why, and besides, I left in a hurry...”“... a
I knock on Klevon’s room. When I hear his faint, “Come in,” I push open the door.I swallow as I watch him sitting against the wall. He is absently caressing his bottle of liquor. His eyes are on the window on his right, watching the rainwater run down against the windowpane.“Welcome back, Kaiya,” he whispers, shifting his attention to me. “Ready for another round?”He stands up, places the bottle on the table, and undresses before climbing onto the bed. I move towards him and sit on the side of the bed.Removing my clothes, I say, “You will need to tie me up on the bed, Klevon.”“What?”I look at him. He is completely naked. He really is a huge, muscular man. I am sure that other women will find him attractive. I just hope that I can do it now that I no longer have the mate bond with Theo.Completely baring myself to him, I sit before him on the bed. I glance at his crotch. Even without doing anything, he is already erect.“You need to tie me up on the bed so I won’t run away from y
My gaze lingers on Seth, admiring his handsome features and feeling my heart quicken with an undeniable desire. I hate myself for succumbing to this. It feels so wrong, yet I can’t help but be drawn to him. No! I’d instead mate with Klevon rather than this flippant guy! I need to put an end to this fast! “I, Kaiya Pitchford, am brea—” “Wait!” he screams. “Why are you so fast in trying to break a mate bond with me?!” “I am breaking—” “I said stop!” he screams as he runs towards me and clamps his hands on my mouth. A sense of electricity runs through my veins at the contact of our skin. Desire. Just as heightened as I felt with Theo. It is making me angry! “Oh wow, that’s amazing. I had never felt such a desire for a woman. Are you feeling this too, Kaiya?” he asks. I want to deny it, but something inside me screams out for him. I can feel my heart wanting to burst from my chest with the desire to touch him as if a beast in h
I follow Theo into his room. He is not speaking to me, and I can sense his anger growing as Seth tells us his plan. He opens the door to his room and enters. I am about to enter too when he bars my path. I look up at him, and his eyes flash as he glowers down at me. His fists are tightly clutching the frame of the door. “Theo...” I whisper. He radiates waves of anger, and I am suffocating from it. I don’t get it. When we broke our mate bond, I thought I had his trust. I told him, right? That with or without the mate bond, I will always love him. “Theo, are you jealous?” I finally ask, breaking up the silence between us. “Who would not be jealous?! You have a mate bond with Seth, and you plan to go with him to Orttenburg!” I touch his forearm, but he slaps my hands away. Instead, he groans and enters his room. He sits heavily on the couch and leans his head on his arm. I enter, closing the door behind me. I kneel before him
I stand in the middle of an arena. In front of me is an enormous man covered in armor and holding a broadsword in front of him. I pull my sword out of the sheath and face my opponent. He is the biggest of the warriors–at least in mass. His armor covers most of his body except for his joints. A helm covers his face, but even so, I can see that he is very ready to fight. “Ready…” the announcer starts. “Fight!” The crowd of spectators cheers at the same time that the man rushes towards me. He swings his broadsword and I dodge to the left, missing me by a hair’s breadth. I counter by thrusting my sword forward, aiming for his exposed shoulder joints. He parries with ease and strikes back, the force of his attack sending shockwaves down my arm. I take a step back, regaining my composure as he advances once again. This time, I feint to the right and quickly pivot to my left, slashing at his unprotected knee joints. The crowd roars as my blade makes contact, biting into him and drawing bl
It is noisy. Why are people talking about me in my room?! I open my eyes in exasperation. They are saying that I am... Wait, is Kaiya my name? I try to sit up, but my body feels heavy and sluggish. I look down and feel relieved that I have legs... Why though? Nothing is making sense. Confused, I look around. “Kaiya? You’re awake!” a handsome man with black-purple hair says. He hugs me, but I push him away. “She doesn’t like you anymore,” a handsome red-haired man says this time. He’s smaller than the first one but still exudes strength. “Kaiya, you remember me, right? I am your mate.” They wait for me to speak and so I ask, “I am Kaiya?” “Yes, your name is Kaiya,” a woman informs. “The guy with the purplish hair is your lover. The guy with red hair is your mate.” “How does that work? A mate and a lover?” The woman named Inanna shrugs her shoulders and adds, “By the way, I am Inanna.” I try to process what Inanna has just told me. Mate and lover? It feels so foreign to me. “I..
As the purification of the Moon Goddess starts, I am overwhelmed by my own memories. It’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before. The pain is excruciating, and I scream out in agony. But as time passes, the pain only intensifies. Tears flow down my face. But judging from the sting as it flows across my face, I think it is blood. I can feel my mind slipping away from the pain, and I can hear the screams of the werewolves inside my head. Suddenly, a warm hand grabs mine, squeezing it tightly. “Stay with me, Kaiya,” a voice says. Inanna. She presses her forehead against mine and whispers words of comfort. I can feel the calming magic from her as well. Through the pain, I manage to grasp onto her hands, anchoring myself to reality. Her magic and tone stabilize me, and slowly, I begin to focus on what’s happening around us. The Moon Goddess is suspended as her purification process starts. I can hear screams from outside the mimicked Realm that Inanna has done. “Don’t give up now...” she
As we leave my chamber, I can hear the sounds of battle growing louder outside. I can sense humans against humans. But there are also vampires and werewolves fighting against humans. There is the sound of swords clashing against swords or armor. Worse, I see the destruction that the fighting is doing to Orttenburg. Even in the early moments of the war, there are already casualties that can be seen around. I clench my jaws. We must end this war soon. All I need is to get General Brandon and purify the Moon Goddess. After that, we can persuade these kingdoms that there’s no need for war. As we hurry through the chaos, I feel a pang of guilt. I can’t help but feel responsible for the destruction and loss of life in Orttenburg. It was my selfishness that led to this war. I have to make this right. Finally, we reach the hall where Inanna and Ruth are waiting for us. Inanna looks at us with a stern expression. “Good, you’re here. Time is of the essence.” I nod as Gezer puts me down. Ina
After sighing, Seth says, “Fine! But only with Theo, at least him–I trust will not hurt you.” I frown. “If you know that then—” “He will not hurt you, but he might take you away!” “Oh,” I mutter because Theo might really do it. I take a deep breath and the room spins for a moment. Seth helps me back to the bed and sits with me while the room steadies. “You should rest more,” he says, but I shake my head. “I can’t waste any time,” I whisper, trying to suppress the tremble in my voice. “Invite Theo. I will meet him in one of the sitting rooms.” “There’s no need for you to move. I will lead him here.” As Seth leaves the room, I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I analyze the current situation. Theo will always help me. The only problem is, I need him to understand the situation. All we need is to trap General Brandon, take out the Moon Goddess, purify her, and that’s it. I can talk with the Moon Goddess and plead with her about my case. All I need is to be strong enough to wr
Suddenly, I am whisked away from my own mind. I open my eyes to see both Inanna and Seth looking down at me. “Kaiya, what’s wrong? What did you see?” Seth asks. “I come here because I sensed some distortions in the air,” Inanna informs. “What happened?” I swallow hard, my head reeling from all the information. It is my fault in the first place! “There’s no dark entity inside me, but I’ve found out something else instead.” “What is it?” Seth asks. He is looking worried as seconds pass. I grin at him. “I am an apostle, rather than a Vessel—if it makes any sense.” Then, I glance at Inanna and ask, “Did you know?” “Just a hint,” she says. “The Blood God told me that you are technically different from us. Gezer, Ninus, and I are Vessels. You are a little bit different, though.” “Then why did you say that I am...” “Because I don’t know what to call you.” “How is an apostle different from vessels?” “I am guessing that it’s in the amount of blessing you received. Once, the Blood Go
I watch as Theo’s ship slowly reaches the horizon. I can still feel the warmth of his embrace, and his words still echo in my heart. ‘No one can take your place, Kaiya.’ I let out a rush of air as I hold back my tears. He’s only been away for a while and I am missing him already. And so I watch as the ship eventually disappears from my sight. At the same time, Inanna reaches for my hand. “I heard that you will be doing a ritual today. Just inform me if you need help,” she says and leaves me and Seth alone on the balcony. I turn to the ocean and take a deep breath. Despite the distance, I can still feel him inside my heart. “Kaiya,” Seth calls from behind me. I turn to him and smile. “Are you ready for the ritual?” “Yes,” I nod. “Let’s start.” We both take out our supplies and prepare for the ritual. We walk to the King’s private garden—a quiet clearing where no one can disturb us. We start by setting up candles, incense, and some crystals that Inanna provided earlier. When all
“Come on, Theo.” I take his hand and we walk to my room. I open the door slowly, revealing my small but cozy room. Light from the moon spills through the window, bathing everything in a soft blue hue. “Welcome to my room,” I say warmly. He looks around carefully with curious eyes, and I can’t help but laugh at his reaction. “Do you like it?” He draws me close before answering. “It’s lovely.” His arms wrap around me tight and he nuzzles his head against mine before kissing me tenderly on the lips. “I really missed you.” I push back and grin at him. “Well, I missed you more.” I take a step back from him and remove my clothes. He watches me as I peel every piece of clothing in my body. He looks at me with such devotion that it makes me blush. “I think it’s about time you bare yourself to me too.” “Nope, I enjoy seeing you like this.” “Like what? Naked and embarrassed?” “No. Looking at me with desire in your eyes.” Theo takes a step closer and runs his hand down my naked back, se
“What the hell is going on here?!” Theo booms, his eyes blazing with fury. I freeze as I see him, my heart pounding in my chest. “King Theo! I told you that this is King Seth’s private area! You are—“ “Your King has done the same thing in my land!” he growls at Darius, who is much taller and bigger than him. Seth stands up calmly and meets Theo’s gaze. “There’s nothing going on here, King Theo. We were just talking.” Theo steps closer and takes in my state, his eyes flickering between Seth and me. “Talking? With your hands all over her? I’m not stupid, Seth. I know that you wanted her even before you have the mate bond with her!” Seth’s jaw tightens as Theo approaches him. Standing tall and unflinching, he says. “I’m not trying to do anything, Theo. Kaiya and I were just having a moment.” “A moment? Is that what you call it?” Theo sneers, grabbing Seth by the collar of his clothes. I stand up, panic rising in my chest. “Theo, stop! We were just talking, I swear!” But Theo doe