MasukBella could not shake the vision.Even after the servants had cleared the breakfast chamber and Dave had ordered the eastern tunnels sealed, the images remained burned into her mind.Elias.Aria.Older.Standing on opposite sides of a battlefield.Her children had been fighting each other.And the voice had warned her that darkness was returning.She stood alone on the palace balcony, staring toward the distant mountains.Hilda stirred uneasily inside her.*You are thinking too loudly.*Bella sighed."I saw them fighting."*They were not children in the vision.*"That is what frightens me."A pair of strong arms suddenly wrapped around her waist.Bella startled before recognizing Dave's scent."You shouldn't sneak up on your queen."Dave lowered his head beside hers."You were too distracted to notice me."His voice carried that familiar teasing confidence, but his arms remained firmly around her.Bella leaned back against him."Dave.""Hmm?""Promise me something.""Anything.""If da
The roar that had swept across the kingdom did not fade.It rolled through the mountains like a warning from something ancient, rattling the windows of the royal residence and sending birds scattering from the surrounding forest.Bella stood frozen beside Dave.For several seconds, neither of them spoke.Aria's silver eyes remained fixed on the fragment Elias had found, while the boy's golden gaze followed the strange symbol etched into the metal.Hilda stirred inside Bella.*That thing remembers us.*Bella swallowed."That's impossible."Dave picked up the fragment carefully. The moment his fingers touched it, the symbol flashed.A pulse of silver light travelled across his palm.Dave's expression hardened."I know this mark."Bella turned toward him. "From the prison?"He nodded slowly."From before the prison."That answer sent a chill through her.Before either of them could ask another question, Elias tugged at Dave's sleeve."Dad?"Dave looked down.The boy pointed toward the op
Two Years LaterTwo years had passed since the blood moon shattered the old order.Two years since King Stark fell.Two years since Dave Stark reclaimed the throne he had once abandoned and Bella discovered that peace could be just as unfamiliar as war.The kingdom had changed.The palace had changed.And, in some ways, Bella had changed most of all.She opened her eyes to warm sunlight spilling across the royal bedroom.For a moment, she didn't move.Dave's arm was wrapped securely around her waist, his chest against her back, his breathing slow and steady.A smile touched her lips.Even after two years of marriage, he still slept as though someone might try to steal her away in the middle of the night.Possessive wolf.She carefully tried to move his arm.It tightened immediately.Bella laughed under her breath.“You're awake.”Dave's sleepy voice rumbled behind her.“I've been awake for several minutes.”“Then why didn't you say anything?”“Because I was enjoying the peace.”He tur
Bella's body went limp.The moment the Moon Goddess's light disappeared into the clouds, Dave felt something inside him snap into place.Their bond.He could feel Bella.Not clearly.Not strongly enough to locate her.But she was alive.That was enough.He lifted his head.Across the ruined palace grounds, King Stark stood among the wreckage, black energy crawling across his body.His golden eyes met Dave's.A slow smile appeared.“So,” King Stark murmured, “the goddess chose you after all.”Dave's claws extended.“She chose neither of us.”He took a step forward.“She gave me the chance to finish what you started.”King Stark laughed.Then he shifted.The transformation was violent.His body expanded, bones cracking beneath layers of dark energy until a monstrous wolf stood where the king had been.Dave answered with a roar.His own transformation followed.His storm-gray eye burned beneath the blood-red moon while the golden one carried a strange silver glow.For several seconds, ne
“Your children are the keys to the prison their ancestors created.”The Moon Goddess's words hung over the clearing.Bella could barely breathe.Aria stirred against her chest, her tiny fingers curling into Bella's clothes.Behind the goddess, Hades smiled.It wasn't the smile of a man who had lost.It was the smile of someone who had just watched the final piece of a plan fall into place.Then the sky exploded.A bolt of black lightning tore across the heavens.The Moon Goddess raised her staff.A wall of silver light immediately formed between Bella and Hades.“Stay behind me.”Bella tightened her hold on Aria.“What does he want from my children?”The goddess didn't answer.Hades did.“Everything.”His voice rolled across the clearing.“The boy carries the blood of the Hybrid King. The girl carries my chosen bloodline. Together, they can open the prison.”Bella's heart raced.“Open it for what?”Hades's smile widened.“For something your ancestors were terrified to name.”The Moon
Bella ran.The blood-red moon followed her through the trees like an accusing eye, its crimson light breaking between the branches as she raced deeper into the forest with Aria secured against her chest.Behind her, the palace erupted in chaos.Steel clashed.Warriors roared.The ground trembled beneath the force of powers being unleashed inside the ancient kingdom.But Bella did not look back.Dave's last command still echoed through her mind.**Run, Bella.**Her heart rebelled against it.Every instinct screamed at her to turn around and fight beside her mate.But Aria was in her arms.And protecting the little girl came first.“Hilda, faster!”**“I'm already giving you everything!”**Bella felt her wolf push harder.Branches whipped past them. Roots tore at the ground beneath Hilda's paws, but she never slowed.Aria remained strangely quiet.Bella glanced down.The little girl's silver eyes were wide open.She wasn't crying.She was staring into the darkness behind Bella.A chill c
Lunch was usually loud—voices overlapping, laughter spilling, trays clattering—but the moment Bella took her seat at the Hybrids’ table, an unnatural stillness crept in.Joy and Eve sat beside her, shoulders tense, eyes alert. This was the first time they’d joined the table while Serena was present
Joy bounced in delight as she grabbed a tray from the lunch line. "I wish I was there," she exclaimed, her eyes bright."You should have seen her," Eve said, a self-satisfied sneer creeping over her lips. “I think I created a baddie.”Joy giggled, shooting a playful glance at her. “Remind me never
Bella sat at the edge of her bed, gazing at the paper Eve had placed in her hand. The words stared back at her, daring her to take an uncertain step.Be intentional about your looks—dress flirty to catch the attention of unmated males.Flirt with some guys to make Marcus jealous.Get a boyfriend… a
Bella Manuel faced the mirror, her fingers gliding across the smooth material of her blue gown. The shade accentuated the warm glow of her caramel skin, and for the first time in a long while, she felt lovely, unique, and worthy.Marcus would love it.A hidden smile curled her lips as she ran her f







