Novels by Isabelle Garcia

Chapter 126Fiona“Stop!”The word burst out of my son’s mouth like thunder.His tiny hand was still lifted in the air, fingers shaking. The red light in his eyes burned brighter than before. It looked too big for such a small child.And the fire listened.Every flame around us bent toward him.Not slowly.Not gently.It rushed like water flowing downhill. Blue flames, red sparks, black smoke, all twisting together as they moved toward his little hand.The heat around us dropped suddenly. The air that had been burning my skin only seconds ago became warm and calm like a quiet campfire.Lucian’s body froze mid-step.The dark creature inside him snarled.“What are you doing?” it hissed.My son blinked, confused.“I don’t know,” he whispered.But the fire kept moving anyway.The giant flaming wolf behind Lucian howled loudly. Its body stretched and twisted as the red chains from the crystal cracked apart one by one.Crack.Crack.Crack.Each sound echoed across the battlefield.The smell

Fiona“No no no no!”The words spilled out of my mouth before I could stop them. My heart slammed against my ribs so hard it hurt. My arms tightened around my son like if I held him tight enough the world could not touch him.His eyes were glowing.Red.Not normal red. Not the color of crying or sickness. It was bright like hot coal inside a fire pit. I could see the light on his cheeks. It made my stomach twist.“My baby?” I whispered.His small fingers clutched my dress. I could feel his tiny nails through the fabric. He looked up at me like he was scared too.“Momma… it’s loud,” he said.The air around us shook again.Boom.The crystal pulsed like a giant heart. The sound went through my feet, through my bones, into my head. It felt like standing beside thunder.The smell of smoke filled my nose so much that breathing hurt.Lucian, or whatever was inside Lucian, watched us closely.“Oh,” the cold voice said slowly. “Interesting.”I hated that voice. It did not belong to my mate.“G

Fiona“No!”My scream ripped out of my throat before I even knew I was screaming.Lucian’s body jerked backward in the air like something invisible had grabbed him. One second he was flying toward the glowing red crystal. The next second he was dragged away from it like a toy thrown aside.He crashed into the ground hard.The sound made my stomach twist.“Lucian!” I shouted.Dust flew everywhere. I could taste it in my mouth, dry and bitter. The heat from the fires licked my face and made my eyes sting. My son began crying again in my arms, his small hands clutching my shirt.“It hurts,” he whimpered.My heart broke hearing that.“I know baby, I know,” I whispered, shaking.But I could not look away from Lucian.The dark shadow that came out of the crystal was still moving. It looked like thick smoke mixed with oil. Black and heavy and wrong. It twisted around Lucian’s body like a snake.Lucian growled.A deep angry wolf growl.His claws dug into the dirt as he tried to stand.“Get of

FionaI clutched my son so hard that he began to cry again.“No,” I screamed. “You will not take him. You will never take him.”My arms wrapped tighter around his small warm body. I could feel his tiny heartbeat against my chest. Fast. Scared. Alive. His hair smelled like smoke and milk and home. I buried my face into it for one second, like I was trying to hide him inside my heart.Lucian stepped forward, his claws sliding out with a sharp sound. His eyes glowed gold. His chest rose and fell like a storm.“Touch my son and I will tear you apart,” he growled.The fire creature laughed.It was not a normal laugh.It sounded like burning wood breaking. Like rocks cracking. Like screams trapped inside flames.“Alpha,” it said slowly. “You cannot fight what was born before you.”The heat grew stronger.My skin burned. Sweat rolled down my back. The air tasted bitter and sharp. Every breath hurt my lungs. Smoke filled my nose and made my eyes water.Behind us, wolves were running. Some wer

FionaI screamed.Not because I wanted to. Not because I chose to. But because my heart felt like it was being ripped into two pieces inside my chest.The ground beneath my knees was still warm. Smoke floated in the air and burned my nose. It smelled like ashes and metal and something dead. My ears were ringing from the last howl that had shaken the sky. My hands were shaking so badly that I could barely hold myself up.“The fire is back,” I whispered.Lucian tightened his arms around me. His body was hot and tense. His breath was fast against my hair. “No. It is not. It is gone. I will not let it come back.”But even as he said it, the earth trembled softly.Like something was waking up.My wolf curled up inside me and whimpered. “It is watching,” she cried. “It sees us.”I felt sick.Orion lay a few steps away, barely moving. His flames were almost gone now. Only small sparks flickered on his skin like dying stars. His chest rose and fell slowly. Every breath sounded painful.I push

FionaI could not move. I could not breathe. The fire was loud but everything inside my head went quiet.The small shape stood between Lucian and Orion. Made of flame and light and shadow. It was shaped like a child. Too small. Too fragile. My heart started beating so fast it hurt.“Mother,” the voice said again.My knees gave out and I fell to the ground. The heat did not touch me anymore. It was like the fire was bowing. Like it was waiting.Lucian stared at the child shape. His wolf whimpered in fear and confusion. “That is not real,” he said softly. “That is not real.”Orion took a slow step back. His flames flickered. For the first time he looked unsure.“It should not be possible,” Orion muttered. “He is not born yet.”I crawled forward without thinking. Tears blurred my vision. “Who are you,” I whispered.The child looked at me. The fire around him dimmed and his shape became clearer. He looked like a boy of maybe six years old. His hair was dark. His eyes were gray and red mix

FreyaThe day of the charity gala had finally come. I stood in front of the mirror, fixing the strap of my gown for what felt like the hundredth time. It was a beautiful dress, gold and shiny, fitting my body perfectly. But I could not stop the wave of nerves that kept washing over me.This was not just any party. It was a gathering of the most powerful Alphas and Lunas in the whole region. The stakes were high, and I was about to step into a world I barely knew.Lily sat on the bed behind me, swinging her little legs back and forth.“You look like a princess, Mommy,” she said. Her eyes were wide and full of wonder as she looked at me in the gown.I smiled and tried to hide how nervous I was.“Thank you, sweetheart. But princesses do not get nervous, do they?”Lily giggled and shook her head. “Nope! And you are the bravest princess ever.”Her words made me feel a little better. I leaned down and kissed her forehead. “You are going to have so much fun with the other kids at the gala, r

FreyaI could feel Valerie’s smirk on the side of my face as I plugged in my flash drive and set up the PowerPoint. She was sitting right across from me, arms folded, a look of smug happiness in her eyes. She probably thought I was going to fail badly. Well, she could think whatever she wanted. She was wrong. Just like she had been wrong during the Mate Trial.I took a deep breath. I clicked to the first slide of my presentation and turned to face the room. A few of the department heads moved around in their seats. Mr. Reynolds fixed his glasses. He already looked like he did not believe in me, and the presentation had not even started yet.“Good afternoon,” I began. “Thank you for letting me present my idea today.”Adrian sat at the head of the table. His face showed nothing. His eyes met mine for a short moment. He gave me no clues about what he was thinking. I pushed down the nervous feeling in my stomach and clicked to the next slide.“As we all know, the current plan wants to rai

Freya Later that day, I walked with Adrian through the long hallways of the pack’s main building again. I had to walk fast to keep up with him. My heels made loud clicking sounds on the shiny floor. “Today, I want you to come with me to a few meetings,” Adrian said, looking over at me. “It will help you learn how things work around here.” I nodded, holding the notebook he had given me earlier. “I will do my best.” “Just write things down for now,” he said, pushing open a glass door for me. “You do not have to understand everything right away.” We walked into a big meeting room. A long brown table sat in the middle. Tall chairs were lined up on both sides, and a large screen hung on the wall. We sat down, and the heads of different departments began to come in one by one. They gave small nods or quiet greetings as they took their seats. The first few meetings were simple enough. People talked about patrol routes, how to use their resources, and events that were coming up soon. I w

FreyaI looked down at the book in my hands. My face felt very hot. “I did not know what it was,” I said quickly, trying to hide how embarrassed I was. “I must have picked it up by mistake.”Adrian looked over at me. To my surprise, the corner of his mouth curved into a small smile. “Freya, it is okay. Remember what you learned: you do not have to explain yourself.”I played with the edge of the book’s shiny cover. My cheeks got even hotter when I saw the shirtless man on the front. “But I am telling the truth. I do not normally read… this kind of thing.”He gave a small shrug and looked back at the road. The light turned green and he drove forward. The city flew past us outside the window. “And so what if you did? There is nothing wrong with that.”I gave him a quick look, a little surprised. “You mean, you do not mind?”“Why would I?” he asked, glancing at me in the mirror. “It is still a book like any other. Who cares if it has… those kinds of scenes?”I blinked. I did not expect h

FreyaThe next morning, I stood outside Adrian’s office door. I took a long, slow breath. Then I knocked softly.The sound of talking stopped. His deep voice came from inside. “Come in.”I pushed the door open. He was sitting behind his big wooden desk. There were papers all over the place. He looked up at me. A little surprise showed on his face. I never came to his office like this, not during work hours. “Freya, is everything okay?”“Yes,” I said, walking in. “I wanted to take some personal time today. I thought I could go to the mall. Do some shopping.”He raised one eyebrow. “Shopping?”I nodded. “Yes. I need a few things. And I just want to get out of the house for a bit.”Adrian leaned back in his chair. He thought for a moment. “Of course. Take all the time you need. I will have the driver take you.”“Thank you,” I said. I felt relieved. “I really appreciate it.”“Enjoy your day,” he said, giving me a small smile.I turned to leave. Then I stopped. “Actually, would it be okay

FreyaThe next morning was bright and sunny. I walked to the sitting room for another lesson with Rosa. Adrian was busy that day, so he would not be there. I was a little glad I did not have to see him. But I was also curious about what Rosa had planned for me.When I walked in, I heard the soft clink of cups and plates. The table looked so neat and pretty. There were small teacups, shiny forks and spoons, and tiny little pastries that looked almost too nice to eat.“Good morning, Luna Freya,” Rosa said, looking up from her chair.“Good morning,” I said with a smile. I looked at the table. “This looks really nice.”“Yes. Today we will learn how to act at the table.” She pointed to the teapot. “Why don’t you pour us some tea? Let me see how you do it.”“Of course.” I walked to the table and picked up the teapot carefully. I had worked in a restaurant for many years, so this was easy for me. I poured tea into her cup first, then mine. Not a single drop fell. Then I put some pastries on

The moment their lips touched, the mate bond exploded to life. It wasn’t just a connection anymore—it was a flood. Aiden poured every memory he had of her through the bond. Their first night together in the forest. The morning after. Her telling him she was pregnant. The twins being born. Every laugh, every fight, every moment of joy and pain and love they’d shared.The memories hit Elaina like a tidal wave.She gasped against his mouth, her eyes going wide. Images flashed through her mind—Aiden’s face, the twins as babies, her pack, her friends, her life. Everything came rushing back in a chaotic mess, but it was THERE. Real. Hers.When the kiss ended, Elaina stared at Aiden with tears streaming down her face.“Aiden,” she breathed. “You came back. You actually came back.”“I’ll always come back to you,” he said, his voice rough with emotion. “Always.”Elaina looked down at the twins, and this time she SAW them. Her babies. Her children. She dropped to her knees and pulled them both

Aiden and Melissa collided in an explosion of light and darkness.White wolf energy slammed against shadow magic, the two forces screaming as they met. The sound was like thunder and breaking glass mixed together, so loud it made everyone’s ears ring. The floor cracked beneath them. The walls shook. Pieces of the ceiling started falling, crashing down around the warriors.Melissa threw bolts of pure darkness at Aiden. They looked like lightning made of smoke, crackling through the air. Aiden dodged and countered with blasts of white light that burned holes in the stone floor where they hit.“You should be DEAD!” Melissa screamed, her hair whipping around her face like she was standing in a windstorm. “I erased you! Removed you from existence!”“You can’t erase love,” Aiden growled back, his white eyes blazing. “You can’t erase family. I came back because my mate needed me. Because my children needed me.”“Those THINGS are not your children!” Melissa’s face twisted with hate. “They’re

The purple sky turned blood-red as the assault began.Troy ran at the front of the formation, his hybrid form tearing through shadow wolves like they were made of paper. His claws ripped through dark fur and bone, his teeth found throats, and his legs carried him forward, always forward, toward the East Tower where Elaina was dying.Around him, warriors from two different packs fought side by side. Stone’s werewolves and the Creekwood hybrids, enemies for years, now working together. It was strange and wrong and perfect all at the same time. A werewolf would slam a shadow creature to the ground, and a hybrid would finish it off. A hybrid would get surrounded, and werewolves would break through to save them.The tracking marks on their wrists burned and pulsed, showing them the way like a magical GPS. Every corridor, every turn, every hidden passage—all of it mapped on their skin in Elaina’s desperate handwriting.“East wing!” Troy shouted over the sounds of battle. “Push through!”Sha

VALDISThe crystal burned in my hands like holding a piece of the sun.I ran through the castle corridors, my footsteps echoing off the stone walls, clutching Aiden’s soul crystal against my chest. My heart pounded so hard I thought it might burst. Guards passed me, but I ducked my head and kept moving. Just Valdis. Just the dark prince going about his business. Nothing to see.But inside, I was screaming.Aiden was alive. Somehow, impossibly, my brother was alive. Trapped in a crystal, his soul imprisoned for who knows how long, but alive. And Mother had lied to me. For years, she’d told me he was dead, gone, erased. But she’d kept him. Locked him away in her vault with all her other failed experiments.Why? Why keep him if she wasn’t going to use him?I burst into my chambers and slammed the door behind me, locking it with shaking hands. The crystal was getting hotter by the second, like Aiden’s soul knew it was close to freedom and was fighting to break out.“Hold on,” I whispered

ELAINAThe ground shook with the sound of five hundred warriors marching.I stood at the edge of our temporary camp near the Dark Lands border, watching the horizon. The purple sky made everything look strange and wrong, but there was no mistaking what I was seeing. An army. A massive army of wolves approaching from the west, their footsteps making the earth tremble beneath my feet.Stone had come.“Everyone ready!” I shouted, and behind me, our twenty warriors scrambled into defensive positions. It wasn’t nearly enough. If Stone had changed his mind, if this was a trap, we’d be dead in minutes.Marcus appeared at my side, his hand on his sword. “That’s a lot of wolves.”“Five hundred, maybe more,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. My heart was hammering against my ribs so hard it hurt. “Just like he promised.”“Promised doesn’t mean he’ll keep his word,” Marcus muttered. “Could be coming to kill us all.”I couldn’t argue with that. Trusting Stone was like trusting a snake not t

ELAINAThe guards yanked Darein backward so hard he stumbled.“Wait!” I said, reaching out, but they were already dragging him toward the door. His feet scraped against the stone floor, leaving marks.“Elaina, listen to me,” Darein gasped, trying to pull free. Blood dripped from his mouth. “Stone doesn’t care about—”One of the guards hit him across the face, and Darein’s head snapped to the side. He went quiet, his body going limp as they hauled him out of the room. The door slammed shut behind them with a sound that echoed in my chest.Raven and Ryker pressed close to my sides, their little hands gripping my dress. I could feel them shaking.“It’s okay,” I whispered to them, even though it wasn’t. Nothing was okay.The door opened again, and this time Melissa stood there. She’d changed clothes since this morning. Now she wore a simple black dress with no sparkles or decorations. Her long hair hung loose around her shoulders. She looked tired, with dark circles under her eyes that I