CelineI jerk upright in bed and for a second, my head takes a dive for the ground.“You’re awake.”I startle and look to the side to find Dan, the head physician looking down at me with a smile. A few other physicians flutter around the room. Where is Lor? I remember the last thing I felt before going unconscious, pain that did not begin or end, pain that crippled me. My mind shies away from fully remembering that, it must be as bad as I remember if I needed this many physicians. “Where am I?” I ask, looking at my strange surroundings with awe. “In the Alpha’s chambers.” She says. This is my first time being in here and the grandeur of the bed chamber alone surpasses my imagination. “Where is he?” I ask. The door bursts open in that moment and while Dan backs away, he crosses the room to me in long strides. “Lor.” I whisper, tears springing to my eyes at the sight of him. I’ve been holding it together through sheer will but seeing him here after I wished so fervently for him ma
EmmaI grin, my little legs pumping as I race for home. The little sea shell is clutched in my chubby hands and I can’t wait to show them to Ma. I found it! One of the treasures of the sea. For as long as I can remember, the sea has always called to me. I’m just like Ma in that. Werewolves however, have no business on the sea so we stay here on land. Father says we can be protected here on land, amongst the pack. I hate the pack. They look at me strange, and they don’t like playing with me. I prefer the sea anyway. Ma says I should be patient and grow strong first. When I do, I’ll show Father I can protect all of us and we can finally go to the sea. Today, I finally found my first treasure and I can’t wait for Ma to see it. I turn the corner and run towards home. It’s at the end of the street, and other wolves refuse to live close to us so we’re the only ones on the street. I like to pretend Ma and Father are just so rich they bought the whole street. “Ma!” I’m yelling long before
Celine“Are you sure you’ll be okay here?” Nessa asks, casting a glance around my room and finding it wanting. “I think you’ll fare better in the Alpha’s chambers.”“You have nothing to worry about, Lor took care of everything. In this room is a door to a secret underground chamber that I’ll go to if I feel threatened. It even leads to Lor’s chambers. Go on and stop being such a worrywart.”She huffs. “Fine, but keep the door locked.”“Yes mom.” I say and she laughs and shakes her head. “Don’t let me keep you from chasing the man of your dreams.”“Ken? He’s hardly the man of my dreams.” She says with a laugh. “But the male can fuck, so I’ll guard him jealously.”“Well then don’t let me stop you from getting laid good.” I say and bid her bye. I close the door behind her, high on the thrill of the coming full moon. It is not even night yet and I can already feel its power in the air, working to strengthen my limbs and sharpen my mind. I must hurry or lose my chance to free that male. N
Neem“I’ll be fine, take me to my room.” I sign to the prince but he pretends not to see me. We pass by so many servants on the way, and the entire time my heart is beating so loud it deafens me. We have long left the servants’ wing and we are surely headed to his chambers and despite myself, I wonder what the others think. The prince is carrying me in his arms, and people bow and curtsy to him as he passes, their silent judgement following me. For some strange reason, I want to defend myself. I never asked him to carry me and I surely never asked him to bring me to his quarters. We enter his chambers and the weight finally lifts off my chest. I don’t know what I would have done if we came upon the king. I don’t want to find out how much of a capital offence it is to have the prince carry me, a mere servant in his arms. He carries me into his bedchamber and puts me on the bed but I stand right back. “I can’t.” I sign. I’m his servant, not his equal. “Lie down. I insist.” He comm
CelineI burst out of the tunnel with my heart beating hard against my throat. I want to stop and cry, or turn around and confront him but my legs have other plans. My feet are flying faster than I can think and I wish I would run so fast I would turn back time, to before I ever came through that tunnel, or through the second door. If I knew what I would find on the other side of that door, would I still go through it? I push the door open and run and I hear the most frightening sound; he’s coming after me. My legs squeak on the floor, my mind urging me to run, to hide, to do anything to get away from the male that just shattered my heart and ground it to pieces. But the first door is right there, and the prisoner is behind it. If I leave right away, I could try to get lost amidst crowds. My scent is incredibly hard to trace, especially if I take extra care to keep it hidden. I have a chance upstairs but down here, not so much. I burn to run, to save myself but the moon has a few m
Celine“No... it’s the moon. You don’t want to do this.” I say and he laughs. It’s not the moon... he’s really doing this, stabbing me in the back. “Is this how you repay my kindness?” I say, voice shaking as I back away from the seven wolves. I’m not even sure I can take on one of them, talk less of all seven. And then there’s him. Will Lor hear me if I yell? But then I locked him up behind a door that will only grow stronger the harder he pushes. Fuck, fuck, I’m screwed. “Kindness?” He scoffs. “There is nothing you can do that will make up for everything your mate has done. Don’t beat yourself up over your susceptibility, I can be quite charming when I put in some effort. You are his only weakness, the only way to destroy the Alpha with a single strike, did you really think I would let you walk free?”I have been so stupid, so easily manipulated. I should have seen this coming from a mile away but I chose to blind myself to it. People only get to make this type of mistake once in
Celine In those moments, my eyes find him again, the man that used to be the center of my universe. With a forbidden roar, he grabs the last wolf and yanks the head off the body savagely before throwing them on opposite sides of the room. He looks like a beautiful, terrible angel of death. Finally, I know why anyone that ever saw him transform called him a demon wolf and warded themselves against him. His eyes meet mine just as Flinn unhinges huge jaws, releasing my leg and lunging for my throat. I bring my hands up to protect myself with a scream but even I know the futility. So this is how it ends with us, he watches me die and my last memories of him is seeing his cock buried deep in Emma. In that split second, the moon takes over. I feel the change, as does every other wolf but now I am the only one that remains sane. Lor and Flinn have been hanging on by a thread but they are finally under moon’s thrall. Their primitive halves, their wolves are now in control and they are com
LorMy roar of pain causes her to stumble but the foolish woman does not stop. With a little gasp, she flies into the distance. She is so fast. If I were any other wolf she would outrace me. She pumps her arms for speed, not looking back after dealing me such a fatal blow and a wayward shot of admiration hardens my cock more than it already is. Her scent is overpowering in this limited tunnel, more effective than an aphrodisiac. With hardly a second thought, I go after her, and not because I don’t wish to the high heavens I could respect her wishes. It is because it is impossible to. I have lost my mind in my desire for her, and nothing else makes sense in the world than having her soft body in my arms, despite the hatred in her eyes. Damn it. She was never supposed to walk in on me. I cross the distance between us in seconds and in the next breath, I tackle her to the ground. Her breath punches out of her as I flip her over. She stares at me in disbelief for a second and then she
Neem "I thought you would be done dressing up. We are going to be late." I tell Aden. "These buttons are hell." He mutters. "There should be about a hundred buttons on here.""Hardly." I say, amused. "There are only fifteen."Our clothes in Lyria never had buttons and it's always amusing that something so simple always gives him so much trouble. "Might as well be a hundred." He mutters and shaking my head, I go to help. He stares down at me as I work one button to the next. "You are staring.""I can't help it, you're beautiful." He says and I smile. "One would think you were only seeing me for the first time.""It feels like that sometimes." He says. "Sometimes I wake up amazed to have you by my side.""Only sometimes?" I tease him and he laughs. "Come here." He pulls my lips to his and kisses me and I forget about the buttons as I hold on, revelling in the movement of his lips on mine. I moan when his tongue darts in to taste me and his hands clench conclusively on my ass. "D
EmmaOne of the creatures runs at us, foaming at the mouth and bleeding from a dozen cuts. Celine intercepts him and kills him and I stare at her. “They said you controlled these creatures. Control them and end this wretched war.”She shakes her head. “It’s not that easy anymore. I was able to control them when my cat was dominant, when they absorbed my wolf. Someone donated her energy to bring back my wolf, but she neglected to mention that I would lose control of the soldiers when she is restored. I wouldn’t have it any other way anyway.”I sneer. “How pathetic. Of what use are you with your wolf then? You should sacrifice her to save hundreds of lives if need be but you are nothing but selfish as ever.”Her brows rise. “I’m not receiving a lecture on selflessness from you, am I? Now I have seen it all.”Behind us, Lor finally rips the king’s heart out with a roar. The war seems to stop for a second, everyone watching as he twists his head off his throat and sends it flying. And t
Celine They are unending. It is as if the entire world has moved against the Island. My soldiers are not enough, and so people of Lyria have joined, fighting against the enemy but they are lacking in spirit. Perhaps because they have been broken down by the economy but they fall like corn stalk against the enemy. I keep soldiers on their leader constantly, but he is not the only one to be worried about. My soldiers tear into most of the soldiers before they have a chance to defend themselves but too many of them are experienced killers, cutting through our numbers in swaths. I glance behind me but the king and the Whisperer are now gone from their perch, and then finally the harpies are released. Terrible terrible creatures that can ice the blood in your veins with a touch. Where they go, death follows, immortals shrivelling up and dying in numbers. And yet more of their army comes. There are about ten of the harpies and I’m surprised when one of them streams from the ground right i
CelineI feel it when Ismir dies, like a lance directly into my heart. I scream in pain and my attack falters. No. I look back, knowing I will not find him at he balcony he once occupied with his father and the Whisperer. My eyes meet his father’s and I wonder if he knows. My distraction costs me. Strong arms wrap around me from behind and I’m plastered hard against a male chest. “Stand back.” He orders the creatures, keeping them in front of us and me as a shield between them. They angle and pace, the front liners reluctant to attack and skewer me. “What do you think you are doing?” I grit out, trying to break out of his grip but he’s too strong. “You’re coming back with me.” He says, shuffling back. I burst into laughter, a little hysterical. “Are you daft as fuck? You want to leap through the barrier to freedom? The both of us will die before our next breath.”“I passed through the barrier to get here.” He says, his voice resolved. “By some freak accident. You will not be so
EmmaHe has grown so much in three days alone, this baby that has become my last surviving shield.“Dan!” I snap, heading to the balcony. “Yes, Emma.” She says from where she balances precariously on the ledge, not even bothering to look up. I thought the female stuck to my side because she had grown a soft side for me, as I have worked hard to lower her guard. I should have known better, she is an omega herself, an emotional fortress. Since the end of the three days that we raised Alaric, she has completely withdrawn, not even bothering to stand for any other person but the little brat. ”You said the three days were all we needed to ensure his survival.”“Yes. Your boy is stronger than a horse.” She says, raising her face to the sun. “Mama!” The culprit comes toddling out, holding chubby little hands out to me with a grin. I stare at him, my face going sour. “So why the hell does he still follow me around everywhere?!” I ask in dismay. I can’t look across a room without finding h
Neem“You found the source.” He says. His voice is cold and the way he is looking at me scares me. I affect a light tone. “Prince Ismir-““I cannot allow you to live.” Chills race down my spine and I laugh awkwardly. “What are you talking about?” I say, my voice pleading. I always knew my inquisitiveness would land me in trouble one day. I cannot believe the day is finally here. “Why do you always have to go around snooping and putting yourself in situations you have no business being in?”“I’m sorry!” I say, taking a step forward. “I’m sorry okay? This will never happen again.”“You are right, it won’t.” He says and then he shifts. I scream and dive to the side as he leaps, coming up on my knee and watching him nearly crash into the crystals. He sidesteps them in a precarious move in the last second and spins around, furious. I’ve never seen him shift, and for good reason, I realise. That is no wolf, he looks like he belongs amongst the deformities on the front line. He is thre
NeemI burst into the library, unconcerned about the racket I’m making as I race through the shelves to the back. Maria is reading a book and doesn’t bother to put it down. “Ordinarily, you should be banned from coming into the library.” She says placidly. “Outside.” I say urgently. “They are engaged in a fight. Celine and-““I know.” She cuts me off, not taking her eyes off the book. I gape at her. “You do? Then how can you be so calm?”“I am calm. I would recommend some to you too. What concern is it of mine if two idiots want to kill each other?”She’s right, she doesn’t give a fuck. She has said it enough times and yet she was the first person I thought of when I needed help.“I need your help.” I say and she finally puts the book down and pins with a stare piercing enough to make me squirm. “I see you got your tongue back.”“I need your help.” I say again, refusing to be redirected. “No.” She says, making me gape again. “No? But you don’t even know what I want to ask.”“I d
Prince Ismir“How did he come through the barrier?” Father snarls, finally thrown off his feet by the unexpected happening. “I don’t know.” The Whisperer says, my first time hearing him utter those words. “It should be impossible.”Apparently not, if he’s right there. “What do you know about him?” I ask. There is something about him that has my hair standing on end. It is simply my most primitive instincts recognising a threat, a major one.“Nothing,” The Whisperer says. “But judging by his power and the fact that he entered the barrier unscathed, there are only a few people that come to mind. I believe that is her mate, the one commonly known as the demon wolf.”“What?” I say, startled out of the blue. Is that where the sense of familiarity comes from? Am I feeling her familiarity with him? “She does not look like she recognises him.” I say, tracing her location.“Not with the the amount of poison we had to pump into her system.” He says. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t ev
LorFor the umpteenth time, I put a hand on the barrier and it goes straight through. My hand curls into a tight fist and I punch it hard. Nothing. It is just air. The demarcation that shows the island of Lyria, a slight shimmer in the air is quite obvious if you know what you are looking for. Otherwise, your eyes would probably skip right over it. We have besieged this perimeter for two days now and to my frustration, we have nothing to show for it. Not a soul has stepped out of it, and neither can we step inside either. If I didn’t have a strong gut feeling that she is behind that barrier, I would have believed that it is all a conjecture of my deranged mind.Maddilla comes to a stop beside me and peers into the barrier. It is not just Bloodbound pack but nearly every damn pack this side of the world out here. There are more than a hundred and fifty packs here, each one of them as eager and enthusiastic to pierce the barrier of the island as the next. I didn’t have much convincing