THOMASThe scent of blood and power hung heavy in the air. I floated through the garden like a specter, in fast, striking hard.Jackson didn't have time to blink before my fist hit his ribcage, and he reeled back into the stone table. His wine glass shattered against it, crimson liquid spreading across the ground like blood.He coughed, rolling onto his side, but I didn't give him a chance to catch his breath. I launched myself at him again, claws extended—A shock of energy struck my side.I was knocked back, crashing through a stone pillar before I landed on the ground with a grunt. Fire coursed through me, but I didn't have time to register it. I leapt up onto my feet as Adrian appeared in front of me, fangs bared.“You’re either stupid or desperate,” he hissed. “Attacking us here?”I wiped blood from my mouth and grinned. “A little of both.”Jermaine and Jaden were already flanking me, their wolves prowling just beneath the surface. Aurora stood behind them, golden eyes glowing, h
RYANAgony.It started as a dull ache, a pressure in my ribs, then spread like wildfire throughout my entire body. It was like some thing had been wrapped around my soul—tight, choking, unyielding—and now it was being ripped away.I gasped, my head spinning, my muscles freezing as I collapsed onto the cold, wet stone beneath me. The chains that had bound me all these years clattered against the floor, and suddenly—air was mine.The spell was broken.I balled my fists, the rush of power surging back into my veins, my wolf snarling inside me, at last released after months of being suppressed and quiet. I drew in a deep breath, the stale air of my imprisonment now mixed with something else—power. A commanding, familiar, and unbreakable presence.Hailey.She did it.I let out a whoop of breathless laughter, my lips spreading in a savage grin. My mate had broken the spell. And that left only one possibility—anyone who'd placed it there was dead.Athena.I could feel it, the traces of her m
HAILEYThe air was heavy with the smell of fire and blood. As soon as I entered the room, I saw Ryan.Or Ares.His wolf had emerged fully, and the sight of him sent a shiver down my spine—one not of fear, but of ragged, gnawing worry. His massive body was tense, his muscles rippling as barely repressed fury rolled off him in waves. The golden sheen of his irises had been darkened to black, the edges dancing like the embers of a dying fire.And at his feet—nothing but ash remained.Azure was gone. Not dead—destroyed.Ryan—Ares—had seen to that.The smell of charred flesh still hung in the air, but it wasn't what caught my eye. It was how his body shook, not with fatigue, but with rage barely in check. The monster within him was still fighting to get blood, still fighting to tear something—someone—limb from limb.He was losing it. Losing control to his wolf's instincts.And if I didn't stop him now, he would never come back.I crept forward, slowly, slowly, very slowly."Ares," I breath
TURTELANight air was quiet, but there was something moving in the space around us. One moment we were sitting there, tension still thick with all that had happened, and then—I felt it.A tug deep inside me, as if an unseen string had been pulled taut and back into position. A rush of heat washed over me, as if stepping out into a frigid winter's night and into the sun. I gasped, my eyes wide with shock as my heart knew before my mind could."Mother," I whispered.I wasn't alone. Alexia drew in a harsh breath next to me, her hold on the rim of the stone table tightening. Jermaine and Jackson both stiffened sharply, their heads snapping up at the same moment. Aaron leapt out of his chair so fast the chair scraped harshly on the floor.And then, as a group, we moved.No words were ever spoken. We all knew it—the instant she was back. We ran in, our shoes clattering in the corridors, hearts racing with a single, desperate desire.We discovered them in their room.Ryan stood his ground n
HAILEYThe air was quiet, save for my breathing, as regular as the tick of a clock. Sleep held me in its grasp like a heavy fog, but some power pulled me out of its depths—a discord in the air, an awkward shift that didn't belong.I didn't wake, didn't flinch so much as a muscle to show I knew anything, but my senses were on high alert. The scent hit me next—bitter and flavored with evil.David.The moment stretched, charged and taut. I felt him in the darkness, holding back just beyond the edge of night. He thought me vulnerable. He thought he held the advantage.He was wrong.A breath of movement, a mere stir in the air—then a knife descended at my throat.My eyes snapped open.Before he could bring his knife to my skin, I closed my hand about his wrist in an unbreakable grip. His eyes widened, shock crossing his face. He tried to pull away, but I held tighter, bones snapping under my fingers."You're a fool, David," I breathed, my voice a killing whisper.He snarled, twisting in my
JERMAINEThere was something about the struggle that lingered in the air long after the final enemy fell. A weight, a thrum of residual power that clung to the soul like an ethereal resonance of the dead.Though Thomas's dying breath was swallowed by silence, I could sense him.Or his shadow.His anger.His desperation.His defeat.I leaned against the broken trellis, chest heaving, heart still racing from the battle. The garden rested in shambles—blossoms shattered beneath heavy heel marks, the smoldering scorch scars of Isaiah's and Kael's fury staining the once spotless paths. Death and potency clung in the air, but what had me unsettled the most was the icy stillness that came after.Jackson was cleaning blood from his sword, face unemotional. Jaden was still standing at the ready, golden eyes scanning the area, refusing to believe that it was truly finished.Our father was standing in the center, shoulders locked, staring down at the spot where Thomas once was.Those words were r
ISAIAHMagic never whispers.Even in the darkness that descends, and the castle settles into restless quiet and the world beyond sleeps, I hear it.A beat that is below my own. A noise that is never silent.Tonight, it screams.I stand among the ashes of what was once Hailey's room, my fingers twitching with stored strength. Shadows curl against the walls, uncoiling like snakes before they disperse into nothingness. The stench of burning lingers, thick and bitter, but there are no flames to consume it.Nothing but ashes.David's ashes.Ryan hugs Hailey tight, his arm firm but not hard. The Queen—our Queen—does not fight. She is still, impossibly still, as if the war she fought against herself was ever so much greater than the one that ended in fire and death.I should speak. Speak. Admit what has happened, what has been done. But my lips are dry, and words are… not needed. Everyone present knows. There is no sorrow to be mourned for a man who lived in the shadows, scheming, obsessed,
ISAIAH The moment I closed my eyes, the world fell away.Darkness flowed out like ink, covering every edge of my vision until I was left standing in the empty vastness of my own mind. The silence stretched out, unnatural, an empty breath that caused my spine to tremble.Then the vision took hold of me.A shiver ran down my spine as the vision unfolded before me. I saw the gates of our pack thrown open, night wrapping around the entrance like a predator licking its lips. A figure stepped out, wearing the skin of a good friend, but underneath that face—something else. A shifter. One who glided between forms like a whisper between lies.The false skin rippled, tightening over something appalling before smoothing once more, the illusion perfect. He flowed into the pack with ease, weaving through our people, his presence unfelt, his intent hidden.A spy.I tried to stir, to warn them, but the vision drew me deeper. My breath hitched as I was dragged across miles in an instant, drawn into
ISAIAH The moment Hailey's call brushed my thoughts, I felt it — the shift in the air. There was no desperation in her tone, no panic, but resolve. And that scared me more than any battlefield ever managed.I arrived in the courtyard as the moon carved silver wounds in the stone. My steps faltered as my gaze met hers.Serenia.The last time I'd ever seen her was under other skies — when I'd lost all hope of having a mate. When fate woke me up, I'd never expected that she would be bound to me again, or in this manner.She was now by Hailey's side. Not as an enemy. Not even as a stranger.Her eyes settled on me, hard and unflickering."You came," she said.I cleared my throat, finding my balance. "Your mother summoned me."Her lips curled into a semblance of laughter, but there was no warmth behind it. "Oh, naturally she would. Always the Queen, always the commander."I started to open my mouth in defense of Hailey — habit — but Serenia raised a hand, stopping me. Her voice softened, a
HAILEYThe moon hung low in the heavens, casting a silver glow across the courtyard. The air was thick with anticipation, a silence that reeked of danger waiting to happen. I stood alone, senses heightened, muscles bunched and prepared to move.I was startled by a sudden stir within the shadows. A figure emerged, veiled in the shadows, moving with lethal grace. I recognized her immediately—Serenia, daughter of Lilith. She was a storm, her eyes burning with a mix of rage and grief.She attacked silently, her sword flashing towards me. I parried, the sound of steel on steel ringing out like a thunderclap. Our battle was a dance of fire and ice, each strike a question, each parry an answer."Why?" I shouted, our blades intertwined. "Why attack me?"Her eyes twitched, agony clouding her features. "Because he wants you," she snarled. "The Serpent King wants you, and I need to know why."Comprehension dawned. This wasn't a straight-up attack—it was a test, a desperate search for information
LILITHThe mortal realm was a mess of senses—colors too bright, scents too acrid, voices too jarring. And yet I walked through it as if I was born to rule it. Perhaps I was. Smoke wreathed my robes, curling around my ankles like living vines. I let it. Let them look at me. Let them fear.I had but one objective.Serenia.My daughter.Foolish, sentimental kid that she'd been, she'd followed the Serpent King into this world, bound by some romantic fantasy. And now she was lost. Hidden. Maybe in danger. And that. would not do.The trail led me to a crooked little hut that cowered beneath trees that recoiled from me. Magic lingered at its edges—thin, muddled spells that reeked of deceit. I passed through the wards like silk through a blade.She was inside, pale as ashes, a witch not a hundred years old. Her eyes widened. She knew me."Lilith," she whispered."I'm looking for my daughter," I said to her calmly. "Her name is Serenia. She passed this way."The witch shook her head. "I cannot
HAILEYThe throne room still smoldered with the ashes of war, the walls whispering with the ghosts of screams and fire. Ash streaked across my cheeks like war paint, my breath calm but flavored with fury. I stood at the room's center—queen, mother, warrior—with blood on my blade and power thrumming beneath my skin."To me," I bellowed, voice ripping through the quiet like thunder. I didn't need to say it twice. Every soul in the castle would hear me. And they would come.Because something else had passed beyond the veil. Something worse.The air reeked. Burnt sugar and spoiled wine. The veil had been pulled taut in our last battle, but now it was torn apart—and something was bleeding through.They came in bursts—Ryan first, low and tense, growling, Jaden on his flank. Aaron came in laughing and cautious, half, with Isaiah trailing behind him, haunted. The others came in after me—Turtela shining with moonlight in her eyes, Jackson still fixing his collar like they hadn't just battled a
ISAIAH The battlefield was chaos wrapped in fire.Ash rained from the skies like the skies themselves wept at what was happening within our sacred halls. The moment the shadow tore itself free from the ceiling, all went awry. Screams, growls, magic—fire erupted across the throne room, fighting jagged ice and howling streams of wind. The wards had held, barely.And yet, above it all, I could hear her.Hailey.Unyielding, authoritative, force of nature. Even when three of the dark minions charged her, she wheeled with dignity tempered by steel and blood. Her swords whirled. One, two—down they went.I fought with Ryan and Jaden, our movements choreographed as if fate itself had set us up for this moment. Kael changed in mid-air, scales flashing and wings brushing against the enchanted chandeliers as he dove."Behind you!" Turtela screamed, a beam of moonlight slicing across me.I spun and bisected a snarling shifter, its twisted form coughing up black smoke instead of blood.We were gai
HAILEYThey believed I wouldn't feel it. That shiver in the wards, a breath taken too soon. A brush against the back of my neck that wasn't mine.They were mistaken.I was at the entrance of the grand palace, the sun filtering through the pillars veined with gold. I'd just returned from a hurried meeting with the village council, hoping to fetch some tea and perhaps berate Ryan for failing to inform me of Isaiah's latest doomsday riddles.And then—A crack.A ripple.Magic stuttered.I froze.Every one of my instincts screaming to life. I didn't breathe. Didn't blink.The wards had been breached. At the gates.Show yourself," I whispered.A low snarl answered.And then the wind assaulted me.A blur—too fast to be an ordinary wolf, too quiet to be a vampire, too frenzied to be anything natural. I dodged just in time as a clawed hand tore through the air where my neck had been. Dust exploded around me as I rolled, my palm slapping against the stone, glyphs searing into the floor.Not t
TURTELA The lavender perfume lingered in the halls as I made my way to my room, my bare feet silent on marble floors. Tonight, something felt wrong. The air was too still, the moon too bright, silver light accusingly streaming through each of the high arched windows. My wolf stirred inside me, tense, alert."Turtela."I turned around. Rina, one of the younger maids, stood with a folded bunch of silks clutched in her hands—my favorite nightgown amongst them. Her smile was too wide, her eyes too wide. Something inside me tightened."Thanks," I said, taking the silks from her. Her fingers brushed against mine. Cold. Too cold.I did not let my unease show. "You okay, Rina?"She blinked. Too late."Of course, my lady. I just. I did not sleep well.""Try tea," I breathed. "Chamomile works wonders."I went into my quarters and closed the door softly. But I did not go in any farther. I listened. Waited. I felt her outside. Breathing. Not leaving.I spun, yanked open the door. She was there.
KAELThe air in the Dragon Realm was always a different scent—older, deeper. It carried the weight of years, of history etched into each passing wind that rushed over the summits. Standing before the Council of Elders, the vast obsidian hall thrummed with energy, the fire pits casting shadows that crawled up old stone."You were born to rule, Kael," Elder Vyrrin stated, her golden eyes piercing me. "You cannot wait any longer."I did not blink. "I did not abandon my people. But I cannot abandon my heart either.""Then take your heart too," Elder Sarthor snarled. "Take her. Let her stand beside you."Their meaning was clear. Aurora.I nodded once. Not to them, but to the journey I knew had been heading towards me.That evening, I stood outside of her quarters within the palace. The moon's light etched her figure as she stared into the heavens, not realizing that I'd crept inside. Gods, how did one like me acquire someone like her?"You're so quiet tonight," she spoke quietly, still sta
ISAIAH The moment I closed my eyes, the world fell away.Darkness flowed out like ink, covering every edge of my vision until I was left standing in the empty vastness of my own mind. The silence stretched out, unnatural, an empty breath that caused my spine to tremble.Then the vision took hold of me.A shiver ran down my spine as the vision unfolded before me. I saw the gates of our pack thrown open, night wrapping around the entrance like a predator licking its lips. A figure stepped out, wearing the skin of a good friend, but underneath that face—something else. A shifter. One who glided between forms like a whisper between lies.The false skin rippled, tightening over something appalling before smoothing once more, the illusion perfect. He flowed into the pack with ease, weaving through our people, his presence unfelt, his intent hidden.A spy.I tried to stir, to warn them, but the vision drew me deeper. My breath hitched as I was dragged across miles in an instant, drawn into