Chapter: DINNER WITH THE DONSLIA The doors opened, and Dimitri was already there — boots on the table, chair leaned back, eating grapes. Salve stood beside him, reading on his tablet.The moment they saw me, both straightened . Dimitri smirked. Salve lifted his eyes. Quan guided me to my seat but didn’t sit until I did. Dimitri raised a brow. “Well, well. Our girl looks like she saw a ghost.” I stiffened. Quan shot him a death glare. “Dimitri,” Salve warned softly, tone like silk hiding steel. “What?” Dimitri threw up a hand. “She did . The old hag’s basically undead anyway.” I almost choked. Salve set the tablet down, clasping his hands neatly. “Lia,” he said with gentle gravity, “you went to see her.” I nodded. Dimitri leaned forward, elbows on the table now, his sarcasm faltering just enough to reveal something like genuine concern under it. “She give you her usual charm? Or did she try the poor-me routine?” “She was…” I searched for the word. “…herself.” Dimitri snorted. “So,
Last Updated: 2025-12-09
Chapter: WHAT LOVE FEELS LIKELIA “Quan?” “Yeah?” “My stepmother,” I whispered. “What… what’s going to happen to her?” The soft clatter of a servant placing dishes in the far corner faded. “Dimitri and Salve still have her,” he said quietly. “She’s being held in one of the guest wings.” “She was part of it,” I said, voice thin. “Part of… everything that happened to me.” “I know,” he murmured. “What are they going to do to her?” The question fractured in my throat. “Will they kill her?” He didn’t answer immediately. His thumb brushed over the back of my hand. “They won’t touch her unless you want them to,” he finally said. “Dimitri gave me his word.” “My word?” I echoed. “Why should it matter? After everything she did—” “Because it’s your trauma,” Quan said gently. “Your story. Your choice.” My breath caught. “You don’t owe her forgiveness,” he said. “You don’t owe her a second chance.” “And you definitely don’t owe her pain.” I blinked. “Pain?” “Li… you’re not the kind of p
Last Updated: 2025-12-01
Chapter: GROWING HEARTSLIA My room was dim, lit only by the wavering lamp near the corner. I lay there, eyes open, watching shadows move across the ceiling , winds whispering things I wasn’t ready to hear. It always ended the same way — a hand around my throat, a mask inches from my face, the echo of my own pulse pounding too hard. My breath stuttered. I didn’t make a sound, but the door still opened. “Lia?” Quan’s voice snapped the nightmare’s grip. He didn’t turn on the light. He just stepped inside, closing the door behind him the same careful way he touched me. I exhaled shakily. “Sorry. I didn’t— I didn’t call you.” “You don’t have to,” he murmured, already moving closer. “I know when it’s bad.” He sat on the edge of the bed, close enough that the mattress dipped and his warmth brushed against my side. Always waiting. I didn’t realize my hands were trembling until his eyes flicked to them, his brow tightening. “Li…” The nickname was a breath on his lips. He reached out, then pause
Last Updated: 2025-12-01
Chapter: ROUND TWOEASTER BUNNY A metal pipe clattered across the floor as he kicked it, curses spilling under his breath like poison. He tore off his mask — the painted white rabbit face with the hollow eyes — and hurled it against the wall. It cracked down the middle, bouncing twice before landing at his feet. “Useless,” he snarled. “Absolutely useless.” The echo mocked him. He ran a hand through his hair, pacing like a caged animal. He’d come so close. The girl was right there — tied up, already broken at the surface, even if she tried pretending otherwise. He had been inches away from owning her. From selling her. From ruining her. And then— That brat. That pretty-faced little loyal dog. Quan. “They think this is over.” A slow, poisonous smile crept up his face. “They think they won. " And in the centre, the screenshot he’d printed of Lia the night he took her — her terrified eyes looking straight at the camera. “She was supposed to be my message,” he whispered. “A pretty lit
Last Updated: 2025-11-18
Chapter: BAITQUAN Her hand was still in mine, small and warm. When I moved to let go, her fingers tightened, a faint sound leaving her throat — a soft hum. “Stay,” she murmured. “I’m here.” Her eyes opened, hazy with sleep. “You didn’t leave.” “I told you I wouldn’t.” For a moment, she just looked at me . Then she reached out, her hand trembling as it brushed the side of my face. “You got hurt,” she whispered, thumb grazing the cut near my jaw. “Nothing worth mentioning.” “You always say that.” I smiled faintly. “Because it’s true.” “I thought I’d never get out,” she said finally. “When I heard the door open… I thought it was him again.” I brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “He’s gone. And next time, he won’t make it out alive.” Her breath hitched. “Next time?” “People like him don’t stop,” I said quietly. “But neither do we.” Her lips parted, a protest maybe, but it faded before it came. Instead, she leaned forward, close enough that I could feel her hear
Last Updated: 2025-11-10
Chapter: BACK HOMEQUANThe drive back to the mansion was silent. Dimitri sat at the wheel, one hand gripping it so tight the leather creaked, the other resting on his gun. His jaw hadn’t unclenched once.Lia sat in the backseat, wrapped in one of Dimitri’s coats. The headlights painted her face in flashes. Every time I looked back, she was staring out the window, eyes distant, lost in her memories. By the time we reached the mansion, dawn had started bleeding into the horizon. The guards were already lined up at the gates, tension rolling off them in waves. The minute the car stopped, the front doors opened.Sia ran out barefoot, robe half-tied, eyes wide with worry.“Lia!”She didn’t wait for permission; she pulled her straight into her arms. Lia froze for a second, then melted into the embrace, the sound that escaped her somewhere between a sob and a breath.Sia looked up at me over her shoulder, relief softening her face. “Thank you,” she whispered.I only nodded. There wasn’t much to say.Dimitri
Last Updated: 2025-11-09
SILVER IN THE SHADOWS
Since the death of their mother, Trixie had always lived in the shadow of her sister.
No matter what she did, it was never enough for their father—not since the night their mother died. A cold winter evening when she gave her life trying to protect Trixie from a band of rogues that had invaded their kingdom.
The only human who ever loved Trixie for who she was had died in her arms. As her breath faded, she whispered the last words that would cling to Trixie like skin to bone:
“You’re special, my child. Mama is going to be watching over you...”
Those words became a fragile beacon in the dark world that followed.
Years later, on their eighteenth birthday, Trixie’s sister Trisha was honored with the ceremony every Alpha deserved—firelight, songs, and the whole pack gathered in reverence. Meanwhile, Trixie was tied up behind the pack house, hidden away, a secret shame.
But the forest does not care for family politics.
When a group of rogues stumbled upon the weak girl passed out beneath frost-bitten branches, they saw only prey.
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Chapter: THE EDGE OF SECRETSKIRA The nights in the Hollow from the first night to the present one have never been quiet. Even when the camp slept, there were whispers — the kind that crawled through the dark and made your skin cold. I had learned to tell the difference between the voices of people dreaming and the sounds of hate moving through the air. It had been months since the burning of the farm. Mira never spoke of it again, but she carried it in her eyes. Every time she smiled, there was fire behind it. Every time she laughed, it sounded sharp, like glass breaking. The Hollow called her “the flame of vengeance.” They said she would lead them into the next war. I used to be proud of her. Now I only felt fear. That night, I sat outside the caves where we lived. The moonlight touched the rocks, making them silver. The air smelled of smoke and damp earth. From where I sat, I could see the guards at the far edge of camp — black shapes against the dim light, their spears glinting. I wrapped my arms aroun
Last Updated: 2025-11-01
Chapter: EDGE OF WARTRIXIE The morning in North Creek began softly. The first light came through the window. The house smelled of bread and pine smoke. Outside, I could hear the pack already stirring . Ryker was already up, rocking little Marielle in his arms. She had her father’s eyes — always watching. Afina slept beside her brother in the cradle, her hand clutching the corner of the blanket as if she feared it would run away. I smiled and leaned against the doorframe. “You’re up early again.” Ryker looked over his shoulder and grinned. “She woke before dawn. Must take after you.” “She’s restless,” I said softly. “Or maybe she just wants to see the sunrise.” He laughed. “Then she’s got the right mother.” For a while, I just watched them. The world had slowed down for us in the last months. No marching boots, no council calls, no battle cries. Only days filled with small things — feeding the pups, walking the fields, checking on the sentries, sharing food with the pack. It was strange, living
Last Updated: 2025-10-11
Chapter: BlOOD IS NOT ALWAYS THICKERKIRA The Hollow camp had been quieter since the raid, but not peaceful. Quiet in the Hollow never meant calm. It was the silence before the next hunt. Days had passed, yet the smell of smoke still clung to the air. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the orange glow of that farm burning, heard the screams caught in the wind. I had scrubbed my hands raw trying to wash away the scent, but it never left. It had sunk too deep. Mira, though, seemed different. Her eyes shone with a strange pride when Serana praised her before the others. Warriors clapped her on the back, calling her -The flame of the Hollow. She smiled when they did. I wanted to be happy for her, but I couldn’t. Every time I looked at her, I saw a piece of the sister I knew slipping further away. That night, the fire in the center of the cavern burned low, shadows licking the walls. Most of the others had gone to rest, but Mira stayed awake, sharpening her blade, humming under her breath. I sat across from her, prete
Last Updated: 2025-10-11
Chapter: HAUNTING SHADOWSKIRA The Hollow camp never slept. Even when the night was thick and still, the air carried whispers, the scrape of blades, the quiet laughter of those who had grown too used to the dark. Firelight flickered against the cave walls, painting our faces red and gold. It had been three weeks since the burning of the farm. Three weeks since I watched Mira raise her torch with a smile that didn’t belong to her anymore. The smell of smoke still clung to her hair. Sometimes, I could still smell it when she hugged me. Serana had been pleased. She had smiled and said, “Now you see what true loyalty looks like.” She gave Mira her own black blade, only trusted fighters carried them . To the rest of the Hollow, it meant Mira was one of them now. To me, it meant I was losing my sister for good. Since that night, Mira had changed even more. She trained harder than the others, never spoke of fear, never questioned Serana’s orders. When she laughed now, it was short and harsh. She carried hers
Last Updated: 2025-10-07
Chapter: THE FIRE WE CHOSEKIRA The Hollow does not fight in daylight. We move in the hours when honest people sleep and the world is too dead to hear our steps. That night was no different. The air was cold, the sky dark and heavy. Our boots made no sound on the dirt. Our faces were hidden under black hoods smeared with ash. Serana said no one who survived would ever know who we were. It was meant to comfort us. It only made me feel smaller. Shame stuck to my skin like sweat. Mira walked ahead of me, her pace sharp and sure. She didn’t look back. I could see the fire in her eyes before we even reached the farm. She had been waiting for this moment - Wanting it. I wanted to take her hand and pull her back. I wanted to tell her that she didn’t have to prove anything to anyone. But the Hollow warriors surrounded us—men and women who lived on blood and fear. If I showed weakness, they’d turn on me before dawn. So I kept walking. When we reached the edge of the ridge, the farm lay below us. A barn, a field
Last Updated: 2025-10-07
Chapter: ONE DIFFERS FROM THE OTHERKIRA An year can feel long when you live in shadows. Longer still when every day tastes the same. Smoke in the air. The Hollow’s damp walls pressing close. Voices sharp with anger. Nothing soft, nothing kind. That has been my life. My life beside Mira. She has changed. Or maybe she has only grown more into what was always in her. Hate does that — it does not arrive all at once. It seeps in slow, drop by drop, until it fills the whole of a person. I have watched it take her. Every sunrise, every nightfall, a little more of her vanishes into that dark place. I remember how she used to laugh. It was quick, wild, like a spark catching dry grass. That laugh is gone now. When Mira laughs these days, it cuts. It is sharp, bitter, and it makes my stomach twist because I know it isn’t joy that moves her. It’s the thought of revenge. Of seeing someone else bleed. She speaks of Trixie often. At first, it was little things. A mutter in the morning, “She thinks herself a queen.” A scoff when
Last Updated: 2025-10-03
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