ATHENAThe scent of wet earth and old wood overwhelmed me as I stepped into the heart of the King of Bears's realm. It was savage and raw, unlike the wolves' disciplined power. Bears didn't believe in strict rules or grand castles. They lived by strength, by dominance, by sheer will.And Connor?He was the embodiment of all three.He sat on a huge stone throne, carved roughly from the mountain itself, his fingers drumming against the armrest. The flickering torches cast sharp shadows over his face, highlighting the cruel smirk tugging at his lips. He was powerful, larger than life, and undeniably dangerous but just like every other known male species, he is weak and his ability to underestimate female rulers will ultimately be his downfall right now he's still using so I'd simply use his greed and oversight to my own advantage and get the results I want.Which made him the perfect ally. He has no guard against me; he is gullible, and he believes I pose no threat since I willingly chos
CONNORI watched as Athena's figure disappeared into the shadows of my hall, the scent of dark magic and deceit she carried on her like an intoxicating perfume. Witches. Always scheming. Always thinking they're the smartest in the room, believing every other person beneath them. Fools. If only she knew....but two can play the game. I'd keep acting a fool just to get what I need; there's no point pointing out her exaggerated assumptions, not now.She is wrong on so many levels but on one thing, she was right-I did want more.Hailey.She was more than a queen-the woman was a force of nature, raw and untamed. The way she had humiliated me in front of the council… the way she had made me kneel without lifting a single finger… it should have enraged me. Should have made me want to rip her apart.Instead, it had done something much worse.It had made me want her.Not to see her broken or defeated, but to others closer, take that untouchable power away and make her mine.A slow dark smirk sp
HAILEY I'd never felt what it's like to carry the weight of the crown until then. I was standing on the balcony of my room, looking down and over the expanse beyond the walls. It was quiet that night but not peaceful. Something was off; there was something in the air. How the trees seemed to whisper in the wind, the freak mist obscuring the moon, my gut telling me of the impending danger. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, trying to still myself, but nothing seemed to still the growing unease in my chest. A Voice in the Dark A voice inside me whispered, "You feel it too," "Amenia." "My wolf." my very best friend, My most fierce protector. Her words, "Something stirs in the dark," she said, her voice heightened with uncertainty. "The air reeks of betrayal." I wrapped my fingers over the chilly stone railing and nodded. "I feel it. Yet it's like a hurricane in wait. There was a low rumble deep in my head. "That storm is close, and even now, as it is, many conspire against you." I
RYANEVENING TIMEThe moment Jaden left Hailey alone in the gardens, I knew something had changed. I had watched from the shadows, giving them the space they needed, even though every instinct in me had screamed to step in, protect her, protect them both. My mate and my son are two forces of nature, too proud to give in. But tonight, something in Jaden had cracked-just a little. And Hailey had let him.The night air was thick with an unspoken promise of war as I stepped forward. And I didn't need Isaiah's visions or the sharp instincts of Hailey to tell me the danger was drawing in a circle. I knew it in my bones.Still seated on the stone bench, her fingers absently traced the cold surface,, lost in thought, till she looked up when she sensed me, catching the moonlight in her gold eyes."How long have you been lurking?" she asked, her voice amused but weary.I sat down beside her, extending my legs before me. "Long enough to know that he's starting to come around."She hummed in resp
ISAIAHAt Dusk My chambers were illuminated by a low flame that threw the stone walls into writhing shadow. Purifying sacrifices, smoke curled in languid tendrils, bearing the faintest whisper of rosemary and sage. Tonight, however, clarity eluded me. I looked down at the relics strewn across the entire floor as I stood before the huge oak table with my hands spread against its surfaces. A basin of fetid water polluted by the ink of prophecy, bones carved with ancient symbols, and loose runes—each inscribed with a message that I strained to interpret. Something was amiss. It had been days since I first felt the unease that coiled like a snake in my stomach. Some invisible force caused the air to vibrate, a turbulence that whispered betrayal and hidden threats. Hailey had sensed it. Ryan had felt it. Logan had even said it. But the complete vision remained obscured, like a cloudy mirror that refused to clear. I closed my eyes and blew out a breath through my nose. "Show me." The room v
ATHENAMy body was still hurting from my run-in with that mongrel, Marissa. I had underestimated the speed of that nasty mongrel. But I am smarter than I let on. However, I had fared worse. And the only thing that mattered was survival. With the castle lights flickering behind me, I fled into the shadows of the thick woodland. They had dismissed me as if I were unimportant. Me. Athena. This is my generation's strongest witch. I suppressed the anger and allowed it to boil beneath my skin, even though the insult was more painful than the injuries on my body. Since I had a strategy. They believed they had triumphed. They believed I had lost. However, they were unaware of my abilities. Now, I had a new ally. The trees grew thicker as I moved deeper into the forest, the scent of damp earth and night-blooming flowers filling the air. I mumbled an incantation beneath my breath and felt the energy race through my veins. A tiny glimmer flared in the darkness ahead. He waited. David. Azure's s
DAVID There was a perceptible weight to the air in the castle. Unease. Mistrust. It thickened with each glance that was directed at me, becoming almost tangible. Ryan kept an eye on me. He was constantly observing. As Jaden guided me around the castle, his voice full of excitement, I caught a glimpse of his golden eyes across the courtyard. The escalating conflict between his parents went unnoticed by him. Between us. "Come on," Jaden urged me to move on. "The war rooms are still hidden from you. Following the previous vampire incursion, my mother had them reinforced. His mom. I stifled a grin, maintaining a deliberately neutral expression. What was about to happen was unknown to Hailey. Neither did Jaden. As we went beneath imposing arches, the smell of steel and old parchment filled the air. Jaden babbled on about history and war tactics, but I was still focused on other things. Ryan was still suspicious and in my space. He continued to observe. A predator identifies a fellow preda
MARISSAThe castle was more subdued than normal tonight. There was an unnatural quiet that clung to the air, like the quiet before a storm. Everywhere felt tense and electrifying; pack members were scared out of their minds, and the stench of fear radiated.And I didn't appreciate it.The torches' flickering made long shadows on the floor as I approached Hailey's room, my boots softly echoing on the stone floor.Turtela walked alongside me, her strides light and smooth. She wasn't as taut as I was, but I knew she sensed it, too—the change in atmosphere, the insidious feeling of discomfort. David. The new bone of contention in the house. We can all feel how dangerous he is, but not Jaden; he trusts him explicitly even despite all warnings given.Ryan had spoken to me about him, his suspicions dark and ominous. Hailey had agreed, which wasn't typical. She was protective, but she wasn't one to judge.That alone rang alarms. Hailey would never condemn anyone without all facts in place; i
ALEXIAI woke up with a metallic taste in my mouth and the smell of blood thick in the air. My lungs hurt with each breath, but I didn't dare move. Something pressed on my chest—not physically, but emotionally. A weight I couldn't get rid of.Hailey.My last memory had been of her scream, of the way her power burst forth like a star. It engulfed everything—the Legion's commander, most of his men, even the battlefield itself. I remembered the fear in his eyes when Draco dived. Then nothing. Just darkness."She hasn't woken up."I recognized Turtela's voice. It was rough with worry, but there was determination in it too."We have to do something," Marissa said. "She's the Queen. She can't stay like this."My eyes fluttered open, and the brightness of the infirmary nearly blinded me. White walls. The scent of herbs and steel. I turned my head slowly, my every muscle protesting, to see them all gathered around another bed.Hailey.I sat up, ignoring the tearing pain down my ribs. Lynn was
AUDACUSThe realm seem disturbed tonight.Even the stars—those arrogant little heaven's candles—were afraid to shine too brightly above me. They knew. Even the universe knew what I was about to do.I stood at the edge of the cliff, my cloak of darkness swirling in the harsh wind. Below, the ravine shuddered, its depths seething with hissing smoke and runes carved by long-forgotten gods. I had set up this summoning circle a hundred years ago—just in case. And now… now the time was here."Come," I whispered, raising my hands as old incantations flamed on my lips. "Come, Legion.The ground creaked. Split. Groaned in agony like a dying beast. From below, out of the darkness, a scream ripped the silence. One. Then a hundred. Then hundreds of thousands—rising as one.The Legion.Three hundred thousand demons, bred for anarchy. Some had been angels once. Some had never been more than formless until my darkness gave them form. And now they surged like bubbling tar rising up from the bowels of
AUDACUSFire spat and spat in the fire before me, shadows curling around the walls of stone like hungry snakes. I reclined in the chair of dark, high-backed obsidian in the center of my war room, robes of smoke and midnight folded around me in loops of fate. My hands tapped a slow, calculated beat on the bent armrest, lethal.Lilith sat motionless in the adjacent room.Her breath—if one could even call it that anymore—was shallow. Barely there. Her fall into the coma had been abrupt, unforetold, un-theatrical. Just. silent. A silence so deep that it vibrated through the realm.And I hated it.She alone had ever spat venom right back at me and still made me crave the taste of her defiance. Her anger. Her fury. But now? Glass. Shattered. Cold. And worse—silent.No more filthy words.No more threats that she'd rip out my heart if I ever sinned against her daughter.Now, all I had was time.But Ryan… oh, Ryan didn't have time at all.Ideal.A knock echoed on the door—sharp, brief. My gene
HAILEY Chaos! Pure unadulterated chaos, the entire pack is a mess and in heavy disarray. I hasten my footstep to get to the pack's clinic where I hear arguments, Jaden’s voice comes off the loudest. Jaden: Calm down Isaiah, Aaron is awake; I understand that he's your son and you want revenge but you can't go after him except mother instructs you to do so. Jackson: You need to calm down Isaiah: Watch over Aaron, I'd be quick Jermaine: You absolutely cannot leave this place Isaiah Alexia: Please we don't want you to get hurt, just calm down. There's a sudden rush of energy current flowing, sipping through the earth, the wind gets unsteady and everything suddenly feels electrifying, tense and heavy so I walk up to the clinic then open up the door while suppressing the atmosphere and everyone with a quarter of my energy leaving everyone on their knees, with poor Aaron writhing in pain. " What do you think you're doing Isaiah"? "The shape shifter hurt my son, I can't let him
AUDACUS The moment I stepped through the massive glass doors of Kings Enterprises, the atmosphere shifted. Clean, polished, professional—exactly how humans liked to present their tiny empires. It was nearly funny. The whole building reeked of ambition, desperation, and carefully hidden fear. It smelled like opportunity.I adjusted the mortal guise I was wearing: well-pressed suit, comfortable leather loafers, and a pair of glasses perched low on the bridge of my nose. The perfect image of a struggling investor who'd at last been able to scrounge up sufficient capital to swim with the sharks. Beneath, I smiled. They had no idea.The receptionist greeted me with that rehearsed corporate warmth. "Welcome to Kings Enterprises, Mr.?""Addison," I supplied the alias with ease. "Jon Addison. I'm here to see your investment representative. I'm interested in purchasing direct stock."Her fingers flew across the keyboard, and within a second she nodded. "Right this way, Mr. Addison."It all pr
RAY The night was mine. The odor of war clung heavy to the atmosphere, and the promise of approaching chaos made my skin crawl, bones moving just below as I stretched through all my shapes. Tonight the game was set, and I, Ray, his most trusted one, had the honor of delivering the king's new scheme. Audacus loomed over us, demonically serene, every inch of him a vision of lethal refinement. That voice, so smooth but colder than winter's cold, was a force no sane man would want to challenge. "Keep them busy," he instructed us, fingers lazily spinning a glass of dark wine as if this plan wasn't going to break the world. "Isolate Hailey and Ryan at all costs. The two of them together are trouble. Alone, they fall apart." A vicious grin crept gradually across my lips. Simple in appearance. Deadly in purpose. "What about the others?" I asked, masking my enthusiasm with polite calmness. Audacus's golden eyes flashed to mine, as cutting as a knife. "The triplets are strong, but unripe. D
AUDACUS The council chamber stank of old magic and old pride. It clung to the stones, bleeding into the mortar like the blood of all fools who'd ever sat upon high thrones and imagined that they were invulnerable. I was in the center, hands clasped behind my back, the gravity of a century measured in the loose bend of my shoulders. Ten wizard elders stood around me, faces etched with lines made of centuries, eyes filmed over by complacency. The robes flowed over the marble floor as they shifted to stand nearer, as if attitude itself might distort fate in their direction. "Audacus," the oldest, Master Callum, said, his voice husky with a challenge never breached in all his years. "Your arrogance does not belong here. You are not welcome." A smile flared at the edge of my lips. "Arrogance is the right of the already triumphant. You just haven't quite caught up with reality." Whispers circulated around the circle, soft, trembling shivers from tired old gods in mortal flesh. I could
AUDACUS Been out again in the mortal world feels so surreal but good, it's been so long, too long really but the night tasted sweet. Sweeter than a vow. More bitter than deceit. I stood beneath the crooked arm of a dying oak, one hand leather-gloved, the other bare, tracing my finger along the cold curve of my ring. The dark stone pulsed softly beneath my fingers, full of the quiet, slow hunger I always kept just beneath my skin. The world was still tonight. Even the wind had enough sense to whisper not when I heard it. I could sense the earth beneath my feet, the shift of shadow as it crawled towards me, drawn like a moth battering itself around its own funeral place. The shifter was late. It was always so with beasts bound by fear and not by love. Still, I was impressed by its cunning. Its guile. The art of slinking in and out of hides like leaves from a book. Finally, the beast emerged out of the woods. A distorted shape, wrapped in the stolen form of a man — the fifth, I thi
LOGAN The air reeked of blood, pungent enough to slice through bone-deep exhaustion. I arrived too late for the battle, but just in time for the cleanup. Marissa stood with her arm raised over the shape-shifter's deformed body, which collapsed at her feet like a crumpled flower. Its body shook as if even death would not claim it cleanly. Her sword dripped with black, noxious ichor. I'd wanted to feel proud — darn it, I was proud — but my wolf howled inside my chest walls, screaming for vengeance. "Are you alright?" I pressed forward, ready to catch her if her legs gave out under her. Marissa cleaned the knife on her hand, jutting chin as if the fighter I knew her to be was finally free of that cage she'd been holding herself in. "It won't be the last." That solitary stark truth weighed between us like a boulder. "Not if I have any say in it," I growled. And I meant every damn word. ISAIAH The scent of smoke still hung in the air, seeping into the stone walls like an unwelcom