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
RYANMy anger erupted the moment Hailey entered the packhouse, smirking in disregard of her filth. She was away for hours from the protection of the packhouse to rescue Aaron all by herself. My mate, my pup's mother, had voluntarily endangered herself without so much as a thought about what would happen to me, to our pups. Logan, seeming to give up without speaking, trailed along behind her, looking far too calm for my liking. "Hailey!" I snapped, the annoyance of an Alpha rich in my tone. She ceased her step halfway and turned her head, looking at me and faltering with her smile. She said to me, "Ryan," holding out her hands as if placating me. "No," I growled advancing on her "Stop 'Ryaning' me." "What were you thinking?" Hailey squared her shoulders, her chin rising obstinately. "I was thinking of Aaron. He was in trouble, and we couldn't just sit here twiddling our thumbs-" "And you thought that it was such a wonderful plan to put yourself in danger? "I snapped her off. "Hailey, y
HAILEY The air was still heavy with the suffocating tension of Azure's abrupt presence. After we hurriedly packed up the picnic and hustled everyone back to the packhouse, the children were situated in their dormitories. The uneasiness, however, stuck to me like a second skin. I was pacing Alpha's office with a lot of thoughts and anxieties running through my head. Ryan's sharp eyes followed me as he leaned on the desk with his arms folded. His voice did seem to steady me. "Hailey," he stated firmly. "You need to sit down and breathe." "I can't," was my brusque, non-malignant reply. "He approached our kids. Do you know what this means? He came at our kids without anyone being able to stop him; what can't he do at this point?..... "Breathe Hailey" Ryan pulls me to him and continuously soothingly rubs my back to calm me. "It means he's trying to rattle us. And it's working." I finally exhaled, my hands shaking as I balled them into fists. "We have to do something. We can't just wait
RYAN I had done everything I could to discourage Hailey from coming with us, considering that Ares wasn't easy on her, but she simply ignored me, changed her clothes then joined us. As we made our way into the thick woodland, there was a sense of tension in the air. Isaiah, Logan, Marissa, Hailey, and I made up the search party. Silvery shadows were produced on the woodland floor by the moonlight that penetrated through the canopy above. Even though the night was quiet, my wolf, Ares, was restless and paced inside of me with a sense of urgency that matched mine. The more we looked, the more we realised that Aaron and Lyna were out there, someplace. From ahead, Logan said, "I smelt him again." There was a note of uncertainty beneath the sharpness of his voice. "It's fresh but faint." We quickened our pace, following the trail. The aroma of pine and dirt combined with just a hint of Aaron's unique scent. Despite its faintness, it was enough. The scene before us stopped me cold when we
ISAIAH The night was eerily quiet as I sat in the packhouse meditation room. Deep breathing couldn't alleviate the heavy tension in the air, and I could feel something coming—not just the uneasiness that persisted after Azure's unexpected appearance earlier that evening, but something deeper, more ancient, and it gnawed at the edges of my mind. I closed my eyes and focused, allowing the bond I shared with the moon to guide me. My visions had been getting stronger lately, vivid and unrelenting, and frequently left me with more questions than answers, but they were still very valuable.The world around me started to fade as my breathing slowed, and the familiar smell of the packhouse gave way to the sharp tang of sulphur and ash. When my eyes opened again, I was no longer in the packhouse, but rather in a desolate landscape, with the ground cracked and scorched as if it had been ravaged by a great fire, smoke filling the air, and a dark, oppressive sky swirling with menacing clouds. I
HAILEY The day began with the sun shining brightly on the packhouse and the sounds of laughter echoing through the hallways. It was one of those rare moments of calm when the chaos of being Queen seemed like a thing of the past. I was sitting on the floor of the living room watching the triplets—Jermaine, Jaden, and Jackson—play; at two years old, they were a delightful mix of energy and mischief, each showcasing their distinct personalities. Jaden, my little explorer, was stacking wooden blocks with a level of focus that could rival that of any warrior on patrol. “Mommy, look!” Jaden’s voice chirped as he set the last block on his towering creation. “It’s amazing, sweetheart,” I said. I crawl and sit with them making various encouraging sounds to keep them bubbly and happy."It's incredible, my love," I clapped. Even the darkest recesses of my mind might be enlightened by his radiant smile. As grounded as ever, Ryan entered carrying a cup of coffee. Seeing the kids, he whispered, "T
ISAIAHThe candles cast dramatic shadows across the walls of the half-lit room. The burden of what had transpired lay upon my shoulders as I sat cross-legged on the floor. Signs of something bigger occurring were Azure's perpetual menace, the presence of the Dragon Lord, and the unbalance building in the supernatural realm. I closed my eyes and turned to the holy strands which tended to spin themselves into my head for solace and counsel. The visions, a double-edged legacy of generations had always come unsought. Tonight, I needed them. The air was heavy with supernatural presence as the room grew quiet. My breathing was slow, and the Packhouse grew quiet. Then it started. The Viewpoint A soft, otherworldly light descended upon me as I stood in a vast, endless expanse. Gold, silver, and emerald were the three roads that glowed dimly before me. There was a figure at the terminus of each road. The first was a tall, dragon with fluid fire-like golden scales. Its sharp eyes were fixed on
HAILEYEvery leaf, blade of grass, and heart burdened with the thought of separation was illuminated by the full moon's silvery radiance as it covered the pack grounds. We were all enveloped in a solemn silence as the pack's murmurs subsided. Isaiah's vision had foretold that I would give my children over to their fates tonight. As I repositioned Jaden in my embrace, my arms shook. He gazed up at me with naive confidence, his golden eyes resembling mine but touched with the fire of something otherworldly. Jermaine, who was already sleepy, was being carried by Ryan next to me, his little fingers gripping Ryan's shirt. Alexia's attachment to Jackson was strong as she held him close. She helped him clear the way he nestled into her, his pudgy hands knotted in her hair. It felt like a dagger to my heart every step I took towards the clearing where the Fae Court, Kael, and the Dragon Lord waited. Amenia and Ares, my wolves, whined together, their sorrow reflecting mine. With a voice full o
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