"Chin up, chest out, and eyes forward!" Her mother held her head, preparing her for a Mark and Erin time. "We don't want him thinking you're not woman enough to be his wife."Erin resisted the roll of her eyes and listened to her Yap about womanly duties. "You know how much your father wants this and it'll upset him to see you're trying to drive Mark away." She explained.The girl sighed, slouching a bit and looking down at the dining table. "Mother, why can't I just be myself and maybe, just maybe-""No maybes in the Grendel's family, it's either a yes or a no. No in-betweens." She held her head once again and raised it. "Chest out."Erin complied, sitting like a robot."We've had some closure already and he loves me… Do I still need to act perfect, you know this is not me… I crave dominance, I am the Faberge's protector and-""Hush!" The queen pressed her index finger to her cherry-red lips and threw a furtive glance around the dining room before pulling her finger away. "No one m
The play was over, and Mark insisted they walked halfway home since she enjoyed long walks. The wind blew, gently caressing Erin's open chest and frolicking with the strands of hair that lay lazily on her forehead. The almost full moon shined down on the Nebramos kingdom, giving light to the walkers who lingered on the streets. Erin swept her gazes over the stone houses they walked past and noticed how everyone bowed down to greet both of them. Guards trailed behind the two with hard jawlines enough to break through bricks. "Blood Bag for your thoughts?" His voice drove the silence away, and she looked to the side, taking in his greek-god features."I heard shadow emperors are very powerful and capable of reading thoughts. Why don't you tell me what's on my mind?" Erin arched a brow, twitching her lips into a teasing smile that stretched her button nose, making it appear wider. "Hmm…" Mark glimpsed at her face and returned his eyes forward. "You're just soaking in the moment and… I
Duncan MirthornThe siren went off, almost rendering the villagers deaf as it resonated through the air and alerted them of some danger. They soon began to latch their doors and windows to keep themselves and their families safe.The hair on his nape stood like they were being propelled by a magnetic force, one that caused goosebumps to devour the entire skin of his arms and he glanced up from his smartphone, staring into nothingness as his throat slowly turned into a desert.There's an intruder. His wolf alerted him and he sprang up to his feet, squinting his eyes down the hilltop in an attempt to get sight of what was happening. From afar, he made out a tiny figure running into the forest and weaving through tall trees and thick bushes. Behind the figure were angry wolves who would stop at nothing to rip this person into pieces. The wind slapped Duncan right in the face, carrying a strong smell of blood, a different kind that wasn't meant to be found anywhere near the Kresdian kin
Erin NightwindOn a night like this, it was expected of the town to be filled with serenity and quietude but when the ear-splitting scream of a young girl tore the veil of silence, her eyes snapped open from her slumber and her senses heightened. She sniffed the air in her bat form, hanging upside down her favorite cave as she unfolded her flexible thin membrane and launched into the air, flapping her wings in the direction of where she heard the terrifying screams. The wind rushed into her lungs, carrying a smell of mischief and-was that lust? She grunted in distaste and disappointment at the love birds she could sniff from afar, she thought a poor girl was in danger.Glancing up for the time, there was a red display of numbers in digital form amidst the celestial occupants of the blue sky–It was seven fifty pm, she still had time to surf around before their royal family movie time. Her eyes rolled skyward and she settled on a tree, taking the position of a wise owl by observing the
Erin drifted her gaze to the hand around her ankle and grunted, rapidly risking a glance at the approaching wolves-they seemed like a battalion of armies racing into a battlefield and her heartbeat sped even faster than them. She needed to transform into her shroud so she could flee the territory. The sharp pain in her ankle brought her attention back to the naked man clasping her ankle with all his might. "Let go of me, bastard!" She snapped, throwing a kick in the air to free herself from his shackle-like hold, but he didn't budge. Instead, he growled, his eyes rapidly turning into two peas of midnight blue, burning with hatred. Hair slowly germinated on his skin, and his fingers turned to claws, sinking into her flesh, causing immense pain to her body-she shrieked, vibrating and taking in shaky breathsErin used her free leg to kick him in the face, and once he released her ankle and fell on his back, she spun. With pain crippling her left leg, she transformed into a bat and atte
Impossible. She thought with a slight shake of her head in disbelief that he was the one here. She gulped, thrusting out her tongue to moisten her swollen and wounded lips-they stung and she suppressed a shudder as she managed to rise to her feet. Why wasn't she healing? His bottle-green eyes held concern in them as he occasionally parted and connected his lips that were gracefully seated above a Greek nose. I thought I saw him die. She thought.Her throat dried up like a desert and she pushed down a ball of saliva that hurt the walls of her parched throat, and she disconnected her lips to say, "Darcy?""My-my name is Duncan." He stammered, confusion laced in his voice. "What is yours?""Erin." It came out like a whisper and her insides churned. The world did a three-sixty and so did Duncan. She placed her palm on the tree for support as her vision clouded and her knees buckled. Unexpectedly, her legs gave up and she fell into complete darkness. ****Erin snapped her eyes open in t
"Nothing." Lara composed herself and straightened her dress, pushing loose strands of hair into her bun as her eyes glittered with mischief.Duncan grunted, taking one last look at his room and making a mental note to fold the heap of clothes gushing out of his wardrobe. Well, his maid would do that anyway."What took you so long?" Lara asked, hands akimbo with her inquisitive eyes raking him from head to toe.Duncan threw his gaze to the deep cherry hallway and cleared his throat, feeling a tingly sensation on his skin as he felt like she could see what he had done. "I just got out of the shower." He lied, pinching his lips into a grim line and walking ahead of her. Noticing she wasn't trailing behind him, he glanced over his shoulder and saw her pushing her head into his room like a peeping tom."Lara!" He raised his voice a notch, scowling at her. She snapped her head in his direction and beamed. The elastic around her hair fell out and her ebony locks fell in waves down her bac
Erin Nightwind The moment she flew through her open window, she transformed back into her human form and pulled down the window to latch it. Having done that, she rested her elbows on the white sill and gazed into the sky, wondering what the unknown had in store for her. The time suddenly appeared in the sky and the cold breeze from her other open window frolicked around her buttocks, making her realize she was naked, bringing her out of the void her head had created–her eyes widened. She didn't have time to get tangled in her web of thoughts. She needed to be at the dining table."Thankfully, no one came to shut my window. How would I have explained the wounds that refused to heal, or how would I tell Father I had left the kingdom?" Erin asked no one in particular, swinging around and almost getting a heart attack when she met grey inquisitive eyes."Where have you been?" She pushed up her perfectly carved brows and tilted her head. "Hey, sis." Erin managed a shaky smile, crossing
Duncan carried Erin in his arms, smiling as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He got into their room and dropped her on the bed, planting a kiss on her forehead. "We are finally married, my love!" she beamed, clasping her hands around his neck."It feels too good to be true," he murmured, gazing into her eyes. "I kept thinking I would wake up and find it was all a dream.""Well, this is no dream," Erin replied, kissing him softly. "We are husband and wife at long last. We no longer have to hide to see each other.”Duncan furrowed his forehead as sadness washed over him. “What is wrong?” Erin questioned with concern. “I am sorry that I told my father I didn't know you when you were captured. I am sorry for thinking you killed my pack members and I am so sorry I let them throw you in the dungeon. I did it to protect you and I,” Duncan explained. “I-”Erin's touch lingered softly on Duncan's lips, a silent reassurance of her understanding and acceptance. "No more words, my dear,"
The absence of the one she had trusted most only deepened the sense of betrayal and left her trying to make sense of the harsh reality of the war that now raged within the very walls of her kingdom.Her world shattered as she witnessed the horrific scene unfolding before her eyes. “Mother, Father, Amelia!” She called their names, running to through the chaos in search of her family. She goes into battle with the werewolves and saw Emyrn.“What? You are here? Where is Amelia?” She asked.“Fighting on the other side,” Emryn said as he took down the wolves with his magic powers.“Hold them in as much as possible…let me check up on my parents," she said running to her parents chamber.The sight of the caramel-skinned witch she had seen at Duncan's pack, bewitching Lara through the mirror that night terrified her. Erin's heart sank when her eyes fell to the witch’s hand gripping the dagger that had pierced her father’s heart, sending waves of anguish coursing through her. She screamed i
Duncan's povDuncan wondered what was happening to him. For the first time, his primal wolf kept telling him to trust Erin. It was persistent that he was mistaken, but hem remained steadfast in his refusal to heed to the fact Erin might be innocent, not entirely innocent, but not as eveil as he thought she is. His mind came back to his father who had just called him. “Why is dad suddenly decided on going to war with the vampires?” He thought as he entered the chamber.“Finally you are here. You made me wait for a while," Alpha Mirthon said. “Sorry for the inconvieniences I might have caused but father, why am I being summoned?” Duncan ask, pretending not to know. Of course he has to or else, that maid will be in trouble.“We are going to war, son” He announced, his voice evident that he is determined to carry out what he just said.Duncan’s bro furrowed in confusion as he process his father ‘s words once again, hoping his father will say it is a prank but his ffather is not the kin
111.She turned to the sound of the footsteps but heard the person pulling back. “Duncan?” She wished it was him for a second but when she remembered what happened earlier, she got rid of that wishful thinking.She is more than devastated and a tear rolls down her cheek when she recalls how he avoided her gaze. The guards were pulling her away, past the scarred walls and the torches mounted on the walls but he was not looking. She began to have different thoughts. If anything were to happen to her while coming, the least she could expect to happen is Duncan denying knowing her. She should have just stuck to Mark. This wouldn't have happened if she listened to him when he told her to end things with Duncan. She looked around the dungeon and realized it was a dimly lit cell and she was still in the same position as she was when she was tossed into it. She turned, banging on the iron bars."Let me go!" She cried out, her voice hoarse with anguish. But her words fell on deaf ears, swall
Erin’s heart skipped a beat and she rose to her feet dusting her dress. While she expected to see so many guards, she was glad that it was only a guard. “I am asking again and I won’t repeat, who are you?” The guards took a stance to fight her but she chuckled.With a calm demeanor, she met the guard's gaze, her voice steady despite finding it amusing that the guard was ready to take her on a one-on-one battle.“Okay fine… I am a lycan princess. I heard the Alpha’s palace is here and has a great view. I came to see if it is true or not and it looks like it is true. Either way, I am leaving now” She said, and watched as the guard's stance shifted, his muscles tensed as he took in her words. She held her breath, hoping against hope that her explanation would be enough to quell any further suspicion."Trust me," she continued, her tone earnest. "I meant no trouble, and I am going now." She said pointing to where she came in from.“Ha… Think you can fool me?” He said howling loudly. His
Erin's heart sank as she stood there, reeling from Duncan's abrupt leaving without hearing her out. "What am I supposed to do now?" she wondered, feeling lost and frustrated at the same time. Suddenly, her thoughts were shattered by a jolt as Lola's mind link flooded her consciousness with unexpected news. "Amelia found?!" Erin gasped, her mind racing. She turned instinctively in the direction Duncan had taken, taking one last glance as though wishing he emerge again from the shadows but it was just wishful thinking. Unable to follow him, she made a swift decision to return to Nebramos to confirm the miraculous news herself. She arrived at Nebramos at the break of dawn and was met with a scene of utter chaos. The maids were in a frenzy, their cries of anguish piercing the morning air. The whole palace was chaotic. She frowned and rushed in with curiosity but the maids were weeping so loud that they did not notice her coming. "What's happening here?" she asked, grabbing one of the
Duncan's pov"Trespasser?" The alpha asks, and Duncan frowns in confusion as he looks at alpha Mirthon, his dad. “How can there be a trespasser around by this time?” Alpha Mirthon asked."It is a female vampire." The guard announces.Duncan's heart started to thump really hard in his chest. How could that be?“We should all go and see who the trespasser is now, shouldn't we?” Duncan rushes outside only to see guards holding Erin's hands. Anger bubbles in him to see her in such a state. “i warned you.” He said to himself internally. How could she get herself into such a mess because he warned her to stay away from his kingdom because he knew that once she was caught, it would be difficult for her to escape. He even knew about her killing his people, but he still gave her a way of escaping, but how could she mess it all up and let herself get caught by his people.Erin, however, did not seem to understand the situation she was in because she kept struggling with the guards who held he
Duncan's povHe watched her through the woods and once he was sure that it was her, he called out her name and she turned around to face him, confirming his suspicions."Erin?" His throat ran dry. His heart felt broken and he hated how he hadn't noticed it earlier that she had been the one killing his pack members.His heart pace increased and he stared at her whilst having many questions at the back of his mind. Why would she do this? And how could she? Although they were mates, he also had an obligation to his people, his pack. How could she do this to him? How could she betray him after everything they'd gone through?“Why… Erin? Why?”“I have no clue what you're talking about.” Duncan touched his heart, feeling his heart break every second she gave him an answer he didn't like.“Why did you betray me?” He asked. His love for Erin could not blind that she had done something intensively horrid. He never would have thought she would do something like this but with all evidences in h
The young werewolf breathed his last, and as soon as he did, Erin escaped from underneath him, causing his fur to land on the dusty ground. Erin breathed and watched the werewolf while his last words bothered her repeatedly. Necromancer. What did he mean?Erin covered the eyes of the werewolf and said a quick prayer to the moon to help him rest in peace.Whatever was chasing him seemed to have been very powerful. For him to die that easily.Then she thought of herself. She herself was bleeding, and the young werewolf's blood would soon catch the prey's attention in this area. Staying in this open area was not good for her. Still, she weighed her thoughts as she stood there concernedly.As the werewolf fully transformed into his human form, Erin was sure that he was dead. She looked at his eyes that she'd covered while in his wolf form, but they were wide open now, which made Erin aware that whoever this man had seen was definitely a dangerous creature.She quickly peered around her