SIERRAMy mom’s lips parted slightly as if she were about to speak, but no sound came out. Instead, a low, guttural growl rumbled from deep within her chest.The doctor, still holding the baby, froze mid-motion, his eyes wide with alarm. “What’s happening?” he murmured, more to himself than to me.I took a step back, my heart pounding like a drum. “Mom?” I tried again, though my voice was trembling now.She tilted her head slightly, her black eyes locking onto mine, and for the first time in my life, I felt like I didn’t recognize her.The chaos hit like a thunderclap. One moment, I was frozen, staring into Mom’s unnatural black eyes, and the next, her voice pierced through the haze.“Sierra!” Mom’s scream snapped me out of my stupor just as something clattered to the ground near the door.A second later, thick, acrid smoke filled the room, clawing its way into my lungs. I coughed violently, my eyes watering as I stumbled back. The smell hit me like a punch, wolfsbane.“Mom! Baby!” I
SIERRAI slammed the door behind me, my heart pounding in my chest as anger and guilt churned inside me. I couldn’t believe what had just happened. The weight of everything, the guilt, the frustration, the pressure, was too much. My mind was a mess, full of things I couldn’t even begin to sort through.I stormed down the hall, not even acknowledging the few guards and maids who looked at me with concern. They wouldn’t understand. No one would. I felt completely alone in this.I reached the door leading outside and didn’t hesitate. I pushed it open and ran into the woods. The cool night air hit me, and I didn’t care about the dampness on my skin or the sound of the trees swaying. I just needed to be away from it all.The moon hung above, its pale light distant and cold. I could feel its pull, the connection we all had to it, but tonight, it only reminded me of how isolated I felt. How suffocated I was by.I couldn’t hold it in anymore.Without thinking, I threw my head back and howled
SIERRAI couldn't stop pacing. The thoughts were all over the place, Harold's words, the baby... my sister. It felt like my mind was spinning out of control. I didn’t know what to do. I could feel the weight of everything pressing down on me, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake it off."Stop pacing," Alpha Thane said. He didn’t even sound annoyed, just tired. "It won’t help.""I know," I snapped, running my hands through my hair. "But I can’t just sit still. I have to do something. I need to find my sister. Now.""You need to rest," he said, his voice calm. "We’ve already called Gerald. He’ll be here soon to help. Right now, you need to let your mother rest."I was the one who was supposed to fix this, not them."Your Majesty, this isn’t about resting. Harold’s going after my sister, not me. It’s me he wants, and I can’t let anyone else get hurt because of me."He stepped forward, closing the distance between us. "Sierra, we do this together. You’re not alone in this, oka
ZANEI woke up before anyone else, the quiet of the house sinking deep into my bones. Something felt off. My instincts told me Sierra wasn’t there. I stood up and walked over to her bed, half-expecting to find her still asleep, but the bed was empty.I frowned, my mind racing.“Where was she?” I muttered to myself.I wandered down the hall, knocking softly on a few doors, but no sign of her. Then I ended up in the kitchen where I found Luna Maya. She was stirring something in a pot, but her eyes were tired, and there was a sadness that made my heart tug.“Maya?” I said, leaning against the doorframe. “Have you seen Sierra?”She didn’t look up at first, still focused on her task. When she did finally turn, her eyes were tired but full of concern. “Sierra? No, I haven’t. Why? Is she not in her room?”I felt a tightness in my chest. “I don’t know... I can’t find her anywhere. Have you seen her this morning?”She sighed and set the spoon down. “No... I haven’t. She’s been distant, Zane. E
SIERRA I sighed deeply as I arrived at the third tower. It had been a long, exhausting day. The first two towers hadn’t led me anywhere. The sisters there had told me Harold wasn’t there, and neither was my sister. But I had a feeling this tower would be different. It had to be. My gut was telling me that everything was going to change here. I pushed open the door and stepped inside, preparing myself for anything. But what I saw took me by surprise. The tower wasn’t as dark and dangerous as I had expected. Instead, there was a feast happening. Music, laughter, food, and drinks were all around me. I froze for a moment, unsure of what to do. It felt so… out of place. A woman noticed me standing there and walked toward me. She wore a simple white robe, her face kind but cautious. “Ah, you are?” “I’m Sierra,” I replied. “ Welcome.” I barely nodded, too stunned by the scene to speak. “I’m looking for my sister. She’s been taken by Harold. He’s—” The woman nodded, cutting me off. “We
ZANE I stood with my brothers, our eyes glued to the maps Gerald had spread out on the table. The pressure was on, Sierra and her baby were out there somewhere, and we had no time to waste. Gerald was going over the potential places where Harold could’ve taken them, but honestly, the more we looked, the more I felt the panic bubbling up inside me. “Look at these places,” Gerald said, pointing to ten locations on the map. “I’m sure Harold’s hiding them in one of these spots. He is not stupid. He’d go somewhere remote, somewhere with no civilization to keep his movements quiet.” I stared at the maps but couldn’t focus. My mind was on Sierra. Was she okay? Was the baby safe? My gut twisted in knots, the worry tightening around my chest like a vice. I needed to do something, anything. “Do we have to search all of these?” Dane asked, his voice laced with frustration. “There’s so much ground to cover.” “Yeah, we do,” Gerald replied. “I’m telling you, we have to check every one of these
KANEWe all gathered by the door, our faces grim but determined. We knew this was it. We were going out there, and we weren’t coming back without Sierra and the baby.Dane turned to face us, his eyes hard. “No one’s getting left behind. We do this together. We’re a team.”Zane nodded. “We find her. No matter what.”I clenched my fists. “We won’t stop. We get them back, no matter what it takes.”And with that, we headed out. Every step I took felt heavy, but I kept my head up. We weren’t going to fail. Not this time.We were going to bring her home.I sat by the campfire, trying to keep my mind off the darkness that seemed to be swallowing me whole. The air was cold, the silence heavy, and the only sound was the crackling of the fire. My brothers were around me, but I barely noticed them anymore. I couldn’t stop thinking about Sierra. She’s always been stubborn, always doing things her way and never thinking about the consequences. I just... I couldn't understand why she had to put her
ZANEThe air was thick with tension as we stood under the moonlight. I looked at the woman standing a few feet away, her hood casting shadows over her face. She had offered to lead us to a convent where she claimed we might find Sierra or at least some clue about her.I turned to my brothers, my gut twisting. “Do you guys really think this is a good idea?” I asked, my voice tight. “We don’t know this woman. For all we know, this could be a trap.”Kane shrugged, his tone calm but firm. “We don’t have many options, Zane. Sierra and her baby sister are out there somewhere, and every second we waste could mean danger for them.”Dane chimed in, his voice more relaxed but equally determined. “She said she knows something, and we need all the help we can get. If this leads us to Sierra, then it’s worth the risk.”I crossed my arms, shaking my head. “Something feels off, though. Think about it. Everything’s been too smooth. This random stranger just happens to know where we should go? It does
SIERRAI stood frozen, my eyes wide and my stomach turning. The rabbits weren’t moving anymore. The white one had stopped twitching first, then the brown one slumped beside it. My hands were still outstretched, fingers trembling as the energy from the failed spell faded into the air like smoke.The silence that followed was unbearable. It was as if the whole world had paused to judge me, to make me feel the weight of what I had just done. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t even blink. All I could do was stare at what my magic had done.The warlock didn’t say anything at first. He just walked up to the small wooden pen, stood over the lifeless bodies, and looked down with a heavy sigh. His face gave nothing away, no anger, no sadness, just quiet acceptance of the outcome. Then he slowly turned to face me."This," he said, his voice low and sharp like a blade slicing through still air, "is what would have happened to your sister and Ariel if you had jumped into this blindly."The words hit
SIERRAI had just finished spending time with my mates. My body still felt warm, and for once, my mind was quiet. I was finally beginning to feel like myself again.But then I heard shouting from outside.My heart jumped. I threw on a robe and rushed out.I barely made it past the hallway before I saw everyone gathered in the courtyard. And in the middle of it all… Ariel. Screaming. Crying. Holding a knife.“What the hell?” I whispered under my breath, my eyes widening.“I said let me in!” she yelled, her voice cracking. “You’re not the only one who loves them! I deserve to be in there too!”She was pointing the knife at her own chest, trembling like she was seconds away from doing something stupid.I didn’t even think twice.I raised my hand and whispered the first protection spell that came to mind. A shield burst around her in a dome of blue light. The moment it closed around her, the knife fell from her hand and clattered to the floor.She looked around in confusion, then rage.“W
ARIELI paced the hallway, scowling, my arms folded tightly across my chest. For the fifth time, I tried to step forward, right into the damn hallway, and for the fifth time, it felt like I’d slammed into a wall. But there was no wall. Just… air. Heavy, invisible, and impossible to pass through."What the hell is going on?" I growled, pushing again, harder this time. Nothing. It was like the space itself refused to let me through. My breath hitched as anger flared in my chest. I wasn’t someone who got denied things. Not rooms. Not people. Not Dane.I turned on my heels and stormed down the hallway, heading straight for Maya’s quarters. If anyone knew what kind of stupid magic trick was being pulled, it had to be Sierra. I knew her mother was always around the others. Always listening. Watching, and I needed to see her, and I asked what the hell was going on.When I got to her door, I didn’t knock, I kicked it. Hard.“Ariel?” Maya’s voice called out, soft and hesitant. She opened the d
SIERRAThe warmth of their arms around me made it easier to breathe. The tension that had wrapped around my chest like a tight rope was starting to loosen, bit by bit. Zane’s steady heartbeat under my cheek, Dane’s arms around my waist, and the calmness in Kane’s eyes, everything felt safe here. I felt like I was finally home.But it wasn’t just the comfort. It was the way they looked at me. The way they held me was like I was the most precious thing in the world. Like they’d fight the stars if it meant keeping me safe. I hadn’t realized how much I needed them until this moment. I needed to feel wanted, needed to be touched, loved, needed to feel alive again.“I’ve missed this,” I whispered, glancing up at Zane, my fingers gently resting on his chest.“We’ve missed you more,” he replied softly, brushing his lips over my forehead.“I don’t like seeing you this stressed,” Dane murmured behind me, nuzzling into the crook of my neck. “Let us help you relax.”Kane was kneeling beside me ag
SIERRAI ran out of the room angrily and frustrated. I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I didn’t want to explain how I felt, not even to Alpha Thane. I just needed to get away, to let the frustration and fear out in a way that made sense. And that’s why I shifted.The air felt cold on my fur as I ran, my paws pounding the earth beneath me, my mind barely able to process anything except the need to escape. My heart was racing, and the adrenaline pumping through my body only made the anger and fear swirl together like a violent storm.I ran deeper into the woods, ignoring the world around me, just focused on the rhythmic pounding of my paws. The trees blurred by in a mixture of green and brown, the earth beneath me firm and solid. But even in my wolf form, the worry gnawed at my insides, and all I wanted was for the weight to lift, even if just for a moment.Eventually, the tension in my body started to ease just a little, but I wasn’t running anymore. I slowed down and then stopped, my b
SIERRAI walked into the room, my mind racing with questions. The man, the warlock, was standing by a table covered in books and strange artifacts. His eyes flickered up when I entered, and I could feel the weight of his gaze. He knew why I was here."You are here," he said, his voice calm but heavy with something I couldn't place.I didn't waste time with pleasantries. "I need your help," I said bluntly. "I need to learn how to use my powers. And I need to do it fast."The warlock raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable. "Binding spells," he said slowly, almost to himself, "are tricky. Especially one like the one you're asking for."I didn’t have the patience for his caution. "I don’t care about how tricky it is," I snapped. "I need to stop her. Ariel is... she’s going to ruin everything. I can’t let that happen. I just need to know how to make it work."He looked at me, the seriousness in his eyes growing. "Binding spells are not something to take lightly. They tie you to someo
SIERRAI could feel my whole body burning with anger as Ariel’s voice cut through the garden like a sharp knife. She just stood there, smirking at us like she hadn’t just interrupted something important, something real.I turned to her, fists clenching at my sides. "Don’t you have anything better to do than irritate me?" I snapped, my voice louder than I intended. Dane shifted uncomfortably behind me, but I didn’t care. I was tired of her games.Ariel just giggled like I had told her a joke. "Nope," she said with a sweet shrug. "Turns out, irritating you is way more fun than I ever thought it would be."I wanted to slap that smug smile off her face. I really did. But I held myself back because that's exactly what she wanted, to push me until I broke.Then she turned her full attention to Dane, her smile softening in a way that made my stomach twist in disgust. "I miss Dane," she said in a whiny voice. "I want him to stay with me for a while."I stepped protectively in front of Dane w
DANEI woke up to the sound of soft giggles.My head felt heavy, like I’d slept for days, and for a second, I didn’t even know where I was. But then I blinked and saw her, Ariel, sitting at the edge of the bed, grinning at me like I was some kind of adorable pet.“You look so cute when you’re sleeping,” she said in a sing-song voice.My whole body tensed up instantly. Memories rushed back….the food, the plan, everything. I shot up, heart pounding.“What happened?” I croaked, throat dry.Ariel gave a playful shrug, almost like she was proud of herself. “You tried to drug me, silly. But I’m smarter than that.” She leaned in closer, lowering her voice like she was sharing a secret. “I swapped the plates. You ate the laced one instead.”I cursed under my breath and swung my legs off the bed. I couldn’t even look at her as I stood up."Aw, don't be mad," Ariel called after me as I stormed toward the door. "You needed the rest anyway!"I didn’t answer. I just left.When I finally made it do
SIERRAI didn’t move. None of us did. We just stood there and took it as Ariel laughed like we were the biggest fools she had ever seen. Her voice echoed off the walls, high and sharp, like a knife digging into my already shredded nerves.“Oh, my sweet, sweet Sierra,” she said between giggles, wiping a fake tear from the corner of her eye. “You actually think a few little weeds are going to save your precious sister from me?”I kept my face blank, even though my heart was hammering against my ribs. If I gave her any more reason to doubt me, she would tear us all apart.Ariel circled slowly around me, hands clasped behind her back, her boots clicking softly against the floor. I could feel the others tense up, ready to move if she tried anything.She leaned in close, so close I could smell the sickly sweet scent of her perfume. “You have no idea what you’re dealing with,” she whispered. “No idea how deep this bond goes.”I clenched my teeth to keep from flinching. I would not give her t