Chapter: 47 ******* TALON: As I stood beneath the towering arch of the university, a wave of emotions crashed over me. The sun cast a warm glow across the campus, and the air was thick with excitement. It was graduation day, a milestone I had anticipated for years. Yet, as I adjusted my cap, a familiar heaviness settled in my chest. I took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of freshly cut grass mingled with the faint aroma of blooming flowers. The atmosphere buzzed with energy, yet I felt an unsettling emptiness. Around me, graduates in their caps and gowns laughed and chatted with their families, the sounds of joy echoing in the air. I scanned the crowd, searching for familiar faces, but found only the vibrant laughter of my peers celebrating with their loved ones. The realization hit me hard: I was alone. I had walked this path for years, and while I had forged friendships that became my family, the absence of my mother was a wound that never fully healed. She was the one I lo
Chapter: 48 ****** TALON: The memories rushed back like a tide, each wave crashing over me with a force that left me breathless. The day Lira graduated from Camp Elysium was etched in my mind, vivid and haunting. I could still picture the sun shining brightly, casting a golden hue over the campus as the ceremony unfolded, a perfect backdrop for such a bittersweet occasion. Lira had been like a big sister to me, a guiding light in the dark corners of my life. Her laughter, warm and infectious, filled the air as she donned her cap and gown, the fabric fluttering like the wings of a butterfly. I remembered how proud she looked, her smile radiant as she walked across the stage to receive her diploma, a moment that felt monumental. But beneath the surface of my joy, a storm brewed—a swirling mass of fear and uncertainty. After the ceremony, we found a quiet spot beneath the old oak tree, its branches heavy with leaves that danced in the gentle breeze. That was where I lost the battl
Chapter: 49 ******* TALON: A week had passed since graduation, and with each day, the silence in Camp Elysium grew heavier, wrapping around me like a suffocating blanket. The laughter and companionship that once filled the air had faded into echoes, leaving only memories of what had been. My friends had left one by one, each day marked by tearful farewells and promises to visit. Kieran, Jace, and Nara had all urged me to come see them in their respective Packs, their eyes filled with hope for the future. But I felt like a ghost, fading into the shadows of a life I no longer belonged to. If only I were allowed to visit, but even if I were, I didn’t want to. Altair needed me within the Pack, and I couldn’t leave, no matter what. I followed each of them to their cars, standing on the gravel driveway as they loaded their bags and climbed in, my heart heavy with sorrow. “Promise you’ll visit,” they’d said, their voices mingling with the sound of engines starting. I nodded, forcing a s
Chapter: 50 ****** TALON: As I entered my room, the familiar scent enveloped me like a warm embrace. The walls, adorned with memories, seemed to whisper stories of my past. My small, modest space—one I had called home since I was fifteen. I was a boy, uncertain and lost, but now I stood as a man, carrying the weight of decisions and responsibilities. Yet, as I looked around, I couldn't shake the feeling that, despite the years that had passed, nothing had truly changed. The bed, unmade and slightly sagging in the middle, still bore the same faded blue quilt that Zara had gifted me on my nineteenth birthday. The walls, once vibrant with posters of heroes and fantasies, now felt muted, as if they too had aged alongside me. I took a deep breath, letting the nostalgia wash over me, but with it came a pang of sadness—a reminder that I was about to leave this sanctuary behind. With a heavy heart, I walked to the closet and pulled open the door. Inside, my modest collection of clothes
I died... then I died again.A circle cursed and a lifetime cast into hell even before it had begun. That is the only way to describe how I came to be here. It’s almost enough to make me wish for death, the eternal suffering that my life was now reduced to.It was not the first time my soul had been torn apart and reassembled like this, although I do believe it was the last. I could feel the bones grinding and breaking under me as they were reshaped, my flesh searing and blistering around the wound that had caused this excruciating pain.The pain of losing my Chosen was so sharp I could have wept at it, but I didn’t... No, I couldn't. Years of torment have stolen from me the ability to show my weakness through tears.My mate's life had been stolen by me. The least I could give him was my strength. So that he would be able to endure and survive whatever happened next.*******"You quiver even from a little touch, my Vale," I muttered with battered breath, hanging onto restraint as I fo
Chapter: 1******ALTAIR:Altair sat at his favorite spot by the little pond, feeding the fishes gathered around his feet. They nipped on the bread, tickling him and eliciting laughter. He cherished these tiny companions, finding solace in their company when his parents were absent after his school days. While he longed for his parents, he understood the demands of their work. His eighth birthday was approaching, and he anticipated it eagerly. Turning eight meant training with the older children, a prospect that excited him. He yearned to build his strength to confront the boys who often taunted him. Running out of bread, he gazed at his swimming friends with a smile. "You've finished it all. Now, I must attend to my homework!" he exclaimed to the fishes, rising from his seated position by the pond. After brushing off his pants, he hurried through the garden towards the manor as the evening descended, mindful of completing his tasks before dinner. "Altair!" Bryn's voice calle
Chapter: 2******TALON: Nine. At the age of nine, I ran out of the blood that sustained me. For a year, I struggled silently, unwilling to reveal how deeply it affected me. I tried to maintain a semblance of normalcy without it, but my efforts only led to restlessness, unconsciousness, and sleepless nights. The cold crept in, the bed felt foreign. Who could I confide in? Who would listen to the plea of a vampire boy thrust into a family where he never belonged? The memory of that fateful day still haunts me. How could I have mercilessly attacked Dirk? I couldn't explain the overwhelming impulse that drove me. The desire to connect with what he possessed consumed me. Did that make me insane? Powerless? A maniac, perhaps. I endured the consequences, tormenting myself night after night. I yearned to reverse time, but it was an irreversible deed. I had to bear the burden for the rest of my days. I had committed a shameful act, sowing seeds of hatred in the hearts of those who
Chapter: 3******ALTAIR:Dirk cradled his son in his arms, sprinting back to the Pack, the distant howls of his mates fading into the background. His mind was ablaze with fury, his son's body hanging limply as if he had transformed into mere paper within his grasp. Doubts gnawed at him — had he erred by casting Talon into the sea? Could this impulsive act have dire consequences for his son's well-being? If Altair was truly the Spirit Wolf responsible for marking Talon, did this mean that hurling Talon into the unforgiving depths would irrevocably impact the life of his only child? As he laid the boy on the bed, Caleb and Phoenix swiftly attended to him. While running, Dirk had summoned them, relieved to find them awaiting his arrival upon reaching the Pack. It wasn't Dirk's call that initially alerted them to the crisis, but rather little Bryn's confession to Phoenix. "I untied the strings on Talon's bedroom door," the tearful girl murmured, her distress evident. "I'm so sor