“XENO!!!”The loud shout startled me as I made an attempt to get up from the soft bed I was lying. The first thing that I felt was the excruciating pain in my head that made me grimace and the blinding light from the open window struck my eyes. I had to squint to look clearly at what was going on.Pulling myself into a sitting position, I felt something heavy on my left shoulder and saw Ava, sleeping and embracing me with only the white blanket covering our naked body.F*ck!My eyes widened upon realizing what is happening. Then when I turned to look at the door, my Aunt was already there with my two other cousins. All their eyes are wide with surprise with my cousin’s heads poking out from my Aunt Victoria’s shoulders.And then I feel like the blood in my body drained, petrified and confused, remembering what happened last night and when I came back to my senses, I look at Ava with disbelief in my eyes.So this was her plan!“This is not what you think it is, Aunt Vicky!” I frantical
I borrowed a phone from Uncle Sam, hoping to contact Kelly as soon as I can. I need to know what’s happening in the mansion and I have to know if Sapphire’s still breathing in the hands of Phillius.With hope, I waited for her to pick up the call but it only just keeps on ringing. Then I thought she must be inside the mansion’s premises so I just hang the call and leaned the back of my head on the trunk of the tree behind me. I shut my eyes tight and knocked my head against the trunk as I savor the bitter taste of impatience growing in my chest, not wanting to think that I, also, was trapped on this turf because of Ava’s incredulous lies. When I opened my eyes, my brows automatically frowned that Ava was already standing in front of me, staring at my face with her innocent eyes as if she had never done something that ruined my Uncle’s trust in me.I turned my back from her, not wanting to see her face after what she did but I felt her hand stopping them from getting away and I exhaled
I can't believe what I am seeing.Here, in front of me, is my dad whose face looks a decade older than when I last saw him, just a month ago. I wonder what happened between him and Phillius and why he is here on the turf of his late wife's brother.His head hangs low as we sit in the receiving area of Uncle Sam's humble home. He couldn't meet my gaze and I don't know what to say to him either because my mind is full of questions right now that overwhelms me. I just watch his hands clasped together as if in prayer."I'm baffled to see you at our doorstep, Edmund. What happened to you after Phillius took over the clan? We have never heard from you since then." Uncle Sam asked when silence fell upon me and my father. His head is still bowed low like he's ashamed over something that he cannot say to me or his brother-in-law. "Tell us what happened, Dad. Why did you let Phillius do all these unacceptable things! He even left me in the old Manor to die!""That is the reason why I am here,
I can sense something strange, something that is not pleasant in my feelings.There are pairs of eyes that are watching me among the crowd of people in the airport. I am finally back after my three and a half hours trip from Dallas, Texas, the headquarters of my Uncle Sam's turf. It took me half a day to convince him that I have to go back here to New York to settle things down with Phillius and to let him know I am not here to kill him for whatever he did to me but to try and negotiate with him about Sapphire's situation.But I think, there is no negotiation happening because it’s clear that Phillius made sure I won’t make a single step into the mansion by sending these assassins lurking among the thick crowd. I am impressed by how fast he knew I’m coming back for Sapphire and I wonder if Kelly had also sold me to him. I sigh. I think I should stop doubting people around me. I believe no matter how in love Kelly is with Phillius, just like what she told me before, she doesn’t like se
Kelly…I can’t believe she’s here!Wishing that I could somehow connect to her mind to ask what the hell she’s doing in this place, exposing herself in front of Motley and my former squad members whom she’s also a part of. But since I am now stigmatized as a Rogue, I can’t communicate mentally with any of them because Phillius had already severed my connection with his pack.I have no idea what came to her mind, why she suddenly appeared when we had both already agreed to meet at the port area. I glanced at my wristwatch. The glass has broken but it’s clear that I am already an hour late from the anticipated time.No wonder she’s here looking snarling like mad behind me.“Hey Kelly, I’m sorry I had a situation. You didn’t have to come,” I apologized to her without turning my head to look at her reaction because I could feel she was really upset for making her wait that long. I was expecting that she’ll shift back to her human form and pretend that she has no connection with my plan bu
What I said to Kelly is somehow impossible to execute right now.We both went straight to the port where we met his younger brother, Frix, the kind young guy that serves as guard and watchman at the gates of the Clarkson Mansion. Aside from Hazel and Anna, Sapphire also considers him her friend and I know it is also hard for him to know about the real situation of Sapphire in the hands of Phillius.“Master Xeno!” he exclaimed in a low voice, scared that an enemy might suddenly appear if he kept on saying my name. He swallowed, looking nervous before he spoke again, “It’s been a long time. So many things happened! Sapphire—““Calm down, Frix. He knows what’s going on,” Kelly tried to pipe down her brother who looks like he is going to crack up any moment, thinking about Sapphire and the fact that the three of us are now hunted by the demon Alpha and his Clan of fanatics.I don’t like the sound of it but there is no other description that could match Phillius other than that.“So how ar
I bared my teeth at him and I looked at his face. I noticed that he looked younger than the last time I had seen him and I knew it was because of Sapphire’s mana and her ability to heal. Kelly and Frix are also forced to kneel in front of Phillius too. Like he’s some sort of a god for these stupid fanatics that want the Clan to reign over this continent.“What you’re doing is insane, Phillius,” I grunted and growled when the one who was grasping my hair pulled me more to let Phillius have a good look on my face. I am not used to the way his eyes look at me with coldness and resentment. It’s like the curse has been eating the Phillius I used to know and making him a spawn of a demon, using his body to create chaos everywhere.“What’s insane is you, going back here, Xeno. I am well aware that you have lost your ability to shift to your wolf form and now you’re marching back into this place?” Phillius snickered “I never thought you are that dumb to do that but there you are!” “I need so
"How the f*ck are we going to find a black witch?!”Kelly’s so enraged after she heard everything I have said to Phillius, the negotiation that I settled with him which is the only way that I can save both him and Sapphire. Despite the evil nature that is surfacing in him, there are still people who care a lot about my twin, and one of those is Kelly, whose face is so red in anger.“It’s the only way I know, Kelly. I believe there’s a way we can find that witch.” I averted my eyes from her and brushed my hair with my hands in frustration. “We just have to be more patient and investigate more about it,”“We don’t even know if that creature really exists,” she grumbled and rolled her eyes at me as she leaned against the wide window of the study room that Phillius allowed us to use. Although wolfless, I could still hear the tapping of the shoes of the guards on the other side of the door as they walk back and forth while making sure we won’t get out of the room.If only my senses are str
“Darn it, Sapphire. Stop ruining your make-up. Please hold your tears back until the end of the ceremony,” Kelly scolded me. It was a bit funny though because when she was the one whose tears flowed incessantly down her cheeks as she watched the problematic makeup artist reapply the foundation on my cheeks.“Oh Kelly…” I helplessly looked at her as she wiped her face with a white handkerchief on the mirror, “Please don’t make me too nervous. I feel like I am already sick in my stomach thinking about the expectations of the people outside,”“You don’t have to think about any of them, Sapphire,” Ava uttered as she arranged the beautiful bouquet of white roses in her hands, “You just have to look straight in the aisle and just focus on Xeno. Just focus on him and breathe slowly and calmly. You will be alright,” she advised and held both hers and Kelly’s hand to ease the nervous feeling in my chest. They both gave me an encouraging smile as they helped me with my gown after the makeup art
Everyone was busy preparing for the wedding and volunteered to decorate the whole garden with white roses because they all knew it was always my favorite. Kelly has been busy managing the event with Ava because they want it to be perfect for me. Although they never wanted me in the venue, I still insisted on helping With the decorating because there are not many things to do in this place for me and I never want to go shopping just like Kelly suggested. I would rather stay here and be with them after Felrim gave me the very good news that he will bring my parents and my brother on the day of my wedding.And Xeno has been very busy with other stuff but he decided to delay all his meetings and stay with me the whole day today, organizing and arranging things to my liking. Kelly has been a great organizer though. I guess it was a talent she has been hiding from everyone and I believe it will open a great opportunity for her in the future. She’s a reliable person when you plan parties and
“I have never seen you blooming like this before, Sapphire. What happened?” Kelly asked me teasingly while giggling after she wrapped her arm around my arm and we both walked inside the Clarkson Mansion's garden. After the long trip from the villa back to this place, Xeno became too busy from all the meetings he arranged with all the advisors and staff of their family business and the people of his Clan. He finally embraced his destiny as the new Alpha and many are pleased that he is back, believing that peace will be eventually restored for all the people of the Clan. The ones who were not happy, the people who were loyal to Phillius had already made their exit and that was much better because Xeno believes that opposition in this pack will not be tolerated, especially since those people rely on Phillius’s greed after receiving so many gifts from Phillius just to gain all their support against Xeno.But now that my fiance is in charge, there is no way Xeno would let them continue t
"I can't believe it's almost over, Xeno. That I can finally sleep at night peacefully, without being scared someone would take me away from you again.""I will never let that happen again, baby. Never again, I swear," he whispered to me as he brushed away the strands of hair straying on my face. The party was a blast and I am happy that everyone finally got to enjoy their night even after Phillius suddenly appeared and surrendered himself to the Faes. And despite that Kelly declined Xeno’s offer to take over the Clan, I guess Xeno has no choice but to stay in that Mansion and manage everything until his father returns. I just can’t tell him that it’s ok for me if he would become the Alpha of his Clan but I know that he still has this trauma from his ancestors that he wants to run away from. But that pack was his legacy and so many of his people are counting on him for the changes that their pack needs. And I believe that Xeno is the kind of Alpha their Clan needs. He has more compass
“What is happening?”I didn’t notice that Xeno was already behind me when the three Faes came for Phillius. The confusion was etched all over his face as he looked at the three guards and then at his twin brother who batted an eye at the concerned expression on his face.“Don’t be too flustered, Xeno. I finally dare to face all the things that I did. You are right. Death is not the end of everything so I am hoping we could still see each other if I ever still have the chance to see both of you in the Realm of the Immortal,” Phillius smiled at his twin brother, his eyes full of peacefulness where I never saw any heavy or dark malice in them anymore. It was as if the antidote gave him a rebirth into a person that is now far from the evil’s grasp.“No Phillius… wait—”“No. Xeno,” Phillius furiously yelled at him, but there is no anger in his eyes but pain. I can see clearly that Phillius still doesn’t want to go and that he is scared that he will really be able to see Xeno once he enters
“Phillius—”Xeno’s hands quickly pulled me against him as if he had seen a monster from his nightmare. But I cannot blame him. Phillius indeed came back to his immaculate beauty. His hair was back to its golden color and shone under the lights of the chandelier, his body bulked and grew muscular once again, and his eyes were bright blue as if he had never experienced suffering from the curse all his life. He stood straight in his regal suit with all his focus on me while setting down the spoon and the glass of wine on the table. I never expected it but he smiled at both Xeno and me like he was a different person. All of us in the dining hall froze and even the musicians stopped playing music when all of them saw the terror on all of our faces.“I am sorry to interrupt the party but there is something I need to discuss with Sapphire,” he looked at Xeno with a humble smile which surprised both of us, “If that is okay with you, my twin brother.”Phillius' eyes were steady as he stared a
“Xeno.”“Kelly. I am glad you have already decided. Whatever it is, I want to let you know I respect it.” Xeno pat Kelly and William’s shoulder, “I support you guys whatever it is you want with your life. I am just happy that you’re here for Sapphire and me.”“You know we have been with you since the very start, Master Xeno,” Frix smiled at him and looked at me as he pursed his lips with a smile, “You have no idea how happy I am now that you’re both finally together again. You both have already gone through a lot, and we all witnessed your faith in each other.”“Wow, Frix, that was really touchy!” I chuckled at him and he just winked at me and pat Xeno on the shoulder. Kelly and I’s eyes caught each other and I knew right away that she was nervous to the core. She kept on pulling her fingers and puffing her cheeks as she blew out air, trying to ease the perturbation she felt in her chest. We all decided to make this night a formal theme to celebrate Kelly’s birthday. I didn’t know it
I can’t stay in the hallway and listen to what Xeno and the Fae talk about. I am too scared of what I might learn about Xeno’s past or maybe I just don’t want to hear the pain in his voice every time he has to explain it to the Fae to clear his name. I know this will not be easy for all of us now that the Immortal Realm is working on the matter after Felrim spilled everything to the authorities in that place. I cannot blame him though. He has to explain to them the things that happened to him and the reason why he was gone for so many centuries. I know that time was not too long for Faes who have eternity to live. But that must still be suspicious to them since they went here to check on me and make Phillius pay for all the horrible things that he had done to me and the other Faes that became his victim.Feeling lost in my thoughts, I found myself stepping inside the room where Phillius was sleeping. At first, I didn't know why my feet brought me here. It’s like my head was full of c
I can’t believe what Frix has just said.With a frantic heart, I quickly ran towards the house's main hall, expecting to see Felrim again. But why am I feeling too scared this time? Is it the fact that maybe they might not allow Xeno to go with me if they ever force that I have to go back to the Immortal Lands because I no longer should be in the mortal realm?My silver hair danced behind me as Kelly and I rushed to where the Faes that Frix was wheezing about. At first, I thought it was Felrim who was standing tall and straight in the middle of the hallway because he also had long silver hair as I have. But when the Fae turned to look in our direction, it was a different Fae and my heart suddenly shrank because there must be two reasons they are here. It is either about Phillius, or me. I didn’t realize there are two of them until I scanned the whole area.“Sapphire—”Another silver-haired Fae appeared from the other side of the hallways and was talking with Xeno, whose eyes automatic