LOGINAyla“Oh, please, I can come up with something much more original and chaotic than kidnapping children. This is the handiwork of a scorned woman.”“How did she find out about them? How did she know where they were? I was very careful…”“If they’re anything like you,” she interrupted, her eyes flashing with rage so intense it sent shivers down my spine. “Then everyone can find them.”Her voice had changed from the amused intonation she had when the messenger first arrived to a cross between irritation and rage. Her expression remained unreadable as she moved her gaze to the messenger and continued speaking.“The moment you completed the ritual and unlocked your scent, you became a target of everyone who can identify who you are, and as you know, that includes a long list of enemies. If Morgana didn’t do it, Cain would’ve done the honors, and I’m sure you can think of more people who are willing to go to such extreme lengths.”My thoughts shifted to Dave and Emily as she spoke. She was
AYLAI gave up struggling and watched as the light spread across the area, illuminating everything it touched. In the distance, I could see a woman clutching her throat as she shapeshifted into a wolf, then back into her human form in quick succession.“Eris,” I said, a weird feeling of recognition slowly taking root in my mind.I had never met my aunt before, but deep down, I could tell that the woman I was looking at was Eris, the same woman who had dedicated her life to making mine terrible.I watched as she touched her face and other parts of her body, screaming obscenities as her expression alternated between confusion and rage.The light suddenly went off, and the pressure lifted. My body fell to the ground with a slam, and I closed my eyes, groaning from the pain. When I opened them, I was back at the ruins, and Eris and Anna had come closer.She knelt beside me and helped me sit up. “What did you see?” she asked as the goddess watched us intently.“Eris,” I said and turned to
Ayla“I’m not my mother,” I retorted.Waves of anger coursed through my veins as I stood at the place where Ragnar had been. Everything had reverted to the way it was when I first arrived; the only things that remained as a reminder of what had happened were her throne, the panther, and the swords.“Of course not. She was a werewolf, a noble one, but still, a mere werewolf. You, on the other hand, you’re something special, and I can’t wait to see how it all turns out.”“What did you do to Ragnar?”“I sent him back to where I conjured him. That wasn’t Ragnar; that was a soul from the depths of hell. I brought him here as part of the test. If you had offered him as a sacrifice, I would’ve taken the real Ragnar as my servant once you mentioned his name. That would’ve been exciting, you know; no one has ever had an alpha king as their servant, but you’ve ruined all the fun.”I felt my chest loosen as relief washed over me. “And where’s the real Ragnar?”“Don’t know, don’t care. The import
Ayla“Please stop this,” I pleaded as my heart raced for him.Fear, rage, and guilt washed over me as I stared at him squirming in pain. He had come all this way for me, and I couldn’t bear to see him suffer on my behalf. “Anna! Tell her to stop!”“Anna can’t help you; no one can. The only one who can make this stop is you. If you want to free him from this cruel punishment, then offer him up as the sacrifice. You said earlier that he means nothing to you, so that shouldn’t be hard.”“I didn’t say he didn’t mean anything to me, I…”“Ayla,” I heard Ragnar call out, and I stopped talking.His voice sounded stranger than usual, like it was coming from somewhere farther away than where he stood. My face contorted into a frown, and I turned to look at Anna. She met my gaze, smiled sadly, and turned her back to me.“I told you she can’t help you,” Eris said with a playful giggle.“Ayla,” Ragnar called out again, and I moved my gaze to him. “Please give her anything she wants. Make it stop,
AylaI opened my mouth to respond in the affirmative but paused and turned to look at Anna. I could see the pain in her expression from where I was, but she wasn’t looking at Ragnar. I expected her to show some emotion regarding his state, but her gaze was fixed on me.I turned back to Eris and exhaled slowly. “You said this was a test,” I said instead, and her expression faltered.She looked disappointed with my response, and I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. She reminded me of Dave; her reactions were unpredictable, and her expressions were almost unreadable. It was difficult to tell if I was going in the right direction, so I decided to trust my gut.“Oh, that’s sad. Mere seconds ago, you were willing to do anything I wanted to free your lover.”“He’s not my lover,” I retorted, and she quickly flipped the sword.I inhaled sharply when I realized that she had placed the sharp edge of the blade merely inches away from my neck. I froze in place, terrified that any move I
AylaMy skin glowed as I balled my hands into fists and closed my eyes, reminding myself of what she had said earlier; according to the natural order of things, Lycans were below supernatural beings, which meant no matter how angry I got, the rage was all I had.I might decide to challenge her to a duel, but that would be futile; she was far stronger than I could ever imagine, and I’d be offering myself up as her source of entertainment for the day. She was a goddess; I didn’t know the extent of my abilities yet, but it didn’t take much to tell that I was no match for a being like her.It would give me an avenue to challenge the rage I felt stirring within me, but in the long run, my plan would be ruined. I inhaled, closed my eyes, and exhaled slowly. She wasn’t worth the energy; if she could provide answers to help me find what I was looking for, then I’d take it.I opened my eyes and saw her studying my face with an amused expression. “Do you feel that? The rage stirring within you-







