AARONThe city's pulse pulsed at my feet, its unconquerable beat stoking mine. I stood in my penthouse, looking out over the sweeping skyline that sparkled under the light of midnight. Down there, the world was frantic, discordant, and irrelevant. I ruled it all from where I stood—the fashion empire I had built as a cover, the intricate traps I wove, the lives I controlled at will.And none of it counted. Not really.She did.Hailey Quinn.Her name was a chant that went on in my mind, a hymn that increased its urgency with each day. I had seen her first in the reports of my spies, a shadow figure wrapped in secrets and unleashed might. And then I saw her close up. All else fell into nothingness when I looked upon her for the first time. She was not just beautiful; she was goddess-like. Potent. Destined for greatness. And she would belong to me.I padded barefoot back from the window, walking across the marble floor of my penthouse suite. The inside was a reflection of the duality of m
LOGANThe wind bit at my skin as I stood on the ridge that overlooked the training ground. Warriors were sparring there, their oaths and the clashing of steel background to the wind that had been as much a part of my own heartbeat as anything else to me. And yet, what I saw then was not normal for me—fierce and unyielding and loyal—normally filled me with pride. But pride today was like a shadow creeping into a room filled with light.Something was wrong.I'd felt it in the wind, in Isaiah's avoidance of my gaze, in the hesitant strides that stumbled whenever the King or I approached. Isaiah was a seer, a man whose visions had guided this pack to triumph and disaster. But something was wrong with him lately, something that had replaced his calm equanimity with an unbecoming expression of fear.Fear was not a weakness; it was an illness. And in a pack like ours, it could spread faster than fire.The feeling had begun festering weeks ago, growing stronger by the day. I had tried to brus
MARISSA It was a stuffy night, weighing on me like an invisible, unshakable burden I couldn't shake. That once-safe room, so full of people, now felt foreign and unwelcoming. Whispers accompanied me everywhere I moved, with furtive glances. It was like everyone knew something I didn't, and that thing gnawed at my stomach.The tension had been building for weeks, the threads of my relationship with Thomas unravelling before my eyes. I had convinced myself that it was temporary, that I just needed to remind him of the way things were. But part of me knew that I was clinging to an illusion that no longer existed.The thin whisper of laughter coming from upstairs cut into my thoughts, soft and intimate in a way that sent shivers down my spine. It was Thomas. I would recognize his rich, deep laugh anywhere. But he was with someone else, a light and musical voice overlaid with a husky vibration that grated on my nerves.LUCYMy heart constricted agonizingly as I stood frozen in the corrido
HAILEYThe warmth of the lights from the studio still clung to my body as we got back to the penthouse. The photo session had been energizing, reminding me of who I used to be before royalty, prophecy, and power overtook my world.Today, however, was different.The lingering gaze of my male co-model, when his hands brushed against mine during the posed shots, had been harmless enough, but Ryan hadn't taken it that way. His blackened face and clamped jaw had told their own story yet there was nothing to be done, the shots were being rushed for a firm he'd been trying to work with for an incredibly long timeThe moment we stepped into our suite, tension radiated off him. His silence spoke more than any words ever could have."Either you're going to keep mooning around and get it out of your system, or tell me what you're thinking about," I mocked, removing my heels and lowering myself onto the soft couch.Ryan's yellow eyes snapped to mine, wolf riding just beneath the surface of his ca
HAILEYRyan launched himself upright in bed, his gold eyes blazing with panic as the sound of my scream tore through the room. "Hailey?" he said, his voice sharp with worry, already moving toward me. In an instant, he was at my side, his hands steadying me as I clutched my swollen belly."My water just broke," I gasped, trembling as another contraction ripped through me—sharp, unrelenting, and nothing like I'd imagined.His expression shifted from alarm to resolve in a heartbeat. “It’s time,” he said, his voice calm but commanding, even as the storm of emotions flickered behind his eyes. “We’ve got this.”He pulled me to my feet with surprising gentleness, his arm firm around my waist as I tried to breathe through the pain. "The medical team is on standby. I'll call them now," he said, fumbling for his phone but never loosening his grip on me."Ryan," I whispered, clinging to his arm as another contraction gripped me, stealing the air from my lungs. "It's happening so fast."You're st
MARISSAAnd so I felt it, Hailey has birthed the triplets Alphas, Aside from her power, she gets to have those tiny creatures but I still can't understand what's happening to me, after finding Thomas and Lucy together a part of me suddenly shuts down and for the first time I don't feel any hatred towards Hailey, rather I feel a little admiration for her, her fàted match rejected her, we made her ĺife hell but she somehow survived it all.Several years ago, I was more innocent than she is right now, I was a spoilt princess who had been spoilt her whole life but I had innocence on my side, my parents were billionaires and treated everywhere as royalties but there was a little crack, my father wanted a son, not a female, by the time I graduated high school, I had returned home my dad and mom were in a heated argument "Hola Mama" Ì greeted by placing an open-mouthed kiss on her cheek and as I moved towards my dad, he raised his hand to stop meMy dad points for me to sit and so I do "Mar
FLORA It's been three months since the birth of the triplets. There's been so much peace for the pack, but this morning, I feel restless, weighed down by an invisible cloud of sadness, and I don’t know why. Alexia who is always more comfortable being with Hailey and her kids ìs suddenly super clingy to me today and for a little while I'm confused just as we're about to head out to Hailey, she holds on tightly to my neck "Mommy, don't go" she said, there's so many tears on her chubby cheek "What's wrong, baby? We're just visiting Auntie Hails; don't you want to see your little Alphas?" She looks ùp at me with the level of cuteness only a two-year-old like her could, and my heart melts, and I hug her. " Sweetheart, I said gently, I just want to go shopping with Auntie Hails; we'll be back soon. We'll be back home in the blink of an eye". She holds òn to me tightly as if I might disappear at any moment. "Promise mama?" I smileď and kiss her forehead. Yes baby Soon, we arrive
ISAIAH It was unexpected. I was flung through a swirling stream of blood, darkness, and agony after sitting in the meditation hall for a while, trying to get a better understanding of the pack's destiny. I noticed Flora. As Lucy's blade penetrated her chest, her gleaming smile turned to fear. I saw little Alexia waking up, her tiny voice wailing for a mother who would never respond again, heard her last, gasping breaths, and felt Logan's anguish as he held her lifeless body. My pulse thumping against my ribs, I was left breathless as the vision came to an abrupt stop. Grasping the edge of a nearby table for balance, I staggered to my feet. I said in a whisper, "Alpha King." I need to get to the Alpha King.I ran unsteadily to the main house, my legs moving as though being controlled by a spiritual force, " King Ryan" I gasped, trembling as I exhaled. It's Flora.......something terrible is happening. "Ryan immediately walks closer to me as he comes in and inquires, "What are you talk
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