The cold, damp air of the cavern pressed against my skin as I sat there, my chest still rising and falling in uneven breaths. My mind was still caught in the vision—or whatever the hell that had been.Diva was trembling beside me. I could feel the way her fingers clenched mine, her grip too tight, desperate.“We both saw it,” she whispered. Her voice was barely there, like if she spoke any louder, she’d break apart.I squeezed her hand, grounding both of us. “Yeah.”The memory of that red sky, the warriors, the Elder’s knowing eyes— it all clung to my mind like a dark fog.And worst of all?The truth he had spoken.You were never just a victim. You were the key all along.I turned to Diva, watching the flickering torch light reflect in her dark eyes. She looked exhausted, but beneath that, there was something new. A quiet storm building inside her.She knew something had changed.So did I.Before I could say anything, the ground beneath us shifted.A tremor, deep and unnatural.Diva g
Diva held a trembling hand against her side, where the warm, spread of her own blood rested under her fingers. The pain hardly reached her.Her mind was too busy with what she saw in front of her.Ronan's lifeless body lay out on the field, his empty eyes open in shock.The burden of his death should have been a victory.It was not.Derek towered above him, chest heaving, fists clenched so tightly his knuckles reflected white. He was rigid from head to foot, as though still struggling, as though his rage had nowhere to escape.Blood oozed from his fists, filtering into the soil.Diva had never, ever seen him like this before.Not that first time, when he'd been in command with an iron fist. Not even at his worst.This was different.This was a man teetering at the edge of the cliff, staring into space, not quite sure if he was going to jump—or fall."Derek," she said, voice soft, insistent.He did not move.She took a shuddery step forward, ignoring the way her eyes crossed from loss
Jared’s POVPain throbbed through his skull, a sharp, pulsing agony that blurred his vision. The metallic taste of blood coated his tongue. His wrists burned where the ropes bit into his skin, his shoulders screaming from being pulled back for too long.The room smelled of damp wood and old leather. A single flickering bulb swung above him, casting erratic shadows against the concrete walls.“You’ve been a thorn in my side for far too long, Jared.”The voice was smooth, calculated. A voice that had haunted his nightmares since childhood.Loyd Rock.Jared forced his head up, locking eyes with the man who had destroyed his life. The older Alpha stood just a few feet away, a smirk twisting his face.Jared spat blood onto the floor. “You talk too much.”Loyd chuckled. “And you never know when to quit.” He leaned in, his breath cold against Jared’s skin. “You should’ve died with your parents.”Jared lunged forward, the ropes digging deeper into his flesh. Rage burned through his veins, but
Pain. That was the first thing she felt when she came to. Her head throbbed, her vision blurry. The scent of gasoline and blood filled the air. Rain poured down, soaking her skin, mixing with the warmth trickling down her forehead. Ava groaned, blinking rapidly to clear her vision. The car was a mangled wreck around her. Then she remembered— “Jared!” Her heart slammed against her ribs as she twisted in her seat. Jared was still beside her. His body slumped against the door, his face ashen. Ava fumbled with her seatbelt, ignoring the sharp pain in her ribs as she turned to him. She pressed her fingers against his throat, searching desperately for a pulse. Faint. Too faint. A sob caught in her throat. “Hang on,” she whispered. “Please, hang on.” The sound of a car door opening snapped her attention to the side. The second SUV had stopped. Two men climbed out. Ava’s stomach clenched. They weren’t here to help. Loyd’s men were here to finish this. Ava’s fingers wrapped
The voice slithered through the trees, slow and mocking.Diva’s entire body went rigid, her breath catching in her throat. The air turned thick, suffocating.Derek’s grip on her waist tightened, his muscles coiling beneath her fingertips. He moved instinctively, shifting so that she was half behind him, his stance lethal, protective.A figure emerged from the darkness, stepping into the dim light of the moon.Tall. Elegant. Eyes like molten amber that glowed with eerie amusement.Alpha Ronan.Diva’s stomach clenched.His lips curved into a smirk, his gaze flicking between them with predatory interest. “Look at you,” he mused, tilting his head. “The great Alpha Valen, brought to his knees by a little she-wolf.”Derek didn’t move. Didn’t blink.But Diva could feel it—the storm brewing beneath his skin.His fingers twitched at his sides, his breathing deep and controlled.Barely.Ronan’s gaze slid to Diva. “And you,” he continued, his smirk deepening. “Still clinging to a mate bond that
The ground beneath Diva felt unsteady, like the earth itself had fractured beneath her knees.Derek lay in the dirt, his body wracked with violent tremors. His breath came in short, uneven gasps, his hands clawing at his chest as if something inside him was being ripped apart.His eyes—once a stormy, familiar gray—were now black voids, endless and terrifying.“No,” Diva whispered, gripping his face between her hands. “Derek, stay with me.”He flinched at her touch. His body tensed, muscles coiling like a wounded animal caught in a trap. A raw, guttural sound tore from his throat, nothing human, nothing him.Diva’s heart pounded against her ribs, panic clawing at her insides.She shook him, desperate. “Fight it! Fight him!”But Derek only gasped, his back arching off the ground, his nails digging into the dirt. His entire body trembled with effort—resistance.And then—A dark, curling force wrapped around him, tendrils of shadow slithering up his arms, sinking into his skin.Diva felt
The moment Diva had charged into battle, the axis of the world had been rewritten.Wind shrieked around her as Derek and Ronan battled on, their limbs bound in an undulating turmoil of raw, unholy strength.Every growl, every slash, cracked great waves of force through the atmosphere.And yet it wasn't a fight.It was warfare.Derek's muscles grew taut, his breathing consisting of hard, ragged gasps. His claws sliced through the darkness, cutting through Ronan's assaults with a venom that sent Diva's backbone shivering.But there was something wrong.Derek's movements were not his own.They were too sharp. Too calculated.Like a puppet working to a silent cue.Diva's chest constricted.The curse.It still held sway within him, pulling on his limbs, spoiling his mind.And Ronan knew it.The devilish glint in his eyes said it all.He was waiting.Waiting for the moment Derek would make a mistake.Waiting for him to break.Diva would not allow that.She jumped forward, racing heart pound
Diva’s heart pounded against her ribs as she watched Derek tear into Ronan with pure, unrelenting fury.The air around them crackled with energy, the ground trembling beneath the weight of their battle.Derek was lost in it—completely consumed.His movements were brutal, precise.Every strike, every snarl, was laced with years of pent-up rage.Ronan barely had time to react before Derek’s claws slashed across his chest, sending a dark spray of blood into the air.He staggered back, gasping.But Derek didn’t stop.Didn’t hesitate.Didn’t see anything but vengeance.Diva’s breath caught in her throat.This wasn’t just about defeating Ronan.This was destruction.And if Derek kept going—If he gave in to this darkness—He wouldn’t come back from it.Panic clawed at her chest.She had to stop him.Before it was too late.She darted forward, ignoring the danger, ignoring the sharp sting of her own injuries.“Derek!” she called out, her voice desperate, pleading.He didn’t hear her.Didn’t
The relic was gone.Derek looked at the shattered pieces of the obsidian box, its jagged rim catching a faint glint from the fading light. It had once vibrated with promise. Now, it vibrated with nothing. Mira was standing next to him, her hand against his arm in a shaking motion. She didn't say anything. There was nothing to say.The silence after the storm was always so loud.They stood within the clearing where it had begun—or ended. The wind shifted oddly, bringing with it the scent of ash and something far older.Eamon knelt at the perimeter of the shattered circle, eyes closed, lips moving in the darkness. Prayers to gods they no longer wanted to believe in. Behind him, the surviving warriors of the old alliance stood silent ranks. Bruised, battered, broken—but not bent."She's gone," Derek finally breathed.No, Mira whispered, her voice shaking. "Not gone. Changed."The words hung in the air like a query no one knew how to respond.---It had all transpired so suddenly. One mom
They left the forest behind, though it hung on their heels in every nightmare. The world was lighter—the curse was undone—but Diva and Derek walked in darkness. Their coming together was strained, and every look held the anguish of what they'd lost. Farmers bowed their heads in silent thanks. Children smiled when they saw any troops who had protected them. Life continued.That night, camped by a lake, Eamon appeared at Diva. "There is a city devastated, far to the east—Arknor. There is a relic there that has the power to restore bonds torn apart by darkness. You and Derek will go there."Diva's heart jumped. Eamon nodded. "But you will not go alone."Derek's eyes snapped up. "I'm going.""No," Eamon shook his head. "This relic is dangerous. You two will not be together when you go in and retrieve it."Diva stared at him in horror. "Why?"Eamon's eyes were compassionate. "Because it demands unity of purpose. Not of heart. If you are bound by love, the relic will refuse you."Derek's f
They rode hard.The woods darkened. The sky chilled. Magic writhed awry.Half-way through, they were ambushed.Not by soldiers. By illusions. Memories embodied.Diva battled her mother's ghost. Weeping. Bleeding. Accusing."You let your sister die. You chased your pride."Derek saw his former pack. Their deaths. Their screams.Eamon relived the fight he lost to save his temple.Each memory warped their ability. Pulled on old wounds.But Diva clenched her fists. "This isn’t real."She flung raw truth outward. Light from her core.The illusions shattered.---At the edge of the northern pass stood the ruins of a forgotten city. Smoke curled from its towers. Shadows roamed its streets.And on a throne of bones, Ronan sat.Older. Scarred. Smiling."Welcome, children," he said. "Come to see your god?"Diva stepped forward. "You’re no god. You’re a coward hiding behind lies.""Lies?" he laughed. "No, girl. I gave your world meaning. Without me, you're nothing but beasts chasing after the mo
Suddenly, a thundery roar resounded out from inside the earth, and the floor beneath their feet shook. Slivers of stone spattered every way across the ground, and an eyeburn-ing light flared out out of the abyss before them, so that they protected their faces with their arms. From the light stepped a figure shrouded in darkness, its form rippling and flowing like smoke. Diva's breath stopped in her throat as the figure advanced, and a face familiar yet strange burst out. "Liora," she breathed, horror and astonishment mingling in her voice. The figure snarled, her eyes burning with malice. "Surprised to see me, sister?" Diva's head spun trying to understand the impossible. Liora had been consumed by the darkness, submerged by the same force that they fought against today. Yet here she was before them, upright, fiercer and deadlier than she ever was. "You would have stayed hidden if you'd kept your distance," Diva snarled, her voice holding strong above the chaos raging within. "W
The council chamber trembled with the weight of silence. Weapons were drawn, and the flickering truth-flame cast eerie shadows across the faces of the gathered leaders. In the doorway stood the woman who wore Diva’s face like a mask—a reflection twisted by darkness, a mirror to her light.Liora.Diva stepped forward, her heart pounding against her ribs like a war drum. She searched the woman’s features for some sign of doubt, of remorse, of shared memory. But there was none.Only cold triumph."How are you alive?" Diva asked, her voice barely above a whisper.Liora tilted her head with mock curiosity. "Alive? No, sister. I was never given the chance to live. You were chosen. I was cast aside. But the shadows welcomed me. They nurtured what the light rejected.” "She was a stillborn," Lady Mira murmured behind Diva. "The midwives said the second child was lost.""Not lost," Liora replied, her smile chilling. "Given. Offered. A sacrifice to the old powers that slumber beneath this world
The atmosphere in the cave was filled with an odd energy, the pieces of light glowing gently around Diva. Her fingers trembled as she placed a touch on each piece of light, memories flooding into her head—moments of loss, sacrifice, and love. Every piece of light pulsed with a portion of her own soul, bridging her past and future. "The enemy won't wait."Eamon nodded gravely."There are still pieces that must be found. Each is essential to the ritual. Without them, we stand no chance against the darkness."They stepped out of the cavern, the first light of day sending long shadows over the ground. The keep was abuzz with preparation, warriors hurrying to prepare for the upcoming wars. Diva's pride swelled with fear; they were eager to fight, but at a high price.When they walked along the corridors, the groundquake shook their feet. Screams were heard as if from behind the east wall. Diva and Derek exchanged glances before they sprinted in the direction they came from.They careened i
Diva's heart thudded in her ears as she sprinted through the broken gate of the devastated courtyard. Dawn light fought through the dark clouds to cast a deserted battlefield strewn in chaos. Wolves—her loyal pack—poured rapidly around her, their eyes blazing with determination, but in their trail, a wire of tension crackled like lightning. Every step echoed with the urgency of a last stand. Abruptly, without precursor, a low, rasping bellow shredded the air. From ruin and wreckage, the foe appeared—faces twisted by shadow and terror. In this instant, Diva seized her sword in white-knuckled resolve. She rushed forward like a flood, fluid and untamed in action. Her cry, tempered from sheer will, rang out, "For the light and for our future!" The voice itself was a vow that the very darkness looming could not consume. Derek, bloody and marred but with the flame of a true Alpha still burning fierce inside him, stood beside her. His battle-worn eyes blazed like a guardian's whenever they c
The eyes of Diva flew wide as war disappeared into heavy silence. She shuddered in released energy everywhere she looked out over Chapter 83's field of war. The walls of the fortress reverberated with the din of old wars, and broken stone at every splintered pillar reverberated with the history of pain and suffering. But here in the heavy stillness, another noise erupted—a thudding, pounding boom out of the depths of darkness. Her own heart boomed like a mad drum as she moved ahead, her bare feet squelching through rain-sodden passage. Memory of betrayal surrounded her, of hope betrayed that still smoldered beneath. For every step there was the wordless cry of rage and fierce hope that had driven her this far.His resolute and confident eyes now sparkled with uncertainty. She could feel the unspoken anguish from his eyes—a mix of frustration and helplessness—as if their mutual burden of fate had finally begun to break him from the pretence. Each spasm of the enemy lurking in the darkne
Diva closed her eyes and breathed. The process was agonizing—a flood of memories, loss, grief, images, and love threatened to overwhelm her. She wept, the anguish running through her like an arrow. With each tear she wept, something else retreated into hiding. Finally, her heart and spirit opened to show a seething, raw energy that ran through her, full to brimming from the depths within. As she opened her eyes, they glowed with focus and determination. "I am ready to fight for our future," she murmured. As if on cue, the war horns of the enemy rang in the distance. The pack was getting ready to make one final push. Time was short. Diva stepped into the room, moving with slow determination. Derek stood waiting, his gaze sweeping hers with a silent vow and a fear. For a moment, as the initial light of morning sliced through darkness, their union stood whole and unbroken amidst all the earlier trials. "Both of us," Derek whispered, voice soft and obstinate. "Together," she repeated once