RainFuck I was a nervous wreck.I had been training for… what felt like weeks. Bulking up and trying to make sure my skills were sharp and fresh.It brought me to this point; waiting in the lobby of the clan’s headquarters waiting to be called up for my trial.Everyone had come with me and was sitting beside me, wanting to make sure I had support. I kept flashing nervous smiles in their direction, hoping they wouldn’t pick up how nervous I was but they had to see it.Everyone always loved to tell me I was the type of person who wore their heart on their sleeve. It was exhausting that I lived that way, but I didn’t know any other way to be.“Rain, you're sweating bullets,” Lia whispered to me.I paled. “Am I?”“Yes and you look pale,” Colby pointed out. “If your goal is to look more like a vampire; good news. You’ve done it!”The laugh bubbled out of my throat before I could stop myself. I threw my head back and started cracking up laughing. It drew the attention of several people nea
RainThree days later I had recovered enough to call the clan again to book a second attempt. I had a long talk with my mates about it. They said I should do it not just for Gabi, but also myself.That was part of the reason I was doing this. I wanted to see this through so I could explore my vampire identity. For so long it felt like I didn’t fully fit in with the werewolf world.Now I knew why!I asked Lia if she felt the same when it came to her magic. She nodded, telling me that she felt the same way.Lia was sitting beside me right now, holding my hands and trying to silently urge me to call the number. With a shaky sigh, I dialed the number and hoped for the best."Hello, this is Rain. I’m trying to reach someone from the Nightshade Eclipse Council.""You’ve reached one of the council heads. How can I assist you today?""I wanted to talk about my trial. I know I didn’t pass, but I was wondering if there’s any way I could attempt it again. I’ve been thinking about it a lot, and I
LiaI nudged Rain to move his head out of the way so I could read the email he had up on his laptop. He grinned sheepishly, moving his head so I was able to read the email he received from the council this morning.Subject: Welcome to the Pack, RainFrom: Nightshade Eclipse CouncilDear Rain,It is with immense pride, honor, and great anticipation that we officially welcome you as a member of the Nightshade Eclipse clan. This moment signifies more than just an addition to our numbers—it marks a continuation of a legacy, a strengthening of bonds that transcend generations. The veins of your ancestry intertwine with ours, and your acceptance into this family is a reminder of the unbreakable threads that connect us all.Your presence brings more than strength; it brings renewed purpose and hope. Together, we stand not only as individuals but as a unified force, bound by loyalty, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to one another. By joining the Nightshade Eclipse, you have become par
LiaThe thought had been on my mind for a while. After seeing what happened to Michael and Gabi, I realized that life was short. At any moment I could be kidnapped by a coven obsessed with this blood oath they wanted fulfilled.Yes, the chances of it happening again were slim to none but it didn’t change the fact that anything could happen. I could blink and something could happen to one of us. It proved life was short. Before the five of us went through with our mating ceremony something could kill one of us.It was something I didn’t want to happen. The best way to prevent it was to have the full mating ceremony now.I had thought about it on my own for a while. For days, I went through and weighed the pos and cons, trying to figure out what I should do. If I said the word all my mates would agree to have the full mating ceremony in a heartbeat.But was I ready to take that step?That was the big question.When I first found out I had four mates, I thought my life was over. But fast
Lia“So, are you gonna tell me what’s got you all glowing like a full moon, or do I have to guess?”“I told the guys I wanted to have the full mating ceremony. Soon. Like, ASAP.”“OMG, WHAT? NO WAY! You’re finally doing it?! You’re going through with it?! I can’t believe it!”“Yeah, it’s time. I don’t want to wait anymore. I’ve been thinking about it for a while, and I just feel ready. I want to do it, and I don’t want to keep putting it off.”“This is HUGE. Like, seriously, this calls for a pre-mating party. No arguments. It’s tradition, right? We need to celebrate this!”“Simone… you’re already planning something, aren’t you?”“Nope! No backing out now. This is a massive step in your life. You’re about to be mated for real, and that deserves a proper send-off. We need a night to celebrate before the big day! A full-on pre-mating bash!”“You just want an excuse to throw a party, don’t you?”“Okay, yes, maybe a tiny bit, but also, come on, you deserve this! You’ve waited long enough,
LiaThe next morning Michael knocked on my door. He was walking back and forth, looking like he had something to say. But wasn’t sure what or how to say it.I’ve been there and done that.“Michael?”“Hey, can we talk?”“I think you’ve already decided you want to talk. It’s more what do you want to talk about?”He grinned, scratching the back of his head nervously. The action reminded me of rain. I forgot that the five of them had spent almost their whole lives together. It was likely that they were going to rub off on one another at some point.Hell, I think the guys were starting to rub off on me to be honest. Sometimes I would stop and find myself doing small little actions that weren’t my usual go to type of action. They were rubbing off on me. But I liked to think I was rubbing off on them too.The only thing I hadn’t managed to do was teach Rain how to properly cook but that was never going to happen.“I’m going to leave the rugby team,” he said, plopping himself down next to me o
LiaI was sick of sitting on our ass and waiting for the vampire clan to come up with a plan. Yes, I knew they were going to help us but we had to do something—to send a message to the Rosewater Coven that they couldn’t just kidnap someone and threaten to take their child once it was born.My goal was to track down one of the witches sand make a statement. I was didn’t mention it to my mates, knowing they were going to be angry with me. So, I confided in Simone because I knew she was going to have my back.“Are you sure you can handle a full-fledged witch?” Simone whispered to me as she drove an hour and a half away to this little quiet town that had only one grocery store for all its residents.I nodded. “Yes, I am. I’ve been able to track down one of their witches and this one I’ll be able to handle.”Her name was Harriet Cho. She had been with the Rosewater Coven for a few years but was someone whose magical skills, according to the public records, were average. Given my growing abi
Rain"You hear anything yet?" Jesse leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, looking entirely too relaxed for someone who knew I was about to lose my mind."They said they'll get back to me by the end of the week," I muttered, my legs refusing to stay still. I paced back and forth across the room, every step making my nerves worse."So… no."I whipped around to glare at him. "Not no. Just... not yes."Jesse let out an exaggerated sigh. "Rain, that's just a fancy way of saying no answer.""Yeah, thanks, genius. I figured that out on my own."He shrugged. "Just making sure."I dragged a hand through my hair. "I should've pushed harder. Asked more questions. What does ‘by the end of the week’ even mean? Thursday? Friday? Midnight on Saturday? If they already know whether they’re in or not, why not just say it?""Because maybe they need time to finalize things?"I scoffed. "Please. They're vampires. They’ve had centuries to perfect the art of making decisions. They should’ve had a plan
RainIt was safe to say shit was getting real.I hated saying that shit was going to get real but this was what was happening.How was I not screaming, running back and forth, ready to pull my hair out with frustration? I didn’t know what to do. But I had to stay calm, especially with me being home with the kids right now.I was staying back with the twins while Matt, Jesse, Colby, and Lia went to talk with the coven. It had been my decision to stay back with the twins because I loved being around them.But it was also more than that. I couldn’t imagine myself stepping away from them while all this shit was going on. What kind of father would I be?No, I didn’t want to say that. That made it sound like the rest of the pack were bad parents for going. And that wasn’t fair. They were doing what needed to be done for all of us. For the kids, too.Still, I couldn’t help but feel this heavy weight in my chest at the thought of leaving them, even for a few hours. Every time I looked at Rowa
JesseWhen I got up that morning, something strange happened.I noticed Lia sitting there at the table with her scrying crystal and a map of the area spread out in front of her. Her fingers hovered over the glass like she’d been there for a while, focused, tense.“Lia, what are you doing?”“Nothing.”I sighed. “Are you seriously going to sit there and tell me that you are doing nothing when you are doing something?”Lia dropped the crystal so loudly that it clattered onto the table.“Fuck, Jesse. I’m trying to scry for the Rosewater Coven.”There was a name I hadn’t heard in a while. And one I wished had stayed buried.The mention of the Rosewater Coven was still a little raw for me. I kept thinking about what they had done and how they had nearly fucked over our pack. But everything was fine now.Mostly.It didn’t mean I could let go of this one specific grudge. Usually, I was able to. I could shrug things off, move forward. But not this time. Not with them.“Why the hell are you loo
MattIt was one of those days were we were out and trying to pretend everything was all right.This was easier said than done. Rain was currently becoming more of a vampire. We had his blood tested and it proved that this was true.No one knew why it was kicking in all of a sudden. This just seemed to be happening for some reason.The doctors couldn’t explain it, the elders, scientists, or anyone.My theory was that it was tied to the twins. Perhaps Rowan, being a vampire, had helped bring out more of Rain’s vampire senses because he wanted to protect him. But I hadn’t shared this theory with anyone, afraid that it might be wrong.Honestly no one fucking knew and all we had were theories.The best thing we could do was just deal with it.But right now, we were going ot be having a break.Simone had agreed to watch the twins, which made Lia nervous. When Simone first offered, I saw the look of panic flash across her face.“I don’t know,” Lia whispered. “I don’t want to leave the twins
LiaRain seemed to be going through something.He wasn’t his usual cheery self, which made me realize it could be tied to all this craziness. Our twins were acting strange, dealing with this curse, and that strange vision I had. So far, nothing else had happened, but I was on edge. I was constantly on edge regarding this situation.But Rain? His behavior was making me feel even worse because I wasn’t sure how to handle it. There was already the blood issue. He was drinking more blood, much more than normal.I already confronted him about it, but he brushed it off as nothing.Or tried to anyway.He’d laughed it off, called it “a phase,” but I could see the tension in his jaw, the flicker of something unreadable in his eyes.After our conversation, I brought this up with the rest of the pack—or more specifically, my mates. They should know what was going on with Rain.“It’s like he is becoming more of a vampire than a wolf,” Matt said out loud during our conversation.Everyone, includin
LiaIt was another prophecy. I knew it. How did I know it? Well, I just felt it in my bones.And then I had a dream. Well, not a dream, but it was a vision. I hadn’t gotten a vision in a long time. By this point in my life, I was thinking that I was incapable of having them.But that night, they came back full force.I’m walking through the house. I am cleaning and just taking care of things. The house is quiet, but it’s late, so this is normal.When I hear a noise from upstairs, I run upstairs, taking two at a time. The noise came from the direction of the twins’ room, so I wanted ot make sure I could get to them to see what was happening.I walk inside, the two still in their little beds, fast asleep. Their chests are rising and falling, eyes completely closed. The twins are fine, fast asleep, and sleeping the night away.But what had that noise been?Swallowing, I stood there for a while, but finally managed to talk myself into leaving. I turned around and left, only to stumble upo
RainIt was difficult to pretend nothing was wrong. I tried my best, especially when I was in the presence of the twins.They were pretty perceptive for almost three years old. In two days, they would be three years old, and I was trying to be happy over their upcoming birthday, but I couldn’t deny that something strange was going on.The twins had always acted strangely. They didn’t cry that much compared to other children I had been around. But I always chalked it up to them being intelligent and hyperperceptive compared to other children out there.Now I was wondering if there was more to it.I was bathing the twins right now, helping them wash up and get ready for tonight. The twins were playing in the water, splashing one another. Everything was normal until they looked at me.“Daddy Rain?” Rowan asked, tilting his head to the side.I grinned. It was always great when the kids called me daddy. They called all of us daddy, followed by our names. This was the best way for Gemma and
JesseWhen Lia came to us the next night and said she caught the twins saying they were hearing strange whispers, I didn’t know what to think. She said that it either sounded like someone was saying the twins were cursed or someone was in the process of cursing them.This just begged the question—who the fuck was trying to curse our twins. It pissed me off to think that they would dare to do such a thing. Who would curse children? They weren’t even three years old. Yet. Soon they would be three years old, but it didn’t matter.Either way, no matter which way you sliced it, they were children. Children didn’t deserve this. Why would they curse children?It did fill me with anger, making me punch the wall. Lia happened to walk into the room, eyeing me.“Why did you punch the wall?I sighed. “Why do you think I punched the wall? Our twins are being targeted, but this begs the question: Why are they being targeted? It makes no fucking sense.”Lia sighed softly, taking a seat at the kitche
LiaThe next step was to get the kids tested. We always wanted to do it after the kids were born to figure out who the kids were biologically related to, but things always got pushed off.To be frank, Rowan and Gemma were being raised by all of us. It didn’t matter who their biological fathers were, but now it was important to find out.With a simple test, we found out that Rain was the father of Rain while Gemma was biologically Jesse’s. No one reacted because we were all raising the kids together, so it didn’t matter. Except, Rain being Rowan’s biological father made things complicated.“Oddly, he is showing more vampire traits than wolf,” I muttered one night while sitting around the living room with my mates. “Gemma has shifted into a wolf many times—including yesterday when she chased around a stray cat from inside the house.”Rain laughed. “Gottta love that kid.”“Rain,” Matt muttered, giving him a look. “Now is not the time.”I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to calm myse
LiaThe twins were getting close to three years old. I couldn’t believe I was at the point where I had almost three-year-old twins, but there was no use denying it. Time had this sneaky way of slipping past when you were busy chasing toddlers, managing a pack, and pretending everything was perfectly normal.We were still a strong pack—the Moonveil pack had never been stronger. I still worked for the city with Jesse and Colby, the three of us now city council members, which sometimes felt more dangerous than backroom politics. Meanwhile, Matt and Rain continued coaching—Matt with his calm patience and Rain with his chaotic energy that somehow worked wonders with the younger wolves.It was a pleasant, quiet life. Comfortable. Predictable, even. At least until the day everything shifted.The kids were playing in the sun-drenched yard, their laughter echoing through the trees, when I noticed something strange: fangs on Rowan.Actual fangs—and not the kind that came with a full moon. These