The flames in the hearth cast long, dancing shadows across the dark stone walls. The room smelled of dried blood, rotting herbs, and desperation disguised as incense. A twisted smile played on her crimson lips as she stared into the mirror—not to admire herself, but to peer through it.
The reflection didn’t show her face. It showed hers.
Isolde.
Radiant. Glowing. Powerful.
Her daughter.
The woman—no, the wraith that she had become—snarled softly and leaned closer, her long nails scraping the frame of the mirror like claws over bone. “She still has his eyes…”
A hand trembled as she reached for a small, ancient vial—one of the many she'd used over the years to keep herself alive, to keep the decay at bay. The potions were losing their strength. Her time was running out.
But it hadn't always been this way. Once, she was Queen of the Vampires. She had ruled with elegance, power, an
The flames in the hearth cast long, dancing shadows across the dark stone walls. The room smelled of dried blood, rotting herbs, and desperation disguised as incense. A twisted smile played on her crimson lips as she stared into the mirror—not to admire herself, but to peer through it.The reflection didn’t show her face. It showed hers.Isolde.Radiant. Glowing. Powerful.Her daughter.The woman—no, the wraith that she had become—snarled softly and leaned closer, her long nails scraping the frame of the mirror like claws over bone. “She still has his eyes…”A hand trembled as she reached for a small, ancient vial—one of the many she'd used over the years to keep herself alive, to keep the decay at bay. The potions were losing their strength. Her time was running out.But it hadn't always been this way. Once, she was Queen of the Vampires. She had ruled with elegance, power, an
One Month LaterTime had a way of healing wounds, even if the scars lingered beneath the surface.The past month had been one of rare peace—a warm, golden stretch of days where laughter had replaced battle cries, and rebuilding became more than physical. It was emotional, spiritual. The land itself seemed to breathe easier beneath the padding of paws and quiet crackle of fires at night.Children raced through the pack territory with wooden swords and foam spears, reenacting the great battle with dramatic flair and plenty of face plants in the dirt and grass. The training fields had taken on a different energy—still intense, still driven—but fueled now by purpose and pride, not desperation.Darian had recovered from his cookie-overdose incident and was often seen strapped to Ben’s back like a little koala, while his mother, Chelsea, trained new warriors against magical attacks. There was no shortage of teasing when
The halls of the Phoenix Sanctum shimmered in the morning sun, light reflecting off the crystal-laced columns and catching in the feathers of the massive firebirds soaring overhead. Everything about the ancient home of the Phoenixes felt alive—brighter, warmer, more vibrant than it had in centuries. Power pulsed through the very stones, drawn by the presence of its true queen.Nalia stood at the edge of the ceremonial overlook, wind dancing through her hair as she stared out across her people. Her people. She could hardly believe it. The ceremonial coronation had taken place the day before, flame and magic woven into a display of rebirth and renewal. There had been fire-song and air dancing, rites performed that had not been enacted since the last true queen centuries ago.And the people?At first… they had been confused. Suspicious, even. Kensavion had ruled them with power, yes, but also with a persistent distance. His methods were effective, but
The soft shimmer of Chelsea’s portal closed behind them with a snap of wind and displaced magic, dropping the group gently onto the outer edge of the Blood Moon Pack’s territory. The familiar scent of pine, earth, and woodsmoke wrapped around them like a worn blanket.Chelsea brushed the dirt from her jeans with a huff. “Well, this has been fun. But if I don’t get back to baby Darian before my father in-law gives him another cookie, that child is going to be climbing the walls again. You remember the last time we saved the world, right?” She gave Cheyenne a pointed look. “He practically launched himself off the kitchen table pretending to be a gryphon.”Cheyenne laughed. “At least he stuck the landing.”Chelsea gave a dramatic eye roll, walked a few paces, then turned back and hugged Isolde tightly. “Don’t disappear again, or next time I’m tracking you with something that bites.”
The knock on the door came just after sunrise. Sharp. Urgent.Cheyenne opened it mid-yawn, but the sight of Collin on the porch killed any trace of sleep left in her system. His eyes were wild—unblinking and rimmed in red, his jaw clenched so tight it was a wonder his fangs weren’t slicing through his own gums.“Collin?” she asked, already stepping aside. “What happened?”Gunner was up behind her in seconds, sensing the weight in the vampire king’s aura.“She’s gone,” Collin said, his voice lower than usual—almost like it hurt to speak. “Isolde.”Cheyenne blinked. “Gone where?”“That’s the problem.” His tone cracked. “I don’t know. She left in the middle of the night. No note. No message. No one in my kingdom has seen her. And I can’t reach her—psychically, spiritually, magically... nothing. She’s just&mda
The morning sun filtered through the open windows of the conference room at the packhouse, casting golden lines across the floor. A large map of the region was stretched across the table in front of them, but the group wasn’t focused on territory or battle formations this time. Today was about something just as crucial—finding Ben’s next Beta.Cheyenne had her feet kicked up on the corner of the table, arms crossed as she listened to the conversation with a thoughtful frown. Gunner leaned forward, elbows on the table, absently spinning a pen between his fingers. Tyler sat opposite Ben, still looking a little guilty despite everyone’s support. Ben, meanwhile, looked downright annoyed.“I swear,” Ben muttered, rubbing his hands down his face, “I think the Beta title is cursed.”Cheyenne arched an eyebrow. “Cursed?”Ben threw his hands out. “Look at the record. Gunner was supposed to be Beta.