Seraphina POV
Darkness surrounded me from all corners. It was a void so deep and cold that it felt like I was sucked into a black hole or abyss. It was terrible. What made it even more frightening was the faces surrounding me and taunting me with their sneers and wicked laughters. The faces of Asterion and Tiffany.
“Seraphina, you're worthless. You will never amount to anything in your life.” Asterion taunted with a malicious glint in his eyes.
“You should just die, your existence is not needed on this earth. Die!” Tiffany sneered
I closed my ears with my hands, trying to down out the noises but their voice still reached me. Their faces twisted and contorted into horrible masks that haunted my consciousness even though I closed my eyes.
“Leave me alone! Leave me alone!” I screamed as my heart pounded in my chest. Memories of their betrayal flooded my mind. Tiffany's remorseless attitude, Asterion's stoicism and his claws plunging into heart and killing me. It was as if I relived everything in that darkness.
Just as I felt myself sinking deeper into the abyss, my eyes widened and I jolted awake.
“What? Where….where am I?” I gasped and my hand instinctively flew to my chest, expecting to feel the gaping wound from Asterion's claws. But there was nothing. My skin was unblemished and whole. I was speechless.
“Is this a dream?” I whispered to myself. This didn't feel right, I was supposed to be dead. “No….it couldn't be. It was too real.” I shook my head as I denied the possibility. Asterion clearly pierced my heart. I felt it, I knew I should be dead. So what the hell was going on?
I tried to make sense of the situation but honestly, nothing made sense. I was too confused and scared to arrange my thoughts properly. With a deep breath, I tried to stand up but there was a problem. I couldn't move freely as the space around me was confined and claustrophobic.
“What is this?” I panicked, trying to move my body but it was no use. I was trapped in a small enclosed space. I used my strength to push but nothing budged.
“What a second.” I muttered, feeling the edges of the box and then I was hit with a chilling realization. I was in a box. No, not just a box - a freaking coffin.
“Get me out of here!” I yelled without a second thought and pounded my fists on the lid. I was terrified of tight spaces and I just wanted out of here. I would worry about how I came back to life later.
“We're…alive?” A voice boomed in my head and I paused my pounding. How could it be? The only reason a voice should boom in my head was if….I had a wolf.
“Who….who are you?” My lips trembled, refusing to believe that I had awakened a wolf.
“I'm Akira, your Lycan. Praise the moon goddess, we are alive.” Akira howled with joy in my head.
“A Lycan? Not a wolf? Ok what was going on?” I muttered to myself trying to make sense of it all.
No, this wasn't the time to think. I had to get out of this coffin. I would decode every other thing later.
“Akira, help me. We need to get out of this coffin.” I called out to her.
“Of course Kaliyah. Feel our power, let it guide you.” Akira said.
I ignored the fact that she called me with a different name and closed my eyes.
Strength surged through me and before I knew it, my fingers extended into claws and my muscles rippled with a power I had never experienced. It wasn't a fluke. I had really awakened a wolf or Lycan.
I half shifted but just this partial transformation was enough. Without a second thought, I clawed at the lid and my claws ripped through the wood with ease. I continued tearing through the wood until light flooded in, and I pushed the lid.
I took a deep breath, greedily inhaling fresh air that filled my lungs. I felt the power that surged through me recede and I felt normal again. Raising my head, I looked around and I was met with hundreds of bewildered eyes staring at me like I was some sort of ghost.
They were people, dressed in warrior clothes and there expression ranged from shock to surprise as they studied me with their eyes.
“Kaliyah?” A booming voice sounded from behind me and I turned around only to see a large man staring at me with red eyes. Some sort of connection welled up inside me when I stared at those intense eyes. I didn't know why I felt that way but in the next minute, Akira answered my question.
*Mate.” She howled in my head.
Suddenly, memories started to flood my mind. Memories that weren't mine. The overload of images and foreign experiences crashed into me and my vision blurred, my knees buckled and I collapsed to the ground.
Asterion's POVI waited, reclining with ease in the hot tub until the guards dragged Darius into my chambers. He was barely recognizable, his once hulking form now broken and battered, covered in blood and grime. He was slashed open in so many places it was a wonder he hadn’t bled out before reaching me. His wounds were healing, but his mana reserves were low, meaning it might take weeks before he could return to his optimal state.“My lord.” Darius managed a hobbled bow.I lifted a hand, dismissing the girls. They left without a word, and I watched as Darius hobbled unsteadily, barely managing to stay on his feet. The fool looked dreadful.“Explain yourself,” I said coldly.Darius sucked in a deep breath, and then the words started spilling out in a panicked, desperate rush. “I almost had them, my lord! I had Kovu on his knees, and Kaliyah—she was within reach, weakened. But then they used the beasts from Virethorn Glade. They overwhelmed me, tore my men to shreds. It was... ”“Enoug
Asterion’s POVThe hot water enveloped my body as I reclined in the vast hot tub. Steam rose in lazy tendrils, and my muscles unwound as I sipped from a glass of red wine. Its taste was as rich and bitter as the realm I sought to rule with an iron fist.All around me were women who wore next to nothing or revealing clothes, catering to my every need. One held a cluster of grapes, feeding them to me slowly, another held a bottle of wine, ready to refill my cup when it was empty.I grasped the woman closest to me, pulling her into my arms. She gasped as I let my hand trail down her chest, kneading her breasts and pinching her nipples. She gasped again, continuing to feed me the grapes as I indulged myself.The doors of the chamber creaked open, and General Vorn entered. I had mind-linked him an hour ago, after he’d arrived with my army from another conquest, instructing him to come and give his report. His armor was covered in the dust of battle, and in his hands, he held a thick scroll
Kovu’s POVKaliyah stopped in front of me with an unreadable expression. “Are you alright?” she asked sharply.I opened my mouth to retort, but no words came out. Her coldness surprised me, which shouldn’t have even been possible. I was supposed to be used to it by now, but why did I feel a searing pain in my chest just because of something that should have been the norm?Before I could gather my thoughts, Kaliyah knelt beside me, her hands moving to arrange the Irlai leaves around my wounds. They had come loose, barely clinging to my torn skin. I gritted my teeth and moved back slightly.“I don’t need your help,” I muttered.She ignored me entirely, securing the leaves with calm efficiency.“Just let her do her thing,” Calum sighed, rolling his eyes. “You’re in no shape to be stubborn.”“Shut up, Calum,” I retorted, clenching my jaw as I glared at her. She avoided my gaze, still silent as she reached for a small leather pouch on her belt. From it, she pulled more fresh Irlai leaves.
Kovu’s POVI swung my mana-infused claw toward Darius, but he was always faster and one step ahead. The clash still rang in my mind as every attack he landed sent shockwaves through my body. I gritted my teeth, pushing through the pain, refusing to give up.But then… everything stopped.My world became nothing but a blur of agony. My body started to convulse, writhing in pain. Darkness. Heat. Cold. My pulse pounded in my ears, and I couldn't even tell if I was still alive.Then, suddenly, I gasped, and my eyes snapped open. It took me a moment to adjust as I shifted on the rocky ground I lay on. The searing pain in my body didn't relent, but I forced myself to breathe through it.When my blurry vision finally cleared, the first thing I noticed was the sky. The sun was setting, painting the sky in glowing red rays that spread across the horizon, far from the dim gloom of the Virethorn Glade.I shivered a bit as a cold wind blew, but I realized I wasn't freezing.I looked down, seeing a
Kaliyah's POVMy breath hitched as I clung tightly to Calum's fur while he raced like a madman through the dense undergrowth of the Virethorn Glade. His body moved with a frenzy, darting and weaving past the grotesque creatures that lurched out of the shadows and away from the ones pursuing us from behind.He's hurt, our mate! He's hurt! Akira's voice echoed in my mind, moaning in pain as she called out to Kovu.My grip on Kovu's unconscious and still body tightened as I stared at him. Blood soaked his clothes, and his wounds were too deep and numerous. To make matters worse, his regeneration was slow to kick in. I had to place my hand on his pulse numerous times to ensure he wasn’t dead, as my mind swirled with one question:Why would Kovu, of all people, sacrifice himself to save me?It wasn’t logical—it didn’t even make any sense. We were sworn rivals, enemies even. He had always regarded me with such potent hatred that I doubted whether the mate bond had any hold on him. But now…
Kovu’s POVHis claws hovered above me, gleaming with deadly intent. I could barely breathe, struggling to keep myself conscious as I braced for the end. This bastard was going to finish me off, and there was nothing I could do to stop him.I gritted my teeth, my mind flashing with the image of Kaliyah. I was about to be killed, but at least I had stalled Darius long enough for her to escape. I stared at the claws, shining under the moonlight as dark mana swirled around them, and I closed my eyes, waiting for death.*We had a good run,* I reached out for Kyrax, bidding farewell to my Lycan. He responded with a reluctant, tired growl, accepting the fate that was about to befall us.Just as his claws descended, a sharp howl pierced the air.I opened my eyes in shock, and Darius paused, his claws freezing mid-air as his head whipped toward the direction of the howl. Another howl followed, then another, and suddenly the entire forest was alive with grotesque, bone-chilling howls—deep and r