The Void and the Vow

The walls of the mansion groaned. The magic shields didn't just break; they exploded. A thick, red fog poured into the room through the broken windows. It smelled like old blood and cold metal.

"Kaima, get behind me!" Rowan roared.

His body was changing. His muscles grew huge, and a silver light moved under his skin. The black crown mark on his neck was glowing so bright it looked like it was burning him.

"No, Rowan," I said. My voice sounded deep and scary, like a beast’s growl. "I’m not hiding anymore."

A monster jumped through the window. It wasn't a wolf. It was a "Hound of the Void"—a creature made of black smoke and giant white teeth. Its eyes were like two pits of fire. It let out a scream that made my bones shake.

Rowan jumped at it. He tackled the monster mid-air, his long black claws ripping into its chest. But the monster didn't die. The smoke just moved back together and healed.

"You can't kill a ghost, Alpha!" a voice shouted from the fog.

I looked at the window. A man in a bone mask was floating in the mist. It was a Council Elder.

"The First Fang must be captured!" the Elder yelled. "Give us the girl, Rowan, or everyone in your pack dies!"

"You want her?" Rowan snarled. He was pinning another monster to the floor with his bare hands. "Come and take her. But I will kill you before you touch her!"

Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my chest. I gasped and fell to my knees. Because of our soul-bond, I could feel everything Rowan felt. Every time a monster scratched him, I felt the cut on my own body.

"Rowan, stop!" I cried. "It’s hurting you because of me!"

"I don't care," Rowan wheezed. Blood was dripping down his face. "I would die for you, Kaima."

The Elder laughed. "How sweet. Monsters, tear him apart! Leave the girl for me."

Three more smoke-monsters circled Rowan. He was fast, but he was getting tired. These things couldn't be killed by normal teeth and claws.

Let me out, the Beast hissed in my head. The Alpha is dying for you. Stop being a coward. Let. Me. Out!

I looked at Rowan. He was on one knee now. A monster had its teeth sunk deep into his shoulder. He didn't scream, but he looked at me with eyes full of love.

"Run... Kaima..." he whispered.

That was it. Something snapped inside me. The "weak girl" died right there.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" I screamed.

The sound was like a bomb going off. A wave of purple energy hit the monsters and slammed them into the walls. I stood up. The floor under my feet turned to ash. My skin was covered in glowing purple marks.

The Elder’s mask cracked. "What is that?"

"You wanted the Beast?" I said. My voice sounded like two people talking at once. "Here it is."

I reached my hand out toward a monster. I didn't even touch it. I just closed my fist.

The smoke-monster let out a choked sound. Its body was sucked into my hand like water down a drain. I didn't feel tired; I felt a huge rush of power.

I moved faster than a bullet. One second I was across the room, the next I was standing over Rowan.

A monster tried to jump on me. I caught it by the throat with one hand. I ripped its head off like it was made of paper. The white fire in its eyes went out.

"Kaima..." Rowan gasped, looking at me in shock.

I walked toward the Elder on the balcony. Every step I took made the house shake. The Elder tried to run, but the shadows on the floor rose up like snakes and grabbed his legs. They dragged him down and slammed him into the stone.

"The Council are cowards," I spat, looking down at him. My eyes were glowing bright violet.

"Please!" the Elder begged.

"Go back to the Council," I said. "Tell them the girl they hated is gone. Tell them the Beast is hungry. And tell my ex-mate, Damon, that I am coming for his throne next."

I didn't kill him. I pressed my thumb onto his forehead. A purple mark burned into his skin. He screamed in pain and ran away into the fog, crying like a baby.

The monsters vanished. The red fog went away. The room was a mess, but the fight was over.

The power left my body, and I felt dizzy. My legs gave out.

Strong arms caught me.

"I’ve got you," Rowan whispered.

He was human again, but he was covered in deep cuts. He didn't care about his injuries. He held me close to his chest. I could hear his heart beating fast.

"You saved me," he said. His voice was shaky. "No one has ever killed a Void Hound before."

"I’m not a normal girl anymore," I whispered. I looked up at him. "Rowan... I had a vision during our bond."

"What did you see?" He moved a piece of hair out of my eyes. He was so gentle.

"I saw a throne," I said. "I saw you wearing a crown of thorns. And I saw myself... holding a knife. I was going to kill you."

Rowan didn't look scared. He didn't pull away. He put his forehead against mine.

"Then kill me," he whispered. "If I ever become a monster, or if I ever stand in your way... I want you to be the one to end me. I am yours, Kaima. Do whatever you want with me."

"Don't say that," I said, but he kissed me before I could finish.

The kiss tasted like blood and salt, but it was the best thing I had ever felt. I could feel his wounds starting to heal just by being near me. Our bond was making him strong again.

When we stopped kissing, I saw something.

A black bird was sitting on the window. It had amber eyes—the same eyes as my ex-mate, Damon. It was watching us.

"He was spying on us," I said, pointing at the bird.

"Let him watch," Rowan growled. His eyes flashed silver. "Let him see what he threw away. Because tomorrow, we stop hiding. Tomorrow, my army marches."

I looked at the mark on Rowan’s neck. It looked like a purple crown now. It was a promise of war.

"Rowan?" I asked. He picked me up in his arms.

"Yes, my Queen?"

"Get your men ready. I don't just want to beat Damon. I want to destroy the Council."

Rowan laughed. It was a dark, happy sound. "Whatever you want, Kaima."

He carried me out of the room. Outside, the forest was dark and quiet. Somewhere out there, Damon was probably celebrating his new marriage. He thought he was safe. He thought I was nothing.

He was wrong. I was the Origin. And I was coming for his head.