Fiends of every size and shape swarmed the palace, inside and out. Screams and sobs of werewolves tangled with the shrill cackles of demons, echoing off the stone walls. Warriors fought with everything they had to protect their pack and homeland, but it was not enough.
Maya appeared with five witches at her side, more arriving behind them, yet their magic was only a drop in the ocean against the endless demon army.“We have to hold until sunrise!” Maya shouted. “The sunlight will burn them!”King Lucas and Reed exchanged a grim look. Sunset had only just fallen. At this rate, no one would live to see dawn.Deep in the bunker, Amber thrashed against Cassy, Camilla, and Kelly as they tried to restrain her.“I need to fight! I can’t just hide here!” she screamed.“Amber, think of your pup,” Cassandra urged. “He needs you safe.”Amber’s voice cracked. “He needs his father! If Reed falls, what, then? I have toThe palace was about to explode with cheers and applause from the pack members when they saw their prince and princess return. After such dark times of continuous battles, their return felt like a token of hope.Amber, Kelly, Cassandra, and Camilla all jumped, fighting each other to hug Darina first. Jackie also gave her a warm welcome.King Lucas, Reed, and Will enveloped Kai in a group hug, happy to see him alive and well."How did you manage to free him? What does the god's realm look like? Tell us everything!" exclaimed Cassandra."Do you know we were attacked by harpies?" chimed in Kelly."And fiends," Cassandra bounced on her spot."And succubi," said Amber, sending a displeased look to Reed, who only rolled his eyes playfully.Darina mumbled, "Looks like you had quite an eventful few days. Did you get many casualties?""The palace and all of us were drenched in blood. So many dead, injured. Terrible. Did
Time was passing, but Darina was silent. Her throat went dry, and her head was spinning. She definitely wanted her mate to be alive and well. But she could not imagine their separation, neither. Ares voice shattered the silence, "Eternal life and being loved by god seems not enough for you?" Darina tried to restrain herself, but stress of past days suddenly let her control shattered, and she snapped, "Love? What could you possibly know about love? Sitting in gods realm, so mighty and arrogant, just toying with mortal lives because of boredom. You are incapable of love. Love is not to desire someone, to cage them like your personal toy, not to restrain someone, and corner them to submission. Love is about sacrifice, about giving wings, and treating their needs above yours." Her eyes were burning with fire, "You acted like I have a choice, but you know I have any. I value the life and happiness of my mate more than my own. Of course, I want
They were only a few hours away from Ares' palace. Darina’s feet moved faster, as fast as her heart pounded in exhilaration at the thought of seeing her mate. The fear of a failed negotiation gnawed at her, but she pushed the dark thoughts away. Somehow, she clung to a stubborn belief in a good outcome. The outline of the massive palace of white marble loomed on the horizon. “Almost there,” Darina whispered, quickening her pace. She was nearly running, driven by hope and joy, too happy to notice that Atlas was growing gloomier with every step. Darina could already see the grand columns and the towering entrance doors, no less than three meters high and wide. The doors seemed to beckon her, and her heart leapt from her chest. An hour later, Darina stepped through the doors with Atlas at her heels, and a vast throne room spread before her. Spacious and filled with light from the large windows, it held only a few scu
Fiends of every size and shape swarmed the palace, inside and out. Screams and sobs of werewolves tangled with the shrill cackles of demons, echoing off the stone walls. Warriors fought with everything they had to protect their pack and homeland, but it was not enough.Maya appeared with five witches at her side, more arriving behind them, yet their magic was only a drop in the ocean against the endless demon army.“We have to hold until sunrise!” Maya shouted. “The sunlight will burn them!”King Lucas and Reed exchanged a grim look. Sunset had only just fallen. At this rate, no one would live to see dawn.Deep in the bunker, Amber thrashed against Cassy, Camilla, and Kelly as they tried to restrain her.“I need to fight! I can’t just hide here!” she screamed.“Amber, think of your pup,” Cassandra urged. “He needs you safe.”Amber’s voice cracked. “He needs his father! If Reed falls, what, then? I have to
"There's no point in moving now as night is approaching. You slept the whole afternoon," said Atlas, stacking wood to start a fire. "Thank you for saving my life again," muttered Darina. She was a little upset that she had wasted half of the day and prolonged their journey, but if Atlas had not saved her, she would never even reach the palace. He grinned ear to ear. "Always a pleasure. But be more careful." Once the flames of fire were dancing high enough to keep them warm and to scare wild creatures away, Atlas magically arranged dinner of roasted meat, vegetables, and even got wine. He raised his glass. "To the beautiful woman next to me." Darina blushed and made a sip. Atlas was unnaturally quiet, staring into the fire, and Darina started the conversation to brighten the evening. "How is it to be a spirit? Do you ever feel lonely?" "Eternal l
After the attack of the harpies, everyone in the palace was utterly exhausted, yet the daily work still had to be done. The halls were quiet, heavy with fatigue, as if the very stones of the palace walls had absorbed the despair and weight of battle. Reed glanced down at his watch—it was still only 4 pm. The endless afternoon dragged on. His gaze shifted to the piles of documents stacked on Kai's table, the large volume of them mocking him, and he sighed deeply. Resting was a distant dream; he knew that for the next few hours, he would not get even a moment of it.Tiredness gnawed at him, making his limbs heavy. Reed felt dizzy, the room tilting slightly as his vision blurred. He rubbed at his burning eyes, but the irritation only deepened. His eyelids grew heavier with every blink, each second threatening to pull him into unwanted sleep. Just for one minute, he allowed his eyes to close, surrendering briefly to the darkness.That was when he felt it—soft fingers b