[Celia’s POV] I stare up into Alphonze’s dark, unreadable eyes while trying to figure out exactly what I was feeling. Was I just caught by surprise because he suddenly appeared, and that was why I suddenly felt jittery and my heart was racing? Right, that had to be it; there couldn’t be anything else. I was already horrible at social events due to being afraid of the judgmental eyes of others, especially when they compared me to my perfect twin sister. So to suddenly be alone with a man twice my age and handsome as hell, of course, I would feel weird. "S-sorry," I stammer, deciding that the only correct way to handle this was to run as quickly as I could. "I should…" "Wait," Alphonze hisses, holding up an arm as I attempt to sneak past him. "Just… wait a second." Frowning, I try to remain calm and not shove his arm away. As the heir of an alpha, I was strong, and my strength would easily be on par with Alphonze's, especially since he just regained his strength and power thanks to
[Aera’s POV]9 months Late"Mmm, Aera, right there."Ayla’s voice echoes around me, spurring my movements even more. Knowing she was enjoying what I was doing to her was all the encouragement I needed."Ah!" she gasps, leaning more into the chair in front of her. "Not so hard."Chuckling, I lean forward and nip at her ear, earning myself a small whimper and a shiver of delight."Sorry, you’re just really tense," I chuckle, lightening my massage.Since the triplets were due any day now, the doctor suggested that I help Ayla relax however I could, and since she requested a massage, I was more than willing to oblige. This was the least that I could do, given what she was about to go through. I knew childbirth was hard with just one child, but I couldn’t even imagine what it would be like with three."Why’d you stop?"Cursing, I look down to find Ayla’s big green eyes staring up at me, but I barely register them as I take in her huge belly.Smiling, I let my hands slide down her shoulders
Two Years Earlier[Ayla’s POV]Darkness swirls around me; it makes my chest tight, and my lungs seem to deflate with each push it gives. It’s suffocating and painful all at the same time, and despite anything I do to try to stop it, it just continues to push."It hurts," I whimper, pulling my knees tightly against myself while I rock back and forth. "It hurts so much."Desperately trying to keep the tears at bay that want to escape, I bury my head in my arms and squeeze my eyes shut."It will disappear soon," I murmur, remembering all the other times it attempted to break free. "I just have to keep fighting, like Uncle Silas said."This was nothing new for me. Since I shifted for the first time at the age of eight, the darkness began to surface. It was a curse that was given to me thanks to my bloodline. Only a few people in my family managed to overcome the darkness, but most ended up succumbing to it."It will disappear soon," I repeat. "I won’t be like him. I won’t."As the words l
[Ayla’s POV]I pretend to sleep, listening carefully as Aera sneaks around looking for his clothes. The sounds of him getting dressed drift around me, along with the scent of the cigarette he had just smoked, while I wait until the moment I can stop my act."Thanks for the fun," he murmurs once he is finished dressing. "Hopefully, we never cross paths again."No such luck, I think to myself. Maybe if we had just fucked for funsies, I would leave him alone, but since he did it because of a bet, there was no way I was going to let him get away with it. I was going to haunt that bastard's life until I was all he could think of, and then I would crush him like a fucking bug.Fighting the smile that wanted to spread, I wait until the sound of Aera moving around downstairs reached my ears before finally opening my eyes and sitting up.Sighing, I take in his lingering scent as it hangs around me and decide that I need a shower.Once I finish, I throw on some sweats and a black tank top, then
[Ayla’s POV]I ignore Aera’s protests as I begin to move, rushing out of the kitchen and then up one flight of stairs to another until I find myself standing in front of Celia’s room.Sucking in a breath, I barge in and stop dead in my tracks as a wave of power slams into me.Cursing, I take in Celia’s hunched-over form and the circle of flames that surrounds it."Celia!" I gasp, attempting to take a step forward but stopping as more power hits me. "Celia, you have to stop!"Since turning sixteen, Celia and Isbalella had developed elemental abilities that were passed down to them through Aunt Lennox’s bloodline. However, since no one knew much about that side of their lineage, it took a bit to learn to control them.Usually, the twins had their abilities under control, but when their emotions took over, things like this tended to happen, especially when it came to Celia."Stay away," Celia growls, fixing her red gaze on me. "I don't want to see you!"Didn't want to see me? Christ, was
[Aera’s POV] "Dammit!" I hiss, gently slapping Ayla’s cheek. "Wake the fuck up!" "Aera?" Turning, I watch as Silas and Lennox rush toward me, their faces filled with shock and confusion. "What happened?" Silas demands, dropping down beside Ayla and scooping her into his arms. "Did you do this?" "Me?" I hiss, rage rolling through me. "More like your own fucking daughter." "Daughter?" Lennox repeats, her eyes growing wide. "Celia!" My interest piques due to how she knows exactly who I’m speaking of. Just from that reaction alone, it is easy to see that this wasn’t a one time occurrence. "Do the elders know about her?" I ask. "Aera," Silas warns, shooting me a glare. "This is none of your concern, and it would do you well to keep what you’ve seen tonight to yourself." Oh, so they were keeping this a secret from everyone. It seemed that the self-righteous Silas was also capable of breaking the rules of our world if it meant protecting his own. Too bad he was going to have a hard
[Ayla's POV]I find myself sitting in a large room with fluffy white chairs and blood-red floors. Above the ceiling is painted to look like a pristine blue sky, and where the sun is placed, it shines brightly from a small circular window that allows the real sun's rays in."Where is this?" I murmur, continuing to take in my surroundings. "Wasn't I on the grounds of Crimson Tides?"Immediately, flashes of what had happened with Aera and Celia begin to flash across my mind, attempting to spur me into action but stopping as understanding of what is happening hits me."A dream," I murmur, realizing that I must have passed out after hitting the ground. "But whose exactly?"This clearly wasn't a space that my mind would come up with given how plush and high-class it was, but I couldn't exactly think of anyone in particular that I knew who would dream it up either.That was the thing when it came to dreamwalking. I could travel around in dreams of those I knew due to my connection with them,
[Ayla’s POV]I wait for Barren’s response to my rejection, but when a smile forms on his lips, I know that he isn’t taking it seriously."I should expect no less from you," he chuckles, giving me a look of adoration. "I’m well aware of your defense mechanism to avoid being hurt. For now, I’ll allow you to remain angry with me, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to give up.""You might as well," I sigh, my annoyance flaring ever so slightly. "No matter what you do, I won’t..."I don’t get to finish my sentence as dazzlingly bright light flashes in my eyes, causing me to reflexively shut them, and when they open once more, I’m staring up at a face I didn’t want to see even more than Barren’s."Morning," Aera chirps, smirking. "Glad that you could join us in the waking world.""What the hell?" I hiss, attempting to move but stopping as pain shoots through me. "Fuck, I feel like I’ve been hit by a Mac truck.""Not quite," Aera offers. "But you did take a pretty nasty fall.""Fall?" I repeat,