The sound of the horn resonated through the quiet night. Boots thundered through the hallways as everyone rushed outside toward the battlefield. Werecats and werewolves were shifting, bones snapping, growls filling the air.
King Alaric passed by, and Kai stopped him. “Thank you for playing the traitor. You got priceless information from Jake.” The vampire king gave a small nod. “It was my pleasure. You know I enjoy games. But I doubt Jake revealed all his plans to me.” Wails, whispered promises, and hurried kisses filled the courtyard in front of the palace, a haunting farewell before war. “Make me proud, son,” Victoria whispered, holding Kai tightly in her arms.Darina hugged her dad and brother, and after kissed Kai with fierce urgency, pressing close. “After our victory, we’ll return and celebrate. Then we’ll makMaya teleported them just in front of the palace. Darina gasped in shock as a loud, animalistic roar pierced the sky. It did not belong to any shifter Darina had ever known, nor to any dark creature. The sound was laced with horror and danger. “Something is in the dungeons!” Darina screamed, motioning for the witches to follow as she darted toward the underground halls. At the dungeon gate, torn-to-pieces corpses lay scattered. Bile rose to Darina’s throat, but she pushed the gate open and stepped inside. The witches followed close behind. Shadows danced under the dim light, blood splattered across the floor in crimson drops - the scene was terrifying. “Maya, please, free the king and the rest,” Darina whispered, moving forward toward the gut-wrenching roar. Maya caught her hand. “It’s too dangerous to go alone. Let’s free everyone first and go together.”
The voice groaned in Kai's head, making his veins bulge and his blood pulse faster. “I told you. Now you see—she ran from the palace to enjoy time with her god. You were supposed to put her in a cell earlier. But you hesitated. You were weak. And now she will gather every reserve to overthrow you. The cunning b*tch craves power.”Kai rubbed his temples, his skull burning as he looked around the wreckage of the room. The harpy queen’s words still rang in his ears—his mate caught in the god’s company. Betrayal cut through him like poisoned steel. She had lied all along, smiling, pretending, deceiving him. The pup she carried was most likely not even his. The thought made his stomach twist with rage.He wanted to scream, tear the world apart, run as fast as he could, but he had already blocked Blake, locking him away so he couldn’t shift. Yet the inner voice clawed at his mind, grinding pain into his bones until he could hardly breathe.But he couldn’t fight
Maya teleported them to the place near the riverbank where the Moon Goddess had once blessed her and Kai with a mate bond.The place where he marked her. The place where they claimed each other. Beautiful memories filled her mind, giving Darina new energy.But this time, the beauty of the river, the silver roses, and the charming glow didn’t touch her. Fear clawed deeper with every breath, a sickening fear that the Moon Goddess would not hear her… that maybe she had already turned away.Maya looked around, admiring the view as if it were a miracle.“Maya, I appreciate all your help, but I think for a prayer, I need to be alone,” Darina said softly, her voice already trembling.Maya nodded in agreement. “I understand.” She pressed a ring into Darina’s palm. “When you need me to come back, just wear the ring, and I will appear.”“Thank you,” Darina muttered, and Maya disappeared.Darina sat by the river, lowering herself into t
Amber’s voice broke as she exclaimed, "I still can’t believe what Kai has done!" "To ally with dark creatures… to throw his own father into a dungeonl," Cassy sobbed, tears strained her cheeks. Her voice trembled as she whispered, "What will he do to Will?" "Nothing," Darina cut in, her tone steady but laced with fire. "I will not let him touch your mates or anyone else. Not while I still breathe." She turned to Maya, her eyes pleading but firm. "Please, take them somewhere safe. Anywhere they cannot be found." "We are not leaving you," Amber shook her head stubbornly. Cassy clutched her arm, nodding silently as if to anchor herself against the storm. Darina’s patience wavered, her voice hardening. "Don’t you see? A legion of harpies and dark witches are hunting us right now. If we stay together, they’ll find us faster. And even after I free Kai from this curse, his so-called all
Darina, after healing Jamie, went slowly to her study, her hands trembling. Her mate she once knew, the one she had trusted and loved with every part of her heart, was gone. What sat in his place now was a stranger, and she didn’t know how to deal with him, didn’t know how to fight something she couldn’t see or touch.She rested her palm against her stomach, clinging to that small spark of life inside her. She needed to keep her pup safe—no matter what.“Talk to him. Try to make him open up to you,” Coral urged softly, worrying in her voice. “Something is wrong with him.”Darina’s lips trembled. “But what if… what if this darkness was always there inside him, and now he’s just letting it out?” she whispered, horrified by her own thought, her chest tightening as if the words themselves were poison.“There is darkness in all of us,” Coral answered, shaking her head. “But this… this is different. I can’t reach Blake anymore, and I’m sc
The area near the flogging pole was swarming with werewolves who had rushed over after hearing the commotion. At first, everyone thought it must be another attack, because public punishment was almost unheard of in their pack. The sight that met them, however, froze blood in veins.Jackie and Colin pushed their way through the crowd, and Jackie’s breath hitched the moment her eyes landed on the pole.Jamie was bound tightly to it, wrists raw and bleeding from the ropes, his body jerking with every strike. Kai stood before him, whip in hand, his face contorted in fury that looked nothing like him. It was twisted, animalistic, as though something darker had taken root inside him. Each crack of leather split the silence and sent shudders through the crowd.Some voices rose, cheering, urging the punishment on. Others shouted in protest, horrified by the brutality. But Kai didn’t even flinch—he didn’t care if the world itself disapproved.Reed looked as tho