SIERRAI released a painful growl as my eyes opened, I was back in the library lying on the bare floor with water drenching my dress. "Sierra!" Hailey's eyes looked panicked as she fused over me. "Thank goodness, you're awake." She muttered as her shoulders slumped down in relief."Who on earth spills water in the library without informing the cleaners?" Hailey shouted ignoring the decorum ethic that surrounded the library rules and regulations."I'm okay now," I grumbled trying to stand up. Hailey held out a hand which I took gratefully. As soon as I stood on my feet, the gazes of the students in the library feasted on me. "Ignore them." Hailey said picking up her bag, "News spread immediately after you fell, they ran over here to find out what had happened." She explained not bothering to look at the faces that were staring. "Freak!" A boy shouted from the other end of the library.I kept my head down as I walked with Hailey while we headed out of the library. "They pry on peop
CLAIREThe entire house was quiet, Dad had a meeting with his friends, wanting to be all by himself. I sent out all the servants and guards earlier. There was no sound heard except for the occasional chirping of birds that found their homes in the trees that surrounded the house. I made a mental note to tell the head of servants to bring down the nest.I rolled over on my bed with my eyes glued to my phone and a glass of wine in my hands. The only thing missing was him. Kane.The doorbell rang out loud, almost making me jump. Just as I was about to ignore the person at the door, Beta Orion's voice spoke through the intercom."Is anyone home?" I contemplated telling him to come some other time but I remained silent, he would leave when no one replied to him. Or so I thought."I'm coming in." He said I heard the door creak open, those maids dared to leave the door open. I groaned struggling up to my feet as I headed downstairs. The main door leading to the house was locked, it was jus
ORIONI couldn't help but sigh as the packhouse came into sight, that spoiled brat sure has a way of ruining my plans. As much as I was back home, I feared for my life. Alpha Elvis did not tolerate sloppy jobs."Beta Orion!" My head snapped at the direction of the voice. It belonged to the head of guards of the packhouse. "Do you have to scream my head off?" I frowned at him."I have been calling your name for about five minutes now." He said, shaking his head. "Where has your mind wandered to?" He asked."You don't want to know," I muttered gazing towards the door where my judgment lies in wait. "How was your trip?" He asked, it was obvious he was ready for a chit chat but I wasn't in the mood."Is the Alpha home?" I asked feeling stupid, I knew fully well that he was home, if he wasn't why then would he ask me to report?"Yes, he's in the study." The head guard replied, giving me a questioning look. "Well then, go on with your duties." With that, I walked towards the door in fear
SIERRAI released a groan as I lay on my bed with my face up, I felt extremely bored as I gazed up at the ceiling.A knock sounded on the door making me sit up instantly. "Come in." The knob twisted and the door gave way revealing a uniformed maid. "Hello, ma'am." She greeted me with her knees bent slightly. "Hi, what do you want?" I asked staring at her curiously."Someone is downstairs looking for you." She replied. I frowned slightly, "Who might that be?" I asked trying to think."A visitor from your school." She answered. "Oh, Hailey?" She shook her head, "When I asked for her name, she mentioned something like Clara, or was it Clare?" I scoffed in disbelief standing up, "Do you mean Claire?" The maid nodded vigorously, "That is it." She smiled. "She wants to see you."Surprised, I sat back down. "Why would Claire want to see me?" I asked no one in particular. "I have no Idea." The maid answered with a shrug.I couldn't help but feel surprised, she didn't for once hide t
DANEAs Sierra headed upstairs, Kane and Zane headed outside saying they had something to do, I immediately followed Sierra, there were some issues we needed to discuss.Before I could call her to wait up, I noticed that there was a slight change in her walking step, she moved as though she couldn't locate the stairs.Her body swayed and she fell. I was by her side at the speed of lightning, holding her in my arms, while saving her from falling head-first off the stairs."What is the matter?" I asked immediately her eyes fluttered open. We were still on the ground with her in my arms."Dane." She muttered staring at me."You nearly broke all 206 bones in your body," I said raising her as I got up.She chuckled lightly, "Really?""What happened to you?" I asked as we walked to her room. I couldn't risk her walking by herself again, who knew when she might fall?"Nothing, I'm fine really." She replied with her arms wrapped tightly around my neck"Are you sure about that?" I asked again
MAYA"Her fainting spells are becoming worse." The healer said with his eyes fixed on Sierra.My heart couldn't stop pounding hard, it's been that way since Dane came running to us that Siera had passed out in her room. In a panic, Thane had sent the messenger to come with the healer immediately."Please great one, help us find out what's wrong with her?" Thane said with his brows furrowed.I hated making him worried because of me or Sierra.The healer hummed with his eyes hovering over Sierra. He was an old and frail-looking man who supported himself with a crooked stick. His assistant held a bag on his shoulders, he stood by his master with his hands folded, watching."Fetch me the leaf." The healer instructed without taking his gaze Sierra.The assistant immediately searched the bag and he brought out a long, green, and very fresh leaf."Here it is master." Holding it by the tip, he handed it over to the healer."Hmm." The healer grunted taking the leaf with his mouth.He placed h
SIERRAI woke up with a banging headache, and the last thing I recalled was Dane and I inside the bathroom, I remember us getting dressed and leaving the bathroom then after that, nothing.My gaze fell on the entire family staring down at me. Glancing around, I noticed that I wasn't in my room, I was in a room with a small bed on the ground, Dane must have brought me here after I fainted."She's awake," Kane said looking at me with a weird expression on his face."Sierra, are you alright?" Zane asked, shoving his head into my vision.I nodded trying to sit up."What happened?" I asked, my eyes fell on Thane who stood majestically with his arms folded watching me."You passed out," Dane said calmly. "Thank goodness I was with you, you'd have ended up with a nasty cut on your head."I shuddered.Their talks were light but I could tell that once again, I had made everyone worried about me, this was becoming way too much, and soon, they would get tired of me."I'm very very sorry for maki
ZANEMy head was filled with the thoughts of Sierra fainting spells, it was becoming way too frequent that I couldn't help but get worried. The healer himself couldn't pinpoint what was happening to her, yet she was always losing consciousness at intervals."I wonder what's going on," Dane muttered as we watched a crying Maya take Sierra away from the room."Nothing that you should worry yourselves about boys, Maya and I will do the worrying." My father said still staring at the exit where they had walked through.We remained silent, each of us consumed by our thoughts."I didn't get an answer." He had switched over to Daddy's mood."Alright, Dad." We chorused in unison.He grunted.Although he tried to hide it, I could see the worry on his face, he was worried about Maya and Sierra. I could understand him being worried, it's not an easy task watching someone you love go through pain. Maya's tears must have done something to him in the same manner that Sierra's pains were hurting me t
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