HAILEY With the moonlight pouring in through the big windows and casting a gentle, silvery glow over the room, I sat cross-legged in my own space. My attention was focused inward, yet my reflection was caught in the shimmering elaborate mirror on the distant wall. I sought deep inside for Amenia, my wolf, the presence that has been my guiding light, my constant companion, and also my fiercest critic. "Amenia," I close my eyes. "I need you." The air became warmer and more energetic. The image of a great wolf came into clarity in her mind's eye: its impressive rich silver fur and its piercing gold eyes. I have been so stressed out lately with no time to relax or reflect on anything. The air became warmer, throbbing with vitality. The image of a great wolf flashed into focus in her mind's eye: the eyes of piercing gold, the gorgeous fur of deep silver. I feel both light and relieved as Amenia padded forward and appeared as a shadow before me, immediately enveloping me in her presence
LOGANMy mind was anything but calm, even if the moonlight streaming through the treetops overhead was serene. The woodland that loomed at the perimeter of our grounds caught my attention as I stood at the edge of the pack's area. The nocturnal sounds seemed so far as the trees gently swayed and arched in the fresh breeze. Marissa's unpredictable nature, witty remarks, and the fact that she had put everything on the line to save Alexia and the triplets consumed my thoughts. Trying to reconcile the villain I once thought she was with the woman she'd be as my mate. I had been trying to understand her for days. Her gaze was filled with love rather than merely protectiveness towards Alexia. It was full of love. I had never anticipated someone like Marissa to show the kind of affection I had assumed was only for partners or family. She was teaching my young daughter how to weave flowers into crowns when I discovered her in the garden with Alexia that day. Marissa struggled with a particul
AARONThere was tension in the evening air as I paced the boundary of the estate. The bitter refrain of Lyna's beautiful rejection resonated in my head, each note driving a knife deeper into my chest. To deny someone who was as much a part of me as my soul was something I was not used to. I was ice, and she was fire; an incomprehensible chemistry that was bound to crash. I was drawn by the soft sound of rustling leaves as I turned to gaze at the house. Years of experience and intuition had sharpened my senses, and I detected the faint presence of something that didn't belong. Vampires. They were royal guards, not vampires. I had not anticipated her kind to react so quickly, but she had warned me that they would not appreciate my tenacity. As I walked into the forest and vanished into the darkness, my heart pounded. With cloaks glimmering like midnight spectres in the moonlight, the guards appeared. They walked with an authoritative stride, their eyes scanning the horizon. He called ou
ISAIAHThere was a coldness in the air that crept into my bones. I stood in the clearing, the stone altar behind me throb with soft ancient power. It was empty in the forest as if the creatures had sensed the darkness coming and had run away. To keep myself grounded while I waited, my fingers touched the edge of the altar. And then he was there. Azure condensed into some sort of shape out of the shadows, his form ebbing in and out of the shadows that surrounded him. Beyond his heavy presence—a weighing down on the soul—his eyes blazed with supernatural light. "Isaiah," he blew, his voice rumbling low like some sort of quake from the earth itself. "You're quite good for a man who's spent centuries in defeat. I was able to look him in the eye and stood my ground."Azure," I said reasonably. "I should have known you'd slink out of the depths one day." He smiled, the altar light dimmed to emphasize the cut of his face. "Crawl? Don't think so. Isaiah, I climb. You know I'm here. I clenched
RYAN City lights twinkled against the windows as the car motor hummed in contentment. Undercurrents of unexpressed tension suffused the space between. Logan sat next to me, his lips pressed tightly together as he looked out at the landscape rushing past. Today's business meeting had been successful, but we were still burdened by the weight of our own lives. I finally spoke. "You knew, didn't you?" Logan hesitated to glance at me. "Knew what?" "Logan, don't play games. You knew that Selene was Isaiah's partner." He let out a sigh through his nose and shut his eyes for a moment. "Yes, I knew." I was enraged after hearing the confession. And you did not think that it was necessary to tell me? Logan, we are a team. Logan looked at me with a face of sadness and determination. "Ryan, it wasn't my secret to share.". I did not believe that I was in a position to share that information because Isaiah had trusted me. My knuckles were white as I gripped the steering wheel. "Logan, this has nothi
HAILEY The moon shone brightly overhead, casting a glittering gleam across the pack's grounds. My tense nerves were calmed by the chilly night and the pleasant aroma of dirt and pine. Despite the calm exterior, my heart was pounding with restless intensity. There was an impending storm that I could barely comprehend, yet it was unavoidable. I was staring out over the grounds below from the balcony of the Alpha house. As spies patrolled the outskirts and warriors trained well into the night, the pack was a hive of activity. They kept a close eye out for the unknown threat that appeared to loom just beyond the darkness. A gentle tap on the door interrupted my slumber. "Please come in. The door opened, and Isaiah entered, his face looking down; his past, particularly his relationship with Selene, weighed heavily on him even if he had shown himself to be a valued ally. "Hailey," he said, his voice tentative and low. "We need to talk." I folded my arms across my chest as I turned to face
HAILEYThe packhouse shone silver in the light of the full moon, but I didn't notice its beauty. I held onto the railing of the balcony until my knuckles turned white. I couldn't turn my eyes from the blackness that beckoned me with its secrets countless beyond the clearing. A burden—Isaiah's caution, Logan's sobering tale—had settled upon me. The wind was filled with Azure toxins, and Aaron wasn't anywhere to be found. I just kept re-mentally retracing myself over that which had entered my mind previously: "Beware, my queen, for the storm draws in closer than thou dot imagine." Ah, a storm. I'd waited long enough for it to catch up to us. I spun back around, my willifying into steel. I would not simply stand by and watch Aaron get into harm's way. Logan and Marissa were standing at the back of the big map table in the war room, their voices low but focused. Worrying shadows over his eyes, Isaiah leaned on the back wall. Logan was speaking, his jaw clenched, "We've searched the southe
AARONA dark reddish light gleamed off my wrist chains, and flames incinerated through me in torture. Yet I refuse to scream, mumble or show any weakness that'd make me even more of a target to him. Beneath me, the runes on the stone altar pounded with evil force, crushing not just my talent but my wolf's soul as well, Hades. Hades howled out, his voice strained but unyielding, "You have to wait." She's coming. We'll be found by Hailey. But with the passing of the hours, my faith started to fade. Despite Hailey's pack being powerful, this was Azure. He possessed old power and cunning tricks. His presence was as suffocating as the chains on me, and as he strode ahead of me, the shadows in the room seemed to whisper his name. "Your time is being wasted," I curse at him. "Go hang yourself on a rope, everything will work out fine." My throat hurt when I spat. Azure sneered just as cruelly as the rest of him turned his icy, calculating eyes on me. "Will it? Or are you simply too blind to r
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