Mag-log in"The world breaks everyone, and afterward many are strong at the broken places."— Ernest Hemingway.CAMELLIA He definitely didn't hold back.He wasn’t gentle, not entirely.One hand pinched my nipple while the other traced circles around my soaking folds, his finger brushing teasingly against the slick slit I was already desperate to feel filled.I whimpered, arching into him, hips rolling, trying to chase the pleasure his hands promised.Then he brought out the first toy, a sleek, vibrating wand.We had definitely advanced our sex life over the years.He pressed it against the peak of my nipple, and I cried out, the sensation a mix of pin-prick sharpness and deep, humming pleasure. My hands clawed at his shoulders, but he held me down, his thumbs brushing over the sensitive skin around my nipples.“You’re so wet for me already,” he growled, sliding a finger inside me slowly, giving me just enough friction to make me whimper without release.My breath hitched, chest heaving as he al
“Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.” —Khalil Gibran. FIVE YEARS LATER CAMELLIA Everyone was dead. And it was all my fault. I didn’t regret it in any way. “Cam, no, CAM!” Damien screamed, his voice cracking like he was the one burning. I didn’t even look at him. The flames did most of the talking. They licked up the walls, swallowed the bodies, erased the last five years like the universe finally agreed with me: some things deserve to end ugly. A door clicked open behind us. “You guys make a lot of noise for people playing video games,” Lucien scoffed, strolling in with our fourth baby strapped to his chest like he was leading a seminar instead of entering a warzone. I dropped the controller. “Five. Fucking. Wins. In a row, yes!” I hooted, jumping to my feet. “Mommy said a bad word!” Aria chirped as she wandered in with her twin brother, both holding juice boxes like tiny judges. Lucien raised a brow.
"The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other’s life." – Richard Bach ALANNA I was becoming a mother whether I was ready or not. The first contraction rolled through my body like distant thunder, quiet but impossible to ignore. My hand drifted to my belly as if I could soothe the life inside me. “Not now,” I whispered to no one, to the universe, and to the child who suddenly decided today was the day. “That motherfucking fucker father of yours isn’t here yet!” I groaned, clutching the couch arm like it was the only thing keeping me from ascending to the ancestors. Lilah, bless her panicking soul, grabbed the phone for the fifth time and dialed Damien again like maybe this attempt would magically teleport him. “Baby, I’m on my way!” Damien’s voice blasted through the speaker, followed by the loudest Lagos-level traffic honking I’d ever heard. “I couldn’t shift, so I’m stuck in traffic with humans and their fucking way of life—”
"One for all, and all for one." — Alexandre Dumas. LUCIEN I felt two things when death started creeping in after I drank the poison, pain and regret. The pain came first. Sharp. Tearing. Burning. Like someone had set my blood on fire and sealed my lungs from the inside. The regret followed just as violently. Not for dying. But for leaving Camellia and our babies in a world where Leonardo still breathed. But now, thanks to Nyla… I had a second chance. And I sure as hell wasn’t going to waste it. “Don’t let Vorath escape,” I managed, my voice rough. Damien scoffed like I’d just told him the sky was purple. “I’ve been watching the bastard try to slither out of here since he hit the ground,” he said, grinding his heel into Vorath’s hand. The sickening crunch of breaking bones was… satisfying. Pathetic thing. “Careful,” Camellia breathed as she rushed to my side when I tried to stand. “I’m okay, baby.” I flashed her a weak smile, forcing my legs to steady beneath me. Ev
"There is no light without shadow and no psychic wholeness without imperfection." — Carl Jung. NYLA I’d never done this before. Hell, I’d only witnessed it once and that was by one of the strongest witches I knew. Now everyone was counting on me. And all I could think was how badly I was going to fail them. “Hold him down,” I said, praying my voice didn’t betray the panic clawing at my chest. Rowan and Damien immediately moved to restrain Lucien while Darius tore at his clothing with shaking hands, ripping until Lucien was left in nothing but his briefs. His body convulsed again, harder this time, the veins under his skin turning darker and spreading faster. I swallowed, my stomach twisting even further. This wasn’t supposed to be me. But there was no one else. And he didn’t have time. “Please save him, Nyla… please,” Camellia whispered, her hands clasped so tightly her knuckles had gone white. Tears streaked her cheeks as she watched the man she loved convulse violent
“Even the darkest night will end… but not for everyone.” —Adapted from Victor Hugo. ROWAN I was about to lose another best friend, and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it. My throat still burned from the poison in the air, but nothing burned as much as the sight of Lucien collapsing in front of us. “Lucien… what did he give you? Please, just tell me.” I dragged myself toward him, where he was still hunched beside Camellia, barely holding himself upright. The veins along his neck were turning a sickening shade of blue, and Camellia kept tapping his cheek, desperate, trying to force his eyes to stay open. Leonardo stood at the doorway of his office like he owned the moment, arms crossed, expression unreadable, watching us fall apart. “You bastard, what did you do to him?” Damien snarled, fisting his collar, but even he was slipping. His grip trembled; even he was barely holding himself up. We were all still fighting to stay on our feet, still dragging in thin, burn







