HAYLEE~~My heart was pounding, relentless and deafening.It raced uncontrollably, each beat echoing in my ears like a relentless drum. The faster it soared, the louder the sound became, drowning out everything else. Every piece of bad news I received—from people I trusted, people I thought wouldn’t give up on me—caused it to thud harder, as if my chest itself were breaking apart.When I heard that there was no other way, it shattered me more profoundly than words can express.But when my mom muttered to me with the softest voice and eyes, the cool hands of peace gripped my burning heart, putting it to rest in a way that made me sigh out with relief.“... But we will revive you, Nerina. I will revive you—even if I have to die to make your heart beat again.”I didn’t know when I burst into tears or when I began to fall. I didn’t know when my mate got to me and gathered the shattered pieces of me into his arms. I didn’t know when I became a wailing mess, but I did know that relief wa
ALPHA KING XALEN~~“We have searched books and reached out to everyone we know who is spiritually inclined and knowledgeable, Queen Haylee,” Gladys started, explaining to Haylee, whose face was as blank as a white sheet.I couldn’t do the explaining because I feared I would communicate nothing but the horrors eating away at my heart and soul, and from what I could tell, Aradia wasn’t interested in breaking the news to Haylee either.Same with Flavia and Lexie, who had both gone mute behind Haylee.“Fuck! We failed her,” Theo cried out within me, letting fear get the best of him even though Gladys wasn’t done explaining.Rather than respond to him and let fear consume me, I remained still and quiet, listening as Gladys continued, “We have done our best, but sadly, we can’t find a different way to break the Crimson Curse.”“W-what?” Haylee stuttered, her emotions breaking past the walls she had put up. Her eyes flickered to me briefly before she looked back at Gladys and said, “But X
HAYLEE~~“We came up with something!”Over the past month, I've heard those words more times than I can count—so many, in fact, that "a couple" no longer feels accurate. Along with it, I've also heard, “We found something!” or “There’s another way!”It has been exactly one month since my loved ones started desperately searching for ways to save me. And in that time, I’ve ridden a rollercoaster of emotions—hope, fear, frustration, and everything in between.This month initially brought a glimmer of hope, but after many unfruitful attempts suggested by my mom, Xalen, and even the Healers, I’ve begun to feel that hope fading. It now seems as though I am destined to remain trapped in this terrifying fate, with no way out in sight.It’s crucial to mention that it has been confirmed that the Crimson sacrifice is real, and yes, since my mom has another child like me, either Lexie or I have to be the sacrificial wolf. Even Aradia, who had made the healers’ building her permanent home, has
HAYLEE~~“Hell no!”I didn’t know how long it took me to say those two words and break the silence that had settled over the room.I noticed how Sophia and Asher looked my way with sad eyes. To them, Lexie taking my place sounded pleasing because it was no big deal as long as I was safe. However, it was a different case for me.Kaylee took my place, and I would be damned if I let another sister, whether I knew her or not, do the same and die on me.“Haylee, please. Don’t be emotional now—” Lexie began.But I cut her off by raising my finger. I let my eyes shift to Sophia and Asher before my trembling lips stretched to form a convincing smile. “You guys have nothing to worry about, okay? I’m not leaving or dying because I know I have to be here for you.”“You promise?” Asher asked breathlessly, his red, teary eyes piercing into my soul.“I promise, Ash,” I responded, even though I didn’t know what the future held for me. “So stay calm and go play with your friends in the lounge.”“I
HAYLEE~~I didn’t notice my mate’s absence until the next afternoon. Yes, I was that interested in everything Lexie had to say, which was a lot.If I were interested in writing, I would have written more than three books from Lexie’s tales, even though she was just sixteen years old. The only time she stopped talking was when we all fell asleep, and when I say all, I mean Lexie, Aradia, and me.We all spent the night in Aradia’s suite… on the same bed.Although I remember saying goodnight to Roy and Flavia when they left the suite last night, not once did I think about the fact that the kids were alone at home because I believed Xalen was with them.That belief remained until Sophia and Asher ran into the suite that afternoon, yelling, “You left us alone in that big house!”The accusation in their voices was sharp, and so was the hot glare they fixed on the center of my face. I was snapped out of the moment I was having with Lexie and our mom when I heard the familiar voice, and the
ALPHA KING XALEN~~“That seems like a waste of time,” Theo gruffed as I walked away from Allison, whose words had shoved me further into the dark state of dilemma.I couldn’t disagree or agree with my wolf because I was very confused. Lexie might be untrustworthy, but so was Allison. Although I could sense the intense hate she harbored towards Lexie, I wasn’t certain I could trust that hate.“But she was also telling the truth,” Theo said to me. “We could sense that as well.”“Yes, but do not forget that even Lexie was telling the truth from what we could sense,” I reminded my wolf, pulling him into my confusion. Theo went silent after that, thinking about our situation, but I blurted, “Let’s head to the prison and see if Wyatt has made any progress with Richard.”“Hmm hmm,” Theo agreed. “Hopefully, we will get clarity there.”I held onto that hope as I raced to the prison because I couldn’t bear to stay away from Haylee for much longer. My heart kept racing because I knew she coul