Ariel
I'm barely listening to the conversation around the table. Jenna and Hannah want Cassius to help them defeat the vampires, while Cassius is his usual mischievous self.
"They will take over our entire city if you don't do something!" Hannah exclaims as she tries to reason with her mate. "Blaze could already be dead! He is Jenna's mate!"
Jenna's smile falters once she hears that name. My mood immediately darkens. I don't care about this second mate of hers; to me, he is a simple rival in love, but since Jenna cares about him, I also care.
Clearing my throat, I gain everyone's attention. "In this realm, time passes by slower. It might still be the same day in the human world," I turn to face Jenna then. It's painful, seeing her eyebrows crease with worry for another man. The mate-bond gnaws at my heart. "And... Blaze should be fine. If his life is in danger, then Jenna will feel it through the mate-bond,"
"Are you sure?" Jenna asks in a sad voic
JennaI'm a bundle of nerves, on the verge of puking from the steep realization that I'm about to share a bed with Ariel again. He seems calm while I can barely sit still; it gets even harder to breathe when I glance down at him lounging next to me.Our body languages are so different; Ariel is lying there with his head resting behind his folded hands while I'm sitting next to him, slowly inhaling, hopelessly attempting to calm down.The last time Ariel stayed the night, we didn't cuddle, and to my utter discouragement, he was gone by sunrise.It made me worry that maybe Ariel doesn't like me at all. I thought that maybe I scared him away by showing myself naked, with my baby fat and love handles, the things which don't exist on his trimmed body. Because after all, why would a man like him pick me when he could have anyone he wanted?"So apart from working at my hotel, what are your hobbies?"I laugh in surprise; it's a delightful sound. "Wh
JennaWith the parting of my lips, the longing in my eyes, Ariel doesn't need words to know my answer.He stands up from the bed and walks around it to where I'm sitting, towering above me with hunger in his gaze. I get nervous watching him; the uneasiness of not being beautiful enough to please him terrorizes my brain.And what if I'm not experienced enough to satisfy an older man?I hang my head, avoiding his gaze; Ariel chuckles in response."You're gorgeous, Jenna," Ariel's fingers slip beneath my chin, tilting my head to seize his eyes. They are the most striking blue, craving and warm, and gosh, he is so close, breathing into my face. "The things I will do to you, the pleasure you will feel, I can hardly wait to hear you,"My eyes find Ariel's blue, and I see the lips curl on his handsome face. Dimples glitter in the dim light, along with his wicked scheme. His beefy arms bend around me, and he picks me up as if I weighed less than a f
JennaAriel is glaring at me, looking as angry as a bull standing under the magical oak trees."Your stance is all wrong," Ariel holds my gaze with his relentless eyes, already calculating my next move. "You're too stiff and stressed; relax a little,"I rest my arms and let them sink from my face down to my chest. I'm not holding a stake; I'm supposed to be using my fists. It's unfair, seeing Ariel is much taller than me and quite hard to punch; his skin is hard like steel."I'm not sure if I understand why we are doing this," I tell him.Ariel calmly holds my gaze; none of the earlier affection from this morning is there, only cold-hearted seriousness. "You're weak and untrained. There are no muscles on your body, and the only thing you can rely on is your reflexes and speed; try to land a surprise-punch on me,"I try to hit Ariel, only for him to evade. How frustrating. I stretch out my arms again, moving after him as he effortlessly dodge
HannahI'm crossing my arms as I keep my uncompromising eyes on Cassius. We are standing inside Cassius's bedroom, even though I think we have far better things to do.The fae is testing clothes; various dresses lie scattered over the floor. Earlier, Cassius was pacing; now, he is nervously trying clothes and acting super weird."What are you doing?" Pain is etched into my voice, carried by my words.I haven't spoken a lot with Cassius. I'm still trying to figure him out and understand his sudden mood changes; it's easier said than done.Cassius claimed he wanted to have sex with me; for the first time, a man gave me goosebumps by looking my way, but ever since he met Jenna, he has acted strange and distant.It pains me; I can lie to myself and say I'm not curious about Cassius being my mate, but my heart knows the truth.Ever since I looked into Cassius's violet eyes, my soul hasn't been the same. Now I crave him at night and dream o
JennaIt's been a week since we arrived in the magical realm. I've been training nonstop with Ariel and discovered the full latent strength of my blood—every limb, every movement coming from my body carries the potential to kill.I'm no longer a defenseless girl; I've awakened to my true calling as the only person able to stop Catherine. I'm more than ready to throw myself out into battle and defend my city from the evil vampire, but Ariel says I need more training."Why can't we go back?!" I glare up at the dragon-shifter, who is busy biting into an apple with a bored look on his face.Juice runs down from Ariel's lips, and then he takes another bite, entirely ignoring me.Growling, I clench my fists and lift my chin to show him my gritted teeth. Ariel might be someone I like, my mate and lover, but when we are training, he turns into a cold-blooded instructor—it pisses me off!"I'm ready for battle!"Ariel doesn't even g
CatherineOrange flames are the only things lighting up the city; I'm more than pleased to witness it.Living forever has gotten boring—I want more. This world will turn into my kingdom, a place for my kind to breathe and eat; the Catherine dynasty is starting.Laughing wickedly, I drag my nails over the balcony's railing. I've already summoned eternal darkness; the sun can't reach my city. I've clouded the sky and made it possible for my minions to eat in pure daylight.Vampires are the superior species, the other species better bow down to us, or we will drink their blood and torture their poor souls.I can't believe I didn't realize my power sooner; I would have already been the ruler of this world if I had. But, good things come for those bold enough to wait; look where it got me."This feels wonderful; it was so easy taking over this city," I close my eyes, breathing in the feeling of total domination. No one can stop me in the qu
JennaSnarling, I try to get away from Ariel. He is following me past trees while desperately trying to make me stop.I'm not even sure where I'm walking. The others are eating, readying themselves for battle, but I can't focus. A light migraine is creeping over my head, and I'm exhausted from simply walking—something is wrong with me."Jenna, please," Ariel pleads and tries to reach out his hand to grab my arm with his knitted eyebrows. "Why are you mad at me?"I knock away his hand, furious that he is even asking me this question when the answer should be obvious."I thought we agreed on there being no more secrets between us! And then I find out that Catherine got you under her mojo-jojo mind control!"Ariel inhales, and I curse his appearance, hating how I find him beautiful even when I want to resent him. What's even more fascinating is that my entire body, mind, and soul doesn't want to fight him.I'm deeply in love with h
ArielI crash into the portal like a comet, not caring about the building I use for my landing pad. Alastor is angry, letting a bright fire come out through my mouth as vampires surround us.The sky is salmon-colored, speaking of the battle to come, but I intend on never letting it happen. My talons release the building, and debris falls to the ground, ending the life of some brave vampire soldiers in the making.My eyes remain cold and distant as I walk over bodies belonging to vampire soldiers. Caring is for the weak—I'm not here to save anyone. My mate, my beautiful pregnant mate, is destined to end Catherine, but she shouldn't be fighting in her state. Therefore I intend on offering everything to end Catherine's reign.There is a secret I haven't told anyone, a weapon no one knows of that can kill the cruel vampire—a dragon's very soul can take another life with them to the grave. All I need to do is sacrifice my life in front of Catherine
Jenna I'm holding my baby girl in my arms, smiling up at Ariel while he tries to soothe our crying boy. Blaze is trying to piece together a lamp we bought from IKEA. Everything seems right with the world. I've finally accepted that I'm a vampire and that it's not a death sentence. I'm happy. I have the two most wonderful men for mates, and they get along with each other. Sex is great, and we have two beautiful children, soon three—what else could I ask for? "You're such a little troublemaker, aren't you?" Ariel kisses Hayden's forehead. The two baby twins are pure-blooded vampires, and the father is Ariel. I smile over at the vampire boy. We named the twins Hayley and Hayden. I guess it's a shout-out to Hannah. My heart misses her, even if she hasn't replied to any of my letters. She wants a war to unfold between our kingdoms while I seek peace. I don't understand where her bloodthirst comes from—we are both mothers, war is the last thing we s
Hannah I'm blinded by the ethereal light surrounding the little girl in my arms. Like her father, the blood of the Fae courses through her veins, letting me know that she will fit into this world perfectly. Gazing down into the blue eyes, already so intelligent, I start to whisper soothing, loving words. "Mommy might not be here forever, but you should know that I love you, I love you so much. You're precious, Daisy, so precious." "Will that be her name?" Smiling, I turn around with the baby in my arms. Cassius is standing in the door opening, looking as beautiful as ever with his long hair and elegant-looking clothes. Fair hair falls down his shoulder, almost covering one side of his white blouse. It pains me that we won't be together forever, that my hands are already showing veins that weren't there before. Age doesn't frighten me, neither does my greying skull, but leaving the daughter and the man I love so much behind is downright frighte
Blaze I'm sitting on the top balcony, looking out over the magical realm with the wind hitting me in the face. I dangle my legs, letting my toes curl and unfold. For the first time in forever, I feel at peace. Catherine is no longer alive, and so, my ancestors may rest. "So it's here you are." A million shivers crawl up my spine hearing Jenna's voice, but I keep my gaze locked on the clouds. She picked Ariel, yet I'm too lost in her to leave this hotel behind. I'm not sure how the stinking dragon managed to move it to the magical realm, but I guess this is the only place ready for us mythical creatures. "Here I am..." Jenna silently takes a seat next to me, her scent hitting my nose and making me stare down at her hand resting next to mine. My heart squeezes inside my chest, letting me know the mate-bond is still there. Even now, all I want is to tackle Jenna to the ground and steal her away from Ariel. "You know, I've been won
Jenna My legs are weak by the knees, trembling as I make my way over to the bathroom mirror. I'm met with a heart-stopping sight; my eyes are entirely red, bloodshot, and empty, soulless, vampiric, and my hair—what the fuck happened to my hair?! I wrap my arms around myself, suddenly shivering. Blonde hair is falling from my head, the same color as Catherine's platinum locks. I feel sick. It's like I've turned into the old vampire herself, and when my reflection distorts, and I can imagine Catherine laughing at me, I punch the mirror and shatter it into pieces. "No!" Tears are clawing out from the corner of my eyes. "Please tell me this is a nightmare!" Ariel, grim-faced, hesitates in the doorway. His arms are planted under his chest, and his eyes are brewing storms. "This is not a nightmare, even though it might seem like one," I touch the mirror and see the stranger, the one who is supposedly me, do the same. "So I'm the vampire queen now? H
JennaOpening your eyes to the music of rain smacking against a window must be the best feeling in the world; at least, it's the sound that I love the most.Smiling, I roll around in bedsheets that smell like detergent and heavenly apples. The winds are howling outside, gossiping about storms and open oceans, and I stretch my arm, freezing when I end up touching something hot and solid.Something warm moves over my hand, and I open my eyes to find Ariel staring into my face. His larger hand is placed over mine, holding it over his beating heart. Dark circles surround his eyes—Ariel looks like he has been awake for decades. Yet, a smile carries its way to his lips as he openly studies my face."You're awake..." Ariel sounds surprised, but more than anything, he seems happy; his eyes are already tearing up. I barely get a chance to collect my thoughts and look around before I'm wrapped up in a hug, squeezed like a burrito to his chest. The guy manages
CatherineToday I found out the world isn't black and white—there are thousands of shades of grey, new nuances behind every corner. And it seems even an old vampire like me has feelings.I thought I was entirely evil, someone who only lived for the purpose of taking over this world. But, strangely enough, as I peer down into the eyes of the woman I used to hate, I find hesitation blossoming in my chest where there once was only pure hostility and rage.Jenna, her words spoke to my soul and somehow drew out my bottled-up emotions. She claimed I could be saved, and judging from the sparks flying within me when she said that, maybe those words were what I had waited for all along?Because now my heart, once frozen by tundra and ice, is pumping again, trying to remind me how it felt to be human. I can almost hear it whispering: "Is total destruction and a world without love truly what you wish for, Catherine?"And it definitely should be! Consump
JennaCatherine avoids every move I throw at her, sliding away from my ferocious punches with finesse, and then she laughs in glee when I try to kick her. Her blonde hair is flowing in the wind, and the woman dramatically fakes yawn and slaps her fingertips against her brightly colored lips as I miss another chance to end her life.Catherine looks as if she is having fun; the idea of her loving every moment of this knocks me breathless. Her golden hair frames her face, and her thin, more fragile figure makes her look elegant. I believe women of her time had been expected to look that way, strict and slim without a mind of their own.But the delicate features of her body don't make Catherine less of a fighter. Her eyes constantly observe me, calculating my next move before I have even planned it out myself. She is a formidable contender; her velvet dress and eyes would have made her look innocent if it weren't for the bloodthirst displayed within her eyes.
HannahThe portal is finally opened from the magic realm, letting more and more of Cassius's soldiers jump inside like stylish members of the military. They aren't wearing green camo, but their elegant clothes, mantles, and fancy hair with pointed ears sticking out from their heads somehow make them look more dangerous than normal men.I sigh. Looking at the soldiers gives me hope that they can save my world, but it also fills me with dread since I know what will happen once Catherine dies—it means the solemn conclusion to my love story, the tragic end."I guess this is it," I whisper. "Goodbye,"Tears drip down at the ground as I watch the fairy soldiers jump into the portal. I try to dry my chin with my sleeve and wear a smile. I promised myself I would be brave, damn it, but sometimes sacrificing everything for the greater good feels so freaking unfair!Why does everyone else get a happy ending except for me?!It's not fair.
ArielI crash into the portal like a comet, not caring about the building I use for my landing pad. Alastor is angry, letting a bright fire come out through my mouth as vampires surround us.The sky is salmon-colored, speaking of the battle to come, but I intend on never letting it happen. My talons release the building, and debris falls to the ground, ending the life of some brave vampire soldiers in the making.My eyes remain cold and distant as I walk over bodies belonging to vampire soldiers. Caring is for the weak—I'm not here to save anyone. My mate, my beautiful pregnant mate, is destined to end Catherine, but she shouldn't be fighting in her state. Therefore I intend on offering everything to end Catherine's reign.There is a secret I haven't told anyone, a weapon no one knows of that can kill the cruel vampire—a dragon's very soul can take another life with them to the grave. All I need to do is sacrifice my life in front of Catherine