Sleeping was a disaster. My body knew to shut off, that I was exhausted beyond comprehension, but my mind drifted in an out constantly. It started with childhood memories. How loved I was as a pup, before I had turned. Before they knew how small I was. Insignificant. Nothing to be proud of. Then I drifted to how I wanted nothing more than to please my father. My parents. Begging my mother to just look at me with some pride in her eyes. Anything other than the constant look of contempt she showed me. She might have smiled a lot, but it was never genuine. Never the same as other mothers smiling at their daughters. After a while I settled on my most prized memories, leaving all the bad ones behind. Sleep overs with Mikaela. Reading sessions at our local library where we would stay for hours on end. The smile she had only for me. How with one decision I brought down hell upon us, the freedom we loved exploring together now a distant memory. If we were forced to mate into different packs
As a child, I always dreamed of what my future would be. Mated, living in a home with several pups. Our garden would be tended to every day, flowers of all colours blooming in the afternoon sunlight. My parents would be having brunch with us every Sunday after I had bathed the kids. Father would joke around with my mate. Mother would touch my already growing belly. Child number five on the way. Everything would feel like a dream. Perfect. I was content, happy even, with the life granted to me. My mate would take over as Beta once Jasper stepped up to being Alpha. Or my mate was an Alpha. His new pack adored me. I adored and comforted them. A model Luna to the pack that took her in so lovingly.Through this entire dream, vampires and the discord between us and them didn't exist. Didn't appear anywhere in the story. Our people were happy. I was happy in a role dictated by our society. Then I grew up. Grew older and colder as the years flew by. Gone was the little girl who dream
Words failed me. Every inch of my soul told me that this man was my mate. Pieces finally fell into place. Pieces I didn't exactly wanted to know, but had to face. Julian was a king and all I had been was a source of power. An invigorating snack. Even if our necklaces belonged together, there was still a piece missing. Another part of me refused to believe it was Mikaela. It couldn't be. I refused to drag her any deeper into a mess I had made. I was breathless by the time I finally rushed into Mika's house. Her parents were away for some business, leaving us alone.She stood in front of her stove, stirring some sauce, when her eyes flashed towards me. Worry hooked into her features as she stepped towards me. I slowly walked forward and flung my arms around her waist, shoving my head between her breasts. Mikaela smoothed down my hair in relaxing strokes, but didn't push me to speak. Her presence alone calmed me more than any deliberation about this situation would. If Julian ha
We had gotten out safely. The only wolves harmed were the two I had let collapse to the ground. Neither had stirred as we stepped over them and ran for the trees. Adrenaline had ravaged my body. I may have rebelled against my father in the past, but this was on a whole different level. There was no going back from here. Father would have my blood for breakfast if he ever found me. Treason. That's what I had committed and would most likely pay with my blood, or life. Whichever came quickest to him. By now the pack would be up in arms, searching for us in every little corner they could think of. To face them now would break me completely. After all the torment they had put me through, they were still my pack. The people I had grown up with. Some part of me, however deep down, still wanted to be a part of them. A part of a family.Morning rays slowly crept up the sky as we finally reached the town skirts. Julian refused that I turn, in case of someone spotting us on their early
Hours had flitted by in the blink of an eye. Our drive had been filled with music and off key singing. Julian pointed out several of his favourite places along the way. Vineyards with the best wine. Ranches with the prettiest horses. Some of the best beaches, with sand whiter than my teeth. We had driven alongside the ocean for most of our trip. In our pack, we rarely had the luxury of visiting a beach, even when we stayed a few kilometres from the closest one. Our elders believed wolves were made for forests, not waves, but Jasper had taken Sophie and I once, just when he had gotten his license. It felt like a life time ago. Julian and I had dropped into something resembling normalcy. The cruel night had almost been completely forgotten. I would show him the songs I loved and he would tell me about his musical talents. I hadn't mentioned that Richard had also informed me of his painting habits.We were just inside the borders to the Western Cape when Julian pulled off to the
Even with exhaustion numbing my brain, I could barely sleep. I had tossed and turned the entire night. The soft mattress curved under my weight, fitting my body perfectly. No penny was spared when they had decorated this place for me. Even the pillows grooved into my neck. I still couldn't sleep. So many thoughts ran through my mind. None of them were even remotely comforting. Mikaela was a pressing problem. If my father had decided to take his angry out on her because he couldn't punish me, I would never forgive myself. She didn't need any more problems in her life. She couldn't handle any more problems. I turned again in bed, the cool satin grazing my skin. Moonlight fluttered onto the carpet through the slits in my curtains. It would have been a beautiful night to go for a run. Scarping the urge to go outside, I groaned and covered my head with an arm. It was always like this. I could rarely ever sleep comfortably when so many issues w
Julian had run into a store on the outskirts of town. After giving him my sizes and a vague description of what I would wear, he headed off on his little mission. I was still in my clothes from yesterday, blood stains now dried. His solution to the problem? Buy me something to wear for the day and head out to a mall for some actual shopping. I had protested at the idea of walking around looking as if I had painted with someone's blood. Julian had agreed and off we were. I hadn't allowed myself to think of the situation we were in. There was no news from my pack, not that Julian would tell me if something had happened. All he wanted was for us to have a normal day. Get to know each other. Whether we were mates or not, I would be stuck around him from this point on. Julian had promised that my future would change, regardless of the status of our pendants.I waited for close to an hour, getting restless. Julian couldn't possibly take that long to find me some jeans and a shirt.
We had walked around for a good few minutes before we stumbled upon the food court. People ambled around from fast food restaurant to fast food restaurant. Julian had settled on a nice looking café in the far back of all the take-out places, pressing his hand into my lower back to herd me towards it. Women of all shapes, sizes and colours watched us closely. Some undressed Julian, their gazes stripping off what he wore. I hadn't missed the sneers or whispers as they watched me, either. None of them hid their disdain about who hung on his arm.All of that didn't matter, as the realization that I was starving hit me. My stomach rumbled a bit too loudly, but Julian kept walking. He either chose to ignore it, or hadn't heard. Food was delicious. Ever since I was a child, I had loved to cook and eat. Mother would then throw me onto crash diets like the gospel. Food had been a comfort when I couldn't find Mikaela for comfort. When I wasn't allowed even the smallest freedom b
I had slept peacefully that night. No dreams tormented me. No faces drifted in front of my eyes. Julian had brought us home and we had parted ways. I had gotten myself a new phone on the way back, explaining that I might not have wanted to be found, but that I wasn't going to live in the dark ages. My room was already cleaned, the clothes we brought standing on my dresser. Maids would come and pack those away, Julian had informed me and headed to somewhere in the house. I had set up the new phone and quickly drifted off to sleep. So much excitement had happened during the last few days. My body finally realized I would crash if it hadn't succumbed to the deep tendrils of sleep. The house was silent when I had woken up just before dawn. My footsteps echoed across the floors as I padded towards the kitchen. More food had been brought in for me yesterday, cupboards over flowing with snacks of all variety. Lillian had most probably stocked everything, as no one else knew what so
Caspian's Point of View People spoke in hushed whispers before me, waiting with bated breath for the new queen to arrive. They were our new court. Noble houses we had formed in order to keep the peace and prosperity. Wolves, humans and vampires alike. Julian had insisted we make houses for the humans as well, equality being his main concern. Luciana had insisted that if those houses were to be made, they had to come from war heroes, instead of old and greedy politicians. I chosen her side. Everyone was dressed to the maximum, with jewels flashing in the well lit hall. They all anticipated the arrival of their new queen, finally made public in an orderly fashion. Yet the queen wasn't here yet. Mikaela stood to my right. Julian sat in his throne beside her. The throne beside me stood empty and waiting. This was where history would be made. We were on the cusp of a new age and everyone knew it. Finally, the monsters from their dreams had come to light,
Three years laterRoyals from all across the world had started settling into the palace. Flowers dripped from every surface around me as we welcomed the stuffy nobles. Staff members had prepared over a hundred rooms for this occasion. A hundred rooms all occupied by several members of our court. Several villas were also prepared deeper into the property for larger families.The war had finally come to and end. Brought about by my own hands and the hands of the ones closest to me. No one was more overjoyed than Sophie at the prospect of finally being able to settle down. We had finally gotten the incredible news last year that Ezekiel was indeed Sophie's mate, but they couldn't complete the ritual, as we were constantly away on missions. So we were finally granted a repieve from all the blood shed.A new treaty was signed a few months ago, declaring peace amongst all who had lost so much in this war. Peace. A powerful word that felt so fragile at
One Year Later Rain pelted the sides of the palace. December rain had come in full swing this year, leaving no stone dry. South African weather was unpredictable in that way. One moment there would be sweltering heat, the next, a flood could be washing away your trampoline in the back yard. We wouldn't have it any other way. To be back in our home was a blissful experience, but to know the next Valentine was on his way was even better. Mikaela was at the end of her pregnancy and we expected her to give birth any day now. Her belly stretched far out in front of her. Julian and Caspian couldn't keep their hands off of the growing bump the entire pregnancy long. Mikaela had resorted to swatting their hands away in an effort to maintain her personal space. Alas, that still wasn't enough. The Valkyrie had gone back to the battlefield only a few weeks ago, their vacations cut short by the growing threat of the humans. Sonja endured persistent peste
Adrian was in the middle of the clearing, scowl deeply imbedded on his face. Everyone else was coated in blood by now, their weapons flying through the air, but he just watched in amazement. I caught the look of madness within his eyes when our eyes met. Trust him to be vain, even in battle. Too self-righteous to even fight his own battles. As if he was a god. The insanity of it all finally settled into my bones. We had sent thousands to their death. Thousands more would follow if I let him walk away from this. This needed to end here. End now. We couldn't call this a battlefield, it was more a massacre. His last resting place. "I wondered how long it would take you to kill Jasper." My father murmured and turned to face me. No remorse was evident. He couldn't see how mad he was. How insane all of this was. This had started off as a simple act of defiance on my part and had ended with both sides losing more than was necessary. Prophecy or not, I knew this was how it was all s
The trodding of feet soon turned to an echo as I sped up. Since the transition, my powers throbbed beneath my skin. Pulsing like a live wire. They couldn't keep up, even if they wanted to. Nothing would stand in the way of what I had to do, not even my mates. All was fair in love and war. Claiming my father's life was something only I was able to do. Something that needed to be done since the first day he had splayed me open. The direction was clear within my mind. A field filled with ant nests slowly came to view. Just within the opposite tree line, an army of men stood. No more than fifty people in total, but still more than I could handle all at once. A few had guns. The other held knives and bows in hand. They wouldn't know what hit them if I caught them off guard. Upon my approach, a scout yelled out to my father, standing at the lead of his group. Lines littered his face that weren't once there. Mother stood a ways back, her eyes never finding mine. The woman w
Caspian's Point of ViewLuciana had stormed off, leaving a bitter taste in the air. You could cut the tension with a sword and still struggle to push the blade through. Sophie hadn't taken well to the outburst, cusses flying from her lips. Claire had wanted nothing more than to chase Luciana as she went, but I had stopped her, my hand clamping down around her arm.Luciana needed to be alone at the moment. Too many demons flew about within her mind and someone trying to pry them from her now would do more damage than just leaving her be. Facing her father had always been her end goal. The one monster she had to overcome before she was able to truly be free."What the fuck is her problem all of a sudden?" Reverie growled from next to Emory. All eyes had turned to face me. Some pierced my soul and I found myself unable to look them all head on. Only Sonja looked somewhat remorseful. She, too, understood what was eating at Luciana. From what I had g
The day before I faced my father felt like any day other day. Julian had asked for all the staff back. Even the Valkyrie had obeyed his orders and returned without a silent complaint. No questions were asked about my sudden reappearance from the staff. But the Valkyrie was another question entirely. Julian had given them a run down of the situation as best he could, without revealing our daughter. We hadn't yet told them of Katharine. Didn't intend to until it was absolutely necessary. No one liked witches and I would do anything to protect my daughter. Her state of mind was extremely important to me, and witches deteriorated much faster, mentally, than any other species on the planet. Staff members dove through the house, cleaning away the last remnants of my second birth. One as a hybrid. Buckets of red were being thrown down drains, the last time I had noticed them cleaning. The Valkyrie had decided to train for the day and I had decided that I was desperately out
I didn't know where I was going, only that I had to get out of the house as fast as possible. The air inside had suffocated me for far too long. Katharine's hopeful face kept popping into my mind's eye and I couldn't ignore it for much longer. The burning in my chest. The fear of losing everything and everyone around me. Walls of iron wrapped around my heart and squeezed. Knees buckled as I saw the smile on my daughter's face. I had never feared death before. never needed to, until I had died. Until I had left behind everyone I had ever loved. Katharine had brought me back, but would she be able to when my entrails were outside of my body. Or my head was metres away from my body? Death had never felt as close as it had only a few hours ago. But I was to face it again in two days. Two days I could be spending with my family, happy and safely. The only thing was, part of my family was missing until I faced death again. Mikaela would be a stranger to me once we reunited, but sh
"Mommy!" Katharine squealed as she dashed towards me. Chestnut hair trailed behind her in waves. The girl had dressed herself and it was evident. Sneakers closed around her feet whilst she donned a bright green dress. Yet the smile on her face was contagious, leaking onto my own lips as she drew closer. Somehow she had grown tremendously since I had last seen her. Even her eyes held a certain intelligence within them. As if she was more aware of the world than even I was. That was what it meant to be a witch. Intune with the world, whether she wanted to be or not. "Baby girl!" I squealed and bent down a little to grab her in my arms. Her tiny body was fragile beneath my new found strength. Every muscle beneath her dress tensed within my arms, then melted into nothingness. The feeling of having her in my arms kicked in, sending tears rolling down my face. Thick and hot. When was the last time I had held her like this? When was the last time I had bathed in her presence? My li