Strange, maybe, but it was rubbing my ego seeing the Viking Alpha now all of a sudden begging for me to throw him a bone. No, that is not the right word, but it felt like it. But all in all, they started showing up for one reason, and one reason only: to make sure their pack, their future Alpha, would be promised to my little daughter. I know your mother equally understood and was horrified by their behavior. They all acted like you were a rare piece of meat or rock, like you would have no say in your future. It is not that this was uncommon behavior; it is just the first time I experienced it up close. I realized how wrong it was in so many ways. So, eventually, after conferring with your mother and my closest men, I even evolved the elders; I started turning all offers down. I suggested a mateing ball or gathering on equal ground when she was old enough so she could meet them all and decide for herself. Some understood, and others were outright furious that we could toss away such a
Eir´s POV. Hearing my father’s story was both heartbreaking and beautiful, but it also led to even more questions at the same time as it answered my questions. But first and foremost, I glared at Seb. “So? Can you? “ “Yes.” He answered way too lightly with a sheepish grin, “Then why didn’t you?” “Isn’t that obvious? So, I could show you the helicopter?” I had no response to that; I mean, can anyone come back with a sensible answer to that? My father cleared his throat, too loud and theatrical to be anything else than asking for our attention. Grateful to end this discussion, I smiled towards my father, only to falter as he began to speak. “I recognize that word! Your mother thought to me about these helicopters! Do you have one? Please show me!” I jumped up in my chair, all the curse words I ever heard flashing through my mind as I slammed my palm over Seb´s mouth that was about to answer. “No, no, he doesn’t have one! And no, absolutely not something you would like to see! “
Maya´s Pov. Crisp and fresh air loaded with salt from the open sea filled my every breath and brushed against my bare skin. Who would have thought I loved sailing so much? I grew up in the middle of nowhere, a little town with all the necessities one would need, of course, but besides that, there was forest and mountains as far as the eye could see. Now, I’m standing here, filling my lungs to the brim with saltwater air and loving every second of it. I really love the sound of waves, the way the ship moves on the water, the smell, and the incredibly clean air. Arcane´s confused voice made it all even better, feeding the happy little sadist inside of me. “I don’t get it. Is he sick?” “No, Nyx checked him; even that old doctor checked him inside and out. He is fine. A little pale and weak, but besides, there is nothing wrong with him. He needs sun, that’s it. And he needs to go home.” “That’s just bullshit. Didn’t you see him? I’m not talking about the color of his skin and all that
I didn’t have words to describe the moment words stopped spilling over my lips. It almost felt like that famous time-stopped moment. Not one single time did I dare lift my eyes from the cold wooden deck while I talked. I have bared every dark corner of my memories: anger, hurt, and despair. I felt alone and lost, striving for love and recognition when I, deep down, always knew I wasn't worth it, not in my father's eyes. I told him about bullying, outright torture, and evil. The more I spoke, the more memories popped up. Like I opened a jar of darkness, and everything was let loose like death pearls on a row. How little I had felt the first time my father spotted the neighbor kids holding me down, lifting my shirt up. Everyone froze, and I cried for him, pleading for him to help me; instead, he turned his back and walked away. I still felt the pain in my heart the moment he broke the last strig of hope in it. Warm tears still rolled over my cheeks, but I didn’t feel like I was crying;
Eir´s POV. “She´s fine! Just stop! Just do not touch her! “ A dark voice hovered over me and pierced through the sludgy darkness surrounding me. He almost sounded angry, letting his low-key growl follow beneath each word he uttered, “Show respect! I am the Luna here, and it is my duty to make sure she is safe!” A screeching voice scraped inside my mind like claws dragged over a chalkboard, making my skin crawl even in this state, swaddled in the soft darkness. “I said, do not touch her!” His voice rumbled through my entire body, and a warmth spread across my cheeks when I realized how much I enjoyed the feeling that sound made, cursing through my body. Not like I first expected, like the embarrassing warmth that struck my core, but it filled me with energy and almost a sense of joy. It was bizarre like I watched a gift getting unwrapped; I knew exactly what it was, knew it was exactly what I wanted, but still, every fiber in my body tensed and waited for the ultimate moment. The
The sentence circled around in my mind a couple of times while they started bickering over my head. Information circled, went right through, and came back for a new round. All the while, I stood there, like I was rebooting, and finally, it hit me: why this sounded wrong, what I didn’t understand. Not bothering with addressing Seb´s and my father’s angry word feud, I cut them both right off, “Brothers? What do you mean, brothers?” They both shut up and looked at me like they suddenly realized I was still there. However, nobody said a word, just stared at it. My father with an open mouth and an expression I could not read. Seb at least had the audacity to look away; I'm not sure why, but right now, it didn’t really matter. I held my father's gaze and repeated, “What do you mean, her brothers? And family? “ In the corner of my eyes, I saw Lydia moving behind my father, barely registering the smile on her face. But for what? How could she have brothers and family here? I thought I had
I really wished I had a mirror. Taking deep breaths, I tried to calm myself; I’m not sure why, but for some reason, I thought I had more time before these guests arrived. I loved the braided hair; I'm not going to lie; even the paintings on my face, shoulder, neck, and arms gave me a strange sensation of power and charisma. I felt like a mighty warrior princess from one of those Viking god movies or something. Empowered and mythical, well, all until I put this so-called dress on. The leather itself was soft and lovely; no doubt someone put a lot of effort into it. Not one stitch was out of place; not a single spot carried any evidence of harm or tear. The edges around my neck, cleavage, and shoulders had a super soft, white fur attached to them. And I mean, it is really white, like a newborn rabbit. But it also made me feel like a whore. The dress was skintight around my waist, pressed around my chest, and barely covered my ass on one side, sliding down across on the other, and Luck
"I do agree, and you two went too far!" My father tried his best to meddle, agreeing with me without dismissing his guests and his future Mate`s family. The twins didn’t seem to be bothered at all; if anything, they looked like they were entertained just the way they liked. That alone made me even more irritated. So while I was fuming, the twin brothers on the verge of busting out in laughter, my father stressed between us, face flustered and sweaty. Lydia was the only one who looked mortified by the whole situation; why, I had no idea. From the way I see it, she is the only one here that doesn’t have a shit to do about this situation at all. "No, they did not! Your daughter is behaving all wrong!" My head jerked in Lydia´s direction. I was not sure if I had heard her wrong or if she was really that narrow-sighted. "Remember, this is new to her, and it is not wrong! She, or even I, never gave them the right to touch her in any way!" "Well, I did! And as your mate and Luna, I woul
Chapter 2 of book 2. Queen of KingsThe reaction was immediate, and no matter what I told myself, I lost control of it even before it started. My heart dropped; it felt like I was pulled back into an alternate reality where I watched the Fay march through the pack´s village. Sound and shapes faded out around me as I felt an unbearable need to cry. My chest started aching, my heart raging against my rib cage, and a lump threatened to suffocate me as I struggled to swallow. It was a real-time fight-or-fight reaction, but they conflicted with one another, crashing inside me as my body began to run. All I could think of was my kids. I forgot all about Eir; there was no room for anything else as my feet carried me in a rush between small cottages and houses. Are they okay? Still with Arcane? They are fine! Of course, they are! But still, all I saw was their small little faces, crying and calling out for me in desperation. Calling for their mom, and I wasn’t there! Irrational, it is irratio
Chapter 1. of Book 2. Queen of kings.Three years later.Maya´s POV.“Stop that!”“I don’t like it!”“I don’t care! Stop being such a baby, Arcane; stand still and try it on! Dressing you is worse than dressing the kids! And they have the ability to turn into wet noodles whenever I try!”"Is it really necessary? It feels like you’re trying to hang me!""Oh, stop the whining! It’s just a tie!""From what I’ve seen, nobody dresses up with something tied around their neck if they’re not going to hang! This is unnatural! Do you even think she will do it this time?"I paused, let my hands fall, and watched with a plain face as Arcane ripped that poor tie off him like a burning curse etching on his skin. I wanted to yell at him, and I wanted to hit him, but I knew it wasn’t fair. He was right, after all. It had been over two years already, and three times, Eir and the Dragon had prepared for the Royal mateing ritual and every time, she had found a reason to back out of it.There was no longe
Amon/ Dragon King´s POV.The deep-rooted frustration and disrespect faded the second he laid eyes on her. Dragon vision zoomed in, and his wings had stretched as he lowered his head and aimed. Everything was different now, and everything had changed. Why? I’m not sure, but I will figure it out. Her sob-filled laughter danced over the dark field yet again, and I wanted nothing more than to relish in this feeling. A quest for later, I thought to myself, right now, all I need is here. All I need is her.For once, I understood her. I hated to see her cry, and my heart felt pain with each heartbeat. But she cried while smiling, cried while laughing. I’ve never seen such love between two creatures, the way they fight joy, pain, heartbreak, and love. Because Maya, the lost Valkyrie, acted just the same as she did. Despite all the darkness that tightened around both girls’ hearts, love and happiness shone through just by seeing one another, and I think that is the only thing that kept me sane.
"Oh shut up, Hades, you know you love me."Nida winked at him before shifting her focus back to me, and to my surprise, the beautiful snake-like woman smiled at me with a beaming smile. Her white teeth looked unnaturally white, and her sharp canines glinted in the light. Deadly, stunning, and mythical. Nida was not someone I had expected to meet ever again and to be frank, I had no idea how to react. I should hate her, and she worked with Loki. But then again, she never did me anything wrong. Not really. To my surprise, Hades mumbled and looked down to the side, giving Nida all the space she needed without hesitation. I heard him beside me, still mumbling uncoherent words like a scorn teen.A cold but delicate little hand with long nails gently lifted my chin."Don’t let him sour your mood, little human. He is an expert at sulking. I mean, he beat the most skilled, spoiled, and stubborn toddler I’ve ever met anytime."I couldn’t help it; her voice was so cheerful, and I felt drawn towa
Eir´s Pov.She had long and thick brown hair in soft curls over her shoulders. Sparkling blue eyes, her skin was pale, but she had miniature roses on her cheeks. With a beaming smile, she looked nothing like I remember her. Blinking slowly, once, twice, and then three times. But she was still there, so healthy and... normal? Yes, normal. This couldn’t be real, but I couldn’t help myself; I had to talk to her!“Mom?”“My little Elly girl! Look at you!”Her hands reached out for me while she walked up. I couldn’t stop looking at her, and she was so different. But I still could not accept it, even when all of me knew and wanted to take it. Accept her, smiling at me! Wanting to hug me! So, of course, I just stood there, gaping, unable to move a muscle.“You grew up, baby girl, I’m glad. ““ I… Who are you?”“You know who I am, Elly! This is like I always told you: In the next life, Elly! In the next life. Well, technically, we are between, but who cares for the details!”Her smile faltered
Maya´s Pov.“WHAT DID YOU DO!?”The beast split into two men, both running straight for me, screaming. I could see the hatred, the evil, and their accusation pierced my skin. But I couldn’t react to them, could acknowledge their presence. All I saw was her, her white wolf, lying lifeless on the cold and dirty ground. Fur drenched in blood burned patches from my sword up her front leg where it had hit the bracelet.Shouting and cussing, words meant to hurt, bounced off the walls all around me. Tew and Arcane stopped them, curling them to the ground with no mercy or gentle touch. But I could feel even their eyes on me. The doubt, the shock, and the accusation they so desperately tried to hide. My sword fell to the ground, and the clang of metal against stones echoed down the darkness, over and over until the sound died out.“I didn’t kill her, I didn’t kill her…. I DIDN’T KILL HER!”A whisper I had no control over, a chant meant to convince myself. It didn’t work, and I didn’t hear mysel
Oh, goddess, was I wrong! I wanted to run and leave this incredible, horrifying darkness so many times, but Hades held me back. Took my hand and led me forward or held me back; eventually, we slowly walked down the narrow, black stone tunnel, filling my head with whispers. Stories about how they died, their last memories, their lust for revenge and despair. All through the hall, desperate cries of a baby echoed all around us. It was horrible, full of pain and fear, and despite not being used to babies, all I wanted was to pick up this poor soul and comfort them. But just walking there, not doing anything, made my heart shatter, my chest ached, and tears streamed down my face while walking silently.I clinging to Hades’ hand like it was the only lifeline I had, and I am not sure I will ever be able to forget this. I don’t know if I will ever stop hearing the poor baby crying in utter desperation. I can’t explain this feeling, cannot explain how this sound haunted me, pained me, and tore
“Anja? How the hell can you call that thing something so casual?!”“Because that is, or it was her name at the beginning.”We had finally stopped, sitting down in the pitch-black depths of the cave. The cold stones bit my back as I leaned against the cave's walls, pressing my knees up against my chest.“All lost souls, detached or roaming spirits, end up here. When she did, she was a woman like you. I am not sure what she was, but the legend says she was a shifter, but there are many stories about what kind. However, they said she was a greedy woman, sly and conning, and that she would use any means necessary to get what she wanted or felt she deserved. Nobody knows how she obtained the fallen dragon, but somehow, she did, but she did not anticipate the cost of her greed. There is nobody she can complain to, nobody that can change her faith, so as the years passed, her spirit became part of the skeleton. Together, they are now one; together, they collect all lost or wandering spirits a
*Mumbling* Goddess me, what an annoying sound! *Louder mumbling* A voice, a familiar voice at that. Do I really know people with such an annoying voice? “WAKE UP!” The shouting cut straight through the fog and mumbled and yanked me out, leaving me confused and annoyed at the same time. My eyes were soar and dry, making me blink several times before managing to make sense of the scenery around me. Still, it was so dark, and it all felt so strange. Surreal. The air was neither cold nor warm; it just kind of was there—no wind, but no wind still. No fresh air, no dense old air, heck, I'm not even sure there is air here. However, I am still breathing, not struggling. I feel no pain, no relief, just an immense void inside of me. “You took your time! Hello? Do you hear me? “ His voice was too loud, too close, and sounded so irritated and impatient that it rubbed off on me. Blinking desperately now, I tried to see him, remember him, but my head worked so slowly. Damned, did I drink last