The Graceland family stepped out of their respective carriages, along with the beta family. The Luna decided not to take the rest of the pack to the ball as a punishment for their despicable behaviour in the town of Luxair Valley. The four coachmen pulled away; the wooden wheels created a rhythm on the cobblestone path. They stood before the elegant house, a castle really and tried to take in its details: tall, stone columns, trimmed topiaries, everything lit by hundreds of candle flames. The place was so captivating their excitement grew even more, especially the twins. "This will be all mine soon," Margret beamed. "Dream on, Sister. You mean I will be the next Queen of Lycania," Margarita scoffed. "But if you are lucky, I could make you my handmaiden." “You dream on, my scullery maid,” Margret hissed. “Shut up you two,” Magda reprimanded. “At least try and act like you belong here.” They ascended the steps leading up to the French glass-paned doors, which servants ope
Beta Vernon scanned the room for his next possible kill. He spotted Alpha Conroy dancing with the pretty redhead. He had his hand dangerously close to the woman's derrière and his lips were practically sucking on her earlobe. "Dad, wait. Let's think about this first," Victor tried to stop his father from making a scene, but it was too late. The atmosphere got bitter as the people close by stopped what they were doing to watch the show unfold. Vernon seized the alpha by the arm and dragged him away harshly from his dance partner. "What the hell is wrong with you, Vernon? Can't you see I'm busy?" Conroy grunted, checking his cuff to see if it had ripped. "Is she your next victim?" Vernon suggested. Sasha and Sara baring their canines, snarling at the man who stole their virginities. Sally had her claws out, wishing she could tear Conroy's throat out. "Is there a problem?" Tatiana inquired, her views settled on the three angry she-wolves before rolling across Victor's face.
The hour was close to 10 pm. As the council members made their way in, the bells just wouldn't stop chiming. Sara felt a surge of anger and frustration as she rushed out onto the balcony. The night was hot and so was the blood boiling in her veins. The vampire, propped against the wall and feeding on a willing victim, stopped his sucking when he spotted the she-wolf. He observed her with bright red eyes while she tousled her dark curly hair, removing the clips and tossing them onto the ground. He retracted his fangs from the kitchen maid. He murmured in her ear, “It's time to go now.” He discarded the she-lycan like she was nothing. She staggered as she made her way inside, the ringing of the bells drowned out her sluggish footsteps as she sauntered off. The vampire managed to stay hidden beneath the shadows, and he listened to the captivating she-wolf as she cursed herself for being stupid. His supernatural ears stood like antennas as he eavesdropped on the conversation sh
Jessica confidently took a seat in the section of the private balcony that overlooked the throne room. No one could see her since she was looking down through a two-way mirror. She nibbled on some cheese and crackers as she tried to calm her heart. The moment she laid eyes on Magda and her two dreadful daughters making their way to their seats, all her nerves vanished.'How does it feel to see them again?' Sybil inquired. 'I don't know yet,' she answered. She searched the room for the guy who rejected her, but he wasn't in sight. Her eyes quickly found the person he left her for. Crisella wasn't looking her best. Even staring at her from this angle, Jessica picked up on her fatigue and stress. Jessica wiped her hands with the napkin as she caught sight of everyone standing up and dropping to their knees as King Kanyon and Reniece made their entrance down the aisle. She thought Reniece looked great in that silver dress she wore. Kanyon stood tall and impressive, just like always. He
King Kanyon waited patiently for the crowd to quiet down before he spoke once more. He chose to give Sasha a year of hard labor after she had her baby, but she would work on King Osbourne's farms since they were nearest to the Graceland pack. Sara also ended up with a year of hard labor at the Warmblood pack. The king figured that since Sheree was still a minor, her parents should handle her punishment however they want. Vernon was curious about where his oldest child was, while Kanyon was trying to understand why he hadn't spotted King Tomas at all since the meeting began. “With everything in order, I suppose it's finally time to drop the big news you all have been anxious to hear about,” King Kanyon announced. “Annabella will you stand up please," the king said to Anna, who was beaming from ear to ear as she stood up. “Annabella!” Magda breathed in surprise. “Mother,” Margret murmured, “who the hells is this Annabella?”“I have no idea.”Margarita spoke in hushed tones, “Look at
Feeling like a fool, Annabella stood there, feet planted to the ground while she watched another woman make her way down the aisle towards them. She knew now that she didn't belong there. But she had to see this for herself. Who was this mystery woman that the king said was his second-chance mate? Anna realized this moment she was about to witness would be etched in her mind for the rest of her life. She wondered how long the king was sneaking off behind her back with this woman when he was supposed to be engaged to her. Maybe she should just give up, she reflected to herself, but then her son kicked, and her soul mourned. Whatever fairytale she thought she would have with the king was over. Her child won't ever have the opportunity to grow up in the two-parent household she dreamed of for him. Anna glanced at King Kanyon and seeing that handsome smile on his face while he watched this woman strolled up to him made her sick. Annabella knew then and there she wasn't strong enough to
The silence washed over the spectators like a grand tsunami. Kanyon fixed the crown on Jessica's head before leading her to sit on her throne. Shamus was still standing, and he grimaced and with his eyeballs settled on the king, he began to slow clap. "Splendid! This was a brilliant performance, Your Majesty. You gave us the best wine in the land and fed us the rarest delicacy, but this has to be the sweetest dessert I've ever tasted." "What are you babbling about, Elder Shamus?" Kanyon scowled. "Do you think because you are king you can do as you please?" he asked. "This is why I always believed you aren't fit to rule." he mumbled under his breath. "So you feel like helping anyone again try to usurp me?" Kanyon barked. "I knew you always thought I had a hand in the rebellion against you, but I did not.""All I need is some proof, and then you'll be off the council and behind bars where you belong." "THAT'S ENOUGH!" Constance boomed. "King Kanyon even though you say the young l
Everyone in the crowd kept their eyes on Constance as she made her way to the altar. This certainly felt like a dream to her, and she wondered for a moment if she had heard the king right. Was his bride really a Blackwood?The thought lingered heavily in the priestess's mind. All her plans she had for that kingdom were now going up in flames. The priestess stood before Jessica, who had to tilt her head upwards to stare into Constance's purple eyes. Constance gripped her chin and looked over every inch and nook of her face. "She does look a lot like the late Queen Eleanor," she hissed. "That's because my wife is the niece of my late wife, Queen Eleanor Blackwood," Kanyon announced. "Jessica's mother and the late queen were identical twins," Kanyon stated. The audience stayed silent while they tuned in. "So you see, my new wife was born a royal. I could not have chosen a more worthy woman to be my queen than her."The other council members voiced their agreement. This was wonderful ne
The night air was thick with mist, curling like fingers along the crooked streets. In the distance, lycans howled, but here, near the edges of the kingdom, the shadows moved differently—heavier, hungrier.The Baktu glided through the mist like smoke, her form barely visible to mortal eyes. Where she passed, streetlamps flickered and dimmed, casting long, twitching shadows over the cracked pavement.Her target stumbled out of a dingy bar, reeking of ale and regret.Cory.Once a proud man, now reduced to a shell of himself, unshaven, bloodshot eyes, clothes rumpled. He lurched forward, muttering slurred curses under his breath. Constance followed silently, savouring the desperation that rolled off him in waves."Oh Jessica," he muttered, lifting a bottle of moonshine wrapped in a brown paper bag to his head. He still obsessed over her. Still pined for what he had lost—and would never reclaim on his own.Cory kicked a broken bottle down the sidewalk, his boot scuffing the asphalt as he s
June's hands hovered above Daniel's broken body, magic swirling at her fingertips. Her lips pressed into a hard line as she tried spell after spell. The lights flickered, danced—and fizzled out, but nothing else was happening. She felt drained and she felt like giving up. With a frustrated grunt, June finally sat back on her heels. She wiped the sweat from her brow and looked at them all."I can't summon Opal," she said heavily. "Her magic... it's too strong. It's like trying to leash a hurricane with a fishing net. She'll feel the attempt and shake it off."A heavy silence fell over the room."The only way to get her here is," June added. "To go to her and convince her to come to us. The only thing I know is she lives on Mystic Mountain."Ariel tightened her arms around herself, staring down at Daniel, whose pitiful, animalistic whimpers were growing weaker by the second."Mystic Mountain..." Jessica murmured, exchanging a worried glance with Kanyon.DJ's jaw tightened. "Then we go.
Ariel didn't stop running until she reached the far end of the hallway. She had Dante wailing against her chest with one hand and the other holding her phone. Her hands shook so badly she almost dropped her phone as she fumbled to call DJ."Come back here. Now," she gasped the moment he answered. Her voice cracked with panic. "Please — it's Daniel. Something's wrong!"She hung up before he could say anything.Seconds later, DJ came tearing around the corner, his face pale and panicked.He skidded to a stop in front of her, reaching for Dante without hesitation."Take him to Reniece," Ariel choked out, handing the crying baby into DJ's arms. "Don't let Daniel near him. I have to get Queen Jessica and King Kanyon!"Without waiting for a response, Ariel spun and ran. The corridors blurring as she pushed herself faster.She found the King and Queen in their sitting room, hugging. It looked like they had made up after that heated argument earlier. They broke apart the second they saw Arie
The guest suite was too quiet. The kind of silence that pressed down on Ariel's chest and made it hard to breathe.She sat stiffly on the edge of the sofa, nervously twisting the hem of her sweater. Across from her, Daniel shifted in the armchair, his movements stiff, mechanical, wrong.His eyes, which were once so warm and so full of life — now looked hollow, like windows to a house long abandoned.DJ grinned from ear to ear, then he clapped a hand on his father's shoulder."Man, it's good to have you back, Dad," he said, his voice thick with emotion.Daniel smiled weakly but said nothing. His gaze flickered between DJ and Ariel, confusion and unease poorly masked behind that ghost of a smile.Ariel's heart squeezed painfully.He didn’t remember me. Nor did he remembered their son.But worse than that — worse than the empty look in his eyes was the smell.It wasn't fully vampiric, it lacked that sickly-sweet pungency, but it was there.Lingering in the air. Just wrong and unorthodox.
The heavy doors to their quarters slammed shut behind them with a deafening boom. Jessica flinched at the sound but refused to cower. She stood her ground as Kanyon paced in front of the fireplace, the muscles in his jaw ticking furiously. Yes, he was upset when he found out that Jessica dabbled in dark magic to bring Daniel back to life. But this, finding out that Constance is now a Baktu made everything even more detrimental. The temperature in the room felt hotter than the flames licking the hearth, the fury rolling off Kanyon in suffocating waves."You went behind my back," Kanyon growled, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. "You. My Queen. The one person I should be able to trust above all others!"Jessica crossed her arms defiantly. "I did what needed to be done, Kanyon. You don't understand—""No! You don't understand!" he roared, whipping around to face her. His eyes, usually molten gold with warmth, now blazed like wildfire. "You brought back a dead Alpha using forbidden mag
"King Kanyon!" Daniel bowed. "What is going on and why am I here?" Daniel strode over to the king while he finished buttoning his shirt. "Alpha Daniel. Is that really you?""Of course it is, Your Majesty. Is this some kind of April Fool's joke?" he scoffed. "I wish it was," Cameron mumbled. "What's the last thing you remember?" Kanyon asked. "Well, Sofia and I had just celebrated our twentieth wedding anniversary. First, we wandered through the park, then we ran a bit in wolf form, and after that, we went to bed. The next thing I knew I was waking up on that table over there," he finished, pointing to the mage's gurney-like table. "Father, that was over ten years ago," DJ spoke up. "Mom has been dead for fifteen years."Daniel's eyes landed on the tall, muscular man that just called him father. He looked like his son, but a way more mature version. "DJ, is that you? But you look so old. And Sofia is not dead. She can't be." "I'm thirty-five now, Dad, and yes, mom is dead." "How
"Cameron, what's going on? Everything started shaking, and I thought we were having an earthquake," Ren rushed into her husband's arms the moment she laid eyes on him. His gaze wandered to Theodore, who had a terrified Falcon in his arms."No, it's not an earthquake." He kissed the top of his wife's head before spreading a viral message through the pack link, urging all castle residents to get to their bedrooms, lock their doors, and widows then fortify the entrances with Moon Petals. He instructed the guards to secure every entrance and exit in the castle with Moon Petals as well. No one should come in or go out. "Are we under attack?" Falcon asked as he sank his face into Theodore's chest. The vampire prince held his mate tightly, stroking his shoulder for comfort. "No, but someone is doing something inside the castle that they shouldn't be doing," Cam let out. "Everyone stay close together and follow me. We're going to Lucy's chambers."******"Your Majesty," one of the nannies b
King Kanyon sat down at the head of the table while he conducted this meeting. “Cameron, is the Graceland kid still lurking around the town?” Kanyon inquired. “You mean Cory? Yes, he’s still being a creep. My informants told me he has been spending most of his time in the crafts shops,” Cam chuckled. “Why the hell was he still here?” Kanyon gritted his teeth. “I don’t know, but as long as he doesn’t come near the castle, and near Twinkle, I’m good,” Cam added. “Is there anything you’d like to add, DJ? Do you need any help with anything?” Kanyon asked DJ. “No. I cannot think of anything right now, but if I do, I’ll let you know,” he stated and the king could taste the sorrow on DJ as the young Alpha spoke, but he kept his composure. DJ's voice didn't crack once. “So Annabella is really gone?" he asked, leaning back in his seat with his palms resting flat on the table. "I'm sorry, man. I know how much she meant to you," Cameron rested a palm on DJ's shoulder. "Thank you, Master
“You will not have either of us!” Jessica exclaimed in a fit of rage as she confronted the being possessing her cousin. "Let me help you rephrase that,” it smirked. “I cannot have you — yet," Constance put emphasis on the word ‘yet’ which made Jessica angrier. Constance felt Ariel's soul fighting for its body back. "It looks like my time here is running out. Even though I know you've been warned already Queen Jessica, but I think I will warn you again. Mistress Paloma says Alpha Daniel's soul already belongs to her, so if you do this spell and bring him back to life, then there will be grave consequences.""What kind of consequences?" June asked. "The bad kind," Constance let out. She felt Ariel pushing her out now. "I will go now, but one of you has to break the seal." June walked up to her and used her foot to break the circle. Ariel began to throw up what looked and smelt like tar. Jessica sprinted to her side and held her hair away from her face. The tar transformed into black