LOGINPeggy pressed the glowing coin into the Warden's palm.The figure—tall, shrouded, neither male nor female—examined it, then, without a word, they stepped aside.A door appeared where there had been nothing.Peggy walked through.***Killian's Living RoomThe atmosphere was heavy with grief.Katherine sat rigid in her chair, her face carefully controlled. Kael slouched on the couch, another glass of whiskey in his hand, his eyes red-rimmed but dry. Killian stood by the window, staring out at nothing. Annie perched on the arm of the couch, her hand resting gently on Dante's shoulder.Dante sat with his head buried in his hands, elbows on his knees, completely still.Not crying.Just... broken.Annie's voice was soft when she spoke. "I'm so sorry, Dante. I'm so, so sorry for your loss. Peggy was—she was incredible. And I know that doesn't help, but—""It's such a tragic thing," Katherine said quietly. "She had great potential. She could have been one of the most powerful witches of her g
Dante's hands moved to the hem of Peggy's shirt, and she didn't stop him. He lifted it carefully, his fingers trembling, needing to see for himself—needing to know if it was real.The incoming death mark on her back had always been there. But now it was red.Bright, angry red, like her veins had been filled with fire instead of blood.Dante's breath left him in one sharp exhale."I thought I was ready," Peggy whispered, her voice breaking. "I thought I'd accepted it. I thought I could face death with dignity, with peace. But now that it's really happening—" A sob tore from her throat. "I can't. I can't, Dante. I don't want to die.""Peggy—""It's not fair." Her voice rose, desperate and furious and heartbroken all at once. "It's not fair. I'm twenty-six years old. I should have decades left. I should get to live. I should get to have a future. Have kids. I'm a good person, Dante." She inhaled through the tears. "Why do i get to die so soo, and a monsters like Belarie are left to walk
Jeffrey moved closer to Annie, and before anyone could react, he reached out and took her hand. Killian’s entire body went rigid. He stepped forward— “It’s okay.” Annie’s voice was quiet but firm. She didn’t pull away. She just looked at Jeffrey, and something inside her… knew. She couldn’t explain it. Couldn’t rationalize it. But looking into this boy’s eyes felt like staring into a mirror that showed her the future instead of the present. This was her son. “Don’t let him come close,” Kael said sharply, his hand moving toward his weapon. “We don’t know if that’s true. This could be one of Belarie’s tricks. We don’t know what he is—” “I know,” Annie said, her voice steady with absolute certainty. “I don’t know how I know. But I do.” She looked up at Jeffrey, tears filling her eyes. “I don’t understand… How are you here? So tall and… grown? I just had you days ago. You’re a baby. How are you standing here telling me you’re from the future?” “Wait.” Killian’s voice cut through
Belarie stood transfixed, watching the fire robot cradle Jeffrey with a gentleness that shouldn't have been possible. The baby's tiny hand rested against the robot's glowing chest, and he was calm—peaceful in a way he hadn't been with anyone else.Belarie's mind was swirling, melting, fragmenting into pieces he couldn't quite fit back together.Five hundred years of planning. Of singular, obsessive purpose.And now—Now, he couldn't even hold a knife steady.He raised his hand, and fire spiralled from his palm, forming a portal that burned bright against the stone walls. Without a word, he grabbed the terrified hospital worker by the arm and shoved her through it.She stumbled into wherever the portal led—probably back to the hospital, back to her own baby—and the portal snapped shut behind her.Onika's eyes searched his face, trying to read what he was thinking and what he was planning."What are you going to do with him?""Stop looking at me like that," Belarie said, his voice rough
Belarie's grip on Onika's wrist was iron. His eyes bored into hers with an intensity that made her breath catch."There's more work to be done," he said softly."Let me go." Onika tried to pull away, but his fingers didn't budge. "You have the baby. Our deal is done. Let me—""Look at me."The compulsion slammed into her again. Her eyes snapped to his against her will, her body going rigid.Belarie's voice dropped to that terrible, silken tone she remembered from the balcony. "You will stay in this monastery. You will not leave. You will not do anything. You will remain until I say otherwise. Do you understand?""Yes—" The word choked out in her throat.The compulsion settled over her like chains she couldn't see but could feel in every cell of her body.Belarie released her wrist.Onika stumbled backwards, her hands flying to her throat even though there was nothing there. She tried to take a step toward the door—her body simply wouldn't obey. She could move around the space and coul
Killian stood frozen on the highway, trying to process what Dante had just told him.Onika took your son.The words didn't make sense. They couldn't. Onika—loyal, fierce, protective Onika—had taken Jeffrey the moment Annie gave birth and delivered him straight to Belarie.But there was no time.No time to rage, no time to break, no time to let the hybrid fury building in his chest explode into the violence it wanted to become.Annie was still bleeding out miles away, and she needed Katherine's healing spell. "Mom, get in the car." Killian's voice was flat, controlled—the kind of control that comes right before something shatters. He turned to Katherine. "Now."Katherine didn't argue. She slid into the passenger seat of Candice's car, and Killian was behind the wheel before she even closed the door.The engine roared.And they were gone.The remaining group stood scattered across the highway like survivors of a shipwreck—Kael, Dante, Candice, Darius, Eloise, Lady Eden, and Lady Eliana
Alpha grabbed the witch by her arm firmly and pulled her to her feet.“Get whatever you need,” he ordered.“And get in the car. You’re taking us to your house. You’re doing the spell. And then you’re giving me the name of the witch who hexed Adam.”She gulped but didn’t argue this time.Kael steppe
Alpha already had one of his boys to drive Annie home, seeing she was very dizzy and was so uncomfortable in her dress and heels. Kael had to use the washroom. He had scrubbed his face so hard, changed into one of the spare shirts stored at the family's private property for emergency use and sleepo
Doctor Owen rubbed his face with his two hands, clearly overwhelmed. “I'm afraid you are correct Alpha. The target here is obviously Annie. They want to make you choose between Adam and Annie.”Alpha stopped pacing, he stood staring at Adam “When I find whoever did this to you, I'm going to make th
As at the time Alpha and his brothers were still looking for the witch who had hexed Adam, a different kind of chaos was going on in his villa.The whole villa had gone quiet.Inside one of the rooms, Adam lay on a narrow bed. His wrists were bound with soft silver restraints meant to protect him i







