“Elizabeth…” Jenny says, clearly reading the determination in Elizabeth’s eyes. “I’m sorry. We need you back at the manor. We will try again, please bear with the pain.”Jenny steals her heart and forces herself to hurt Elizabeth again. Elizabeth looks over at her in shock, but a mask of determined resignation coats her face.A wave of nausea spills into Elizabeth’s chest. She can’t stop her voice from trembling as she asks, “Are… are you sure?”“We don’t have a choice right now…”It’s silent in the room for a moment, the drape of quiet only periodically interrupted by the slow drip drip drip of the water. “How are we going to do this?” Elizabeth asks after a second.Don’t think about it don’t think about it don’t think about it“I- “ Jenny darts around the room for anything that could help them remove the chain and something falls into her eyes. She moves to pick it up from the ground.“I- we have a knife.” Jenny swallows hard and palms an angry-looking blade where it rests in her ha
A heartbeat of time passes; and then all at once, each of them-- Elizabeth, and Jenny-- come to the same decision at the exact same time, completely independent of one another.Adrenaline passes through Elizabeth, blazing hot and sparkling bright like lightning. Move, her brain tells her. Elizabeth doesn’t even have time to think about what she’s doing. One second, she’s standing stock still in shock, and in the next, Elizabeth grips Jenny’s hands, dips at the waist, and gets ready to sprint.Elizabeth doesn’t have a second to fully process that before Tina opens her mouth to say with a snort, “And where do you think y-”Jenny points out a determined finger, and a dagger comes booming out of her hand. It hits Austin square in the chest, sending him catapulting backward out of the door to smash into the tree on the opposite side of the door.In the millisecond of silence immediately after, Jenny screams. “Run!”And Elizabeth takes off.Her ankle shrieks at her to stop as she vaults ove
And apparently, in that particular moment, each and every god seems to be on their side. Elizabeth's sure she’s run through every ounce of good luck she’s ever been given in her century-long life, because the footsteps don’t stop in front of their hiding place. In fact, they continue down the path, further and further deep into the forest until they fade into the distance.“Holy shit,” Jenny breathes out, voice trembling slightly. “Holy shit .”“Ok. Ok,” Elizabeth says almost deliriously. “Where do we have to go to get to the bank of the river?”Jenny runs a hand through her sweaty golden hair, pushing it back and off of her face. “Somewhere to the west, I think.”Elizabeth takes a deep breath and resists the urge to groan in frustration. “You think? We’re in a life-or-death, run-for-our-lives situation, and that’s the best you can come up with?”“I don’t walk around in this forest like it is my home!” Jenny exclaims. She fumes up momentarily in irritation. “I’ve only been to this for
Jenny’s heart thunders in her chest, her breaths sharp and shallow. The moment Tina and Austin step out from the side path, her instincts scream danger. Her eyes dart to Elizabeth, who, despite her weakened state, narrows her gaze with pure hatred. Blood trickles down Elizabeth’s arm, her pallor more ashen than before, but her eyes — sharp, calculating eyes — are still full of fire.“Well, well, look at you two,” Tina’s voice is laced with smug satisfaction as she steps forward, her smile as sharp as a wolf’s grin. Her eyes, once so familiar, now seem foreign, darkened by envy and betrayal. “Running away like rats. Did you really think you could escape us, Elizabeth?”"Still acting like a queen, huh, Tina?" Elizabeth sneers, though her words are weaker than she would have liked. She grips Jenny's arm for support, her legs wobbling like a newborn fawn. "Guess betrayal suits you better than humility."Austin growls low in his throat, his eyes glowing amber. He cracks his neck, flexing h
The icy river water clings to Elizabeth’s clothes, seeping into every fiber. She feels weightless but not in a good way. Her limbs are heavy, her body numb, and her vision blurs in and out like a flickering candle. But even through the haze, one thing remains clear — Christian's face.“Stay with me, Elizabeth,” Christian's voice is low, controlled, but there’s a crack of urgency beneath it. His crimson eyes burn with intensity, never once leaving hers as he cradles her like she’s the most fragile, precious thing in the world.Her lips twitch into a faint smile. “You look mad,” she whispers, her voice hoarse and barely audible. “Did I scare you?”“Terrified,” he admits, brushing a thumb over her cheek. His jaw tightens as he takes in the state she’s in — blood-soaked clothes, bruises along her neck, her breath uneven. His gaze shifts to Jenny, his eyes hardening into something colder. “Who did this to her?”Jenny, still panting and soaked from the river, glares back toward the forest.
The rhythmic thud of boots against the old wooden bridge echoes in the quiet night. Each step feels like a heartbeat, steady but loud, as if the entire world is holding its breath. Elizabeth's eyes remain half-closed, her head resting against Christian’s shoulder. She’s conscious, but barely. The chill of the night air bites at her wet clothes, but Christian’s warmth seeps into her, a living furnace of protection.Jenny walks just a step behind, her gaze flicking nervously over her shoulder. The forest behind them is a sea of shadowy figures and distant howls. None of the werewolves follow — not yet. But she knows better than to relax. “They’ll be back,” she mutters.“They’ll try,” Christian replies calmly, his eyes fixed on the far end of the bridge. His grip on Elizabeth tightens, just a fraction, as if the mere idea of someone threatening her again sends an unspoken fury through him. “But it won’t end well for them.”The other side of the bridge comes into view — a soft glow of lan
The air hums with quiet tension as the group moves deeper into the heart of the forest. Shadows stretch long beneath the canopy, and the fading sunlight filters through in jagged beams, cutting through the mist that curls along the ground. Each step forward feels heavier than the last, as though the earth itself knows the gravity of what’s to come.The Ritual Stone stands at the center of a wide clearing, a massive slab of ancient rock with deep etchings carved by hands long gone. The sigils glow faintly as if they can already sense the magic in the air. It’s a sacred place — one that has seen countless rituals over the centuries. It will see another today.It is surrounded by small stone basins symbolizing different races of creatures. All the stone basins are connected to the Ritual Stone my magic.Elizabeth stands at the edge of the clearing, her fingers brushing the rough bark of a nearby tree. Her gaze is distant, eyes narrowed on the horizon where the sun slowly dips lower and l
The forest stretched out in an endless sea of green, but his path was clear. Each step he took felt heavier than the last, like the weight of unseen chains dragging him back. The crisp scent of damp earth and pine needles filled his senses, but it wasn’t enough to quiet the storm in his mind.Liam Black — Alpha of the Black Panther Pack — moved with predatory grace, his golden eyes sharp as a blade in the dim twilight. His sleek black coat, faintly visible through the open flaps of his cloak, shone faintly under the dying red light of the setting sun. His muscles coiled and uncoiled with each step as his internal battle raged on.Every instinct told him to turn around. To go back. To keep his distance from her.Elizabeth.Her name lingered in his mind like a stubborn thorn. The half-sister he didn’t ask for. The girl who had everything he didn’t.“She had a mother,” he thought bitterly, his jaw tightening. “I had him.”His father's face flashed in his mind — sharp eyes, a voice like t
When the war ended and the blood dried into the earth, Elizabeth stood beneath the great moonlit boughs of the forest where her soul had endured its greatest trials—and also where it had found love.The Greenwood mansion—ancestral home of her maternal lineage—had stood untouched for generations on the other side of the continent, isolated on a forgotten cliff, surrounded by old magic.But that place no longer felt like home. It hadn’t for a long time.Her home was here now, in the forest where Christian had first held her while she bled, where her children had laughed for the first time, where the bond of peace had been born from sacrifice.She approached the council of elders—the newly formed Circle of Peace that included fae, vampire, and human envoys from the Greenwood family elders—and made a humble request:“Let the Greenwood Mansion be moved—not in stone or brick, but in name and spirit—to the forest where this peace was forged.""Let this land, where the ritual was completed an
The first wave of wolves charges straight for the ritual site. Fangs glisten under the eerie light of the ritual fire, claws slash through the air with lethal precision. Elizabeth barely has time to react before Christian yanks her behind him, his crimson eyes blazing.“Protect the ritual at all costs!” Christian below, his voice cutting through the battlefield.The vampires move first, their speed a blur as they intercept the oncoming attack. Blades clash, fangs sink into flesh, and the sharp scent of blood fills the air. The fairies unleash their magic, shimmering bursts of golden light forming barriers and attacks against the werewolves.The first werewolf lunged. It was fast, a blur of muscle and fur, but Christian was faster. His blade met its mark, slicing through flesh with lethal precision. A strangled yelp, then silence as the body crumpled. Then came the others. Like a tidal wave of rage and fury, the werewolves attacked. They tore through the clearing, their howls fillin
The air at the ritual site was thick with unspoken words, with the weight of fate pressing down on the gathered supernatural beings.The stone circle, carved from the bones of the earth itself, hummed with dormant power.At its center, the ritual fire flickered with an unnatural emerald glow, waiting for the final blood to be spilled to awaken the ancient bond between creatures.Elizabeth tightened her grip around the ceremonial dagger in her hand, feeling the magic coil around her fingers like a whisper of fate.This ritual had to succeed—there was no other option. Without it, the balance between supernatural beings and humans would shatter, and the world would descend into chaos.But something was wrong.She could feel it in the way the wind shifted suddenly, in the way the fire flickered erratically as if sensing the unease in the hearts of those gathered.A low, guttural growl rippled through the clearing, sending a shiver of tension through the gathered ritual participants.The w
Deep within the heart of the forest, where the canopy of leaves allowed only slivers of moonlight to pierce through, two figures stood in the shadow of ancient trees. The air was thick with tension, the silence broken only by the distant howl of wolves and the occasional rustle of leaves.Alpha Brannon's eyes glowed a sharp amber, his gaze fixed on the bloodied body of his son, Austin. His hands clenched into fists so tight that his claws pierced his own palms, drawing blood. Rage seethed through every vein in his body, his wolf howling for vengeance. His broad shoulders trembled with barely restrained fury."Look at him, Alpha," Tina’s voice slithered into his ears, soft and poisonous like the hiss of a snake. She crouched beside Austin's lifeless form, her hand gently brushing his blood-soaked hair. "Your son... your heir... gone. And who did this to him?" She tilted her head, her eyes glinting with malice.Brannon didn't respond. His gaze remained fixed on Austin’s lifeless face, ea
The forest stretched out in an endless sea of green, but his path was clear. Each step he took felt heavier than the last, like the weight of unseen chains dragging him back. The crisp scent of damp earth and pine needles filled his senses, but it wasn’t enough to quiet the storm in his mind.Liam Black — Alpha of the Black Panther Pack — moved with predatory grace, his golden eyes sharp as a blade in the dim twilight. His sleek black coat, faintly visible through the open flaps of his cloak, shone faintly under the dying red light of the setting sun. His muscles coiled and uncoiled with each step as his internal battle raged on.Every instinct told him to turn around. To go back. To keep his distance from her.Elizabeth.Her name lingered in his mind like a stubborn thorn. The half-sister he didn’t ask for. The girl who had everything he didn’t.“She had a mother,” he thought bitterly, his jaw tightening. “I had him.”His father's face flashed in his mind — sharp eyes, a voice like t
The air hums with quiet tension as the group moves deeper into the heart of the forest. Shadows stretch long beneath the canopy, and the fading sunlight filters through in jagged beams, cutting through the mist that curls along the ground. Each step forward feels heavier than the last, as though the earth itself knows the gravity of what’s to come.The Ritual Stone stands at the center of a wide clearing, a massive slab of ancient rock with deep etchings carved by hands long gone. The sigils glow faintly as if they can already sense the magic in the air. It’s a sacred place — one that has seen countless rituals over the centuries. It will see another today.It is surrounded by small stone basins symbolizing different races of creatures. All the stone basins are connected to the Ritual Stone my magic.Elizabeth stands at the edge of the clearing, her fingers brushing the rough bark of a nearby tree. Her gaze is distant, eyes narrowed on the horizon where the sun slowly dips lower and l
The rhythmic thud of boots against the old wooden bridge echoes in the quiet night. Each step feels like a heartbeat, steady but loud, as if the entire world is holding its breath. Elizabeth's eyes remain half-closed, her head resting against Christian’s shoulder. She’s conscious, but barely. The chill of the night air bites at her wet clothes, but Christian’s warmth seeps into her, a living furnace of protection.Jenny walks just a step behind, her gaze flicking nervously over her shoulder. The forest behind them is a sea of shadowy figures and distant howls. None of the werewolves follow — not yet. But she knows better than to relax. “They’ll be back,” she mutters.“They’ll try,” Christian replies calmly, his eyes fixed on the far end of the bridge. His grip on Elizabeth tightens, just a fraction, as if the mere idea of someone threatening her again sends an unspoken fury through him. “But it won’t end well for them.”The other side of the bridge comes into view — a soft glow of lan
The icy river water clings to Elizabeth’s clothes, seeping into every fiber. She feels weightless but not in a good way. Her limbs are heavy, her body numb, and her vision blurs in and out like a flickering candle. But even through the haze, one thing remains clear — Christian's face.“Stay with me, Elizabeth,” Christian's voice is low, controlled, but there’s a crack of urgency beneath it. His crimson eyes burn with intensity, never once leaving hers as he cradles her like she’s the most fragile, precious thing in the world.Her lips twitch into a faint smile. “You look mad,” she whispers, her voice hoarse and barely audible. “Did I scare you?”“Terrified,” he admits, brushing a thumb over her cheek. His jaw tightens as he takes in the state she’s in — blood-soaked clothes, bruises along her neck, her breath uneven. His gaze shifts to Jenny, his eyes hardening into something colder. “Who did this to her?”Jenny, still panting and soaked from the river, glares back toward the forest.
Jenny’s heart thunders in her chest, her breaths sharp and shallow. The moment Tina and Austin step out from the side path, her instincts scream danger. Her eyes dart to Elizabeth, who, despite her weakened state, narrows her gaze with pure hatred. Blood trickles down Elizabeth’s arm, her pallor more ashen than before, but her eyes — sharp, calculating eyes — are still full of fire.“Well, well, look at you two,” Tina’s voice is laced with smug satisfaction as she steps forward, her smile as sharp as a wolf’s grin. Her eyes, once so familiar, now seem foreign, darkened by envy and betrayal. “Running away like rats. Did you really think you could escape us, Elizabeth?”"Still acting like a queen, huh, Tina?" Elizabeth sneers, though her words are weaker than she would have liked. She grips Jenny's arm for support, her legs wobbling like a newborn fawn. "Guess betrayal suits you better than humility."Austin growls low in his throat, his eyes glowing amber. He cracks his neck, flexing h