Chapter 3

Darkness.

That's the first thing I notice as my consciousness slowly washes over me.

It wraps around me like a second skin, thick, suffocating, endless. I try to open my eyes, but the effort feels like dragging boulders uphill. My limbs are heavy, my throat dry, and the taste of metal coats my tongue.

A low hum vibrates through the air. Machines? Engines? I can’t tell. The sound merges with the pounding in my head until I can’t distinguish one from the other.

Then I hear it, voices.

“She’s stabilizing,” a man says, his tone clinical. “Whatever’s in her blood helps her adapt faster than the last one.”

The last one?

I force my eyelids apart. Blinding white light floods my vision. I blink rapidly until the shapes around me start to make sense. Stainless steel walls, single bed – the one I'm currently on – straps across my wrists and ankles, tubes running from my arm into a machine that beeps in slow, rhythmic intervals.

I’m not in a police station anymore.

A woman in a white coat stands beside me, typing into a holographic screen. The shorter man from before leans against the far wall, arms crossed, watching me with detached interest. The taller one isn’t here, but somehow his presence still lingers, like a shadow that refuses to leave.

My throat burns when I try to speak. “Where… am I?”

The woman doesn’t answer. Neither does the man.

My pulse spikes. I tug at the restraints, but they don’t budge. Panic rises in my chest. “Where the hell am I?” I scream this time, voice cracking.

The man steps closer, eyes gleaming faintly under the light. “You are currently under observation. You should rest for now, you'll need it.”

Observation?

What I'm I? Some newly discovered species?

I glare at him. “You drug me, drag me away from my parents, and strap me to a bed, all for what? Some sick observation? “?”

He studies me for a moment, then smiles faintly. “You’re stronger than the others. That’s good. You’ll need it when the council asks for you.”

Before I can ask what that means, the lights flicker. The machines whine and sputter, and the woman curses under her breath and rushes to the console.

The air changes, charged, electric, like a storm about to break. My skin tingles, and the familiar ache builds in my chest. The familiar vibration at my fingertip returns.

No, not now.

The restraints rattle as heat spreads through my veins. The machines go haywire, beeping uncontrollably. Sparks shoot from the wires near my wrist.

The man swears and reaches for something on his belt, but it’s too late. I can't control it anymore. The light around me explodes, bursting outward like wildfire.

The next sound I hear is the shatter of glass, and then, screaming.

~~~

When I wake again, the world smells like rain and smoke.

My head throbs, every beat of my pulse sending ripples of pain through my skull. Cold air brushes against my skin. I’m no longer strapped down—thank God—but my wrists ache where the cuffs once held me.

I blink hard and look around.

I’m in the back of another vehicle. Through the tinted windows, I catch glimpses of towering spires and a sky that doesn’t belong to Earth. It's the same as the regular night sky with the moon and star, but there's something inhumane about the air.

“What…where is this?” I whisper, voice raw.

“You’re awake,” says the same tall man from before. He’s seated across from me, unbothered, as if dragging girls from one place to another is part of his daily routine. His coat is darker now, dusted with ash. “Good. The council has been expecting you.”

“The council?” I echo, groaning as I push myself upright. “You people keep throwing around words like ‘council’ and ‘realm’ like this is some fantasy movie. Tell me where I am!”

His eyes flash—a color that shouldn’t exist. “Fernis,” he says simply. “The realm of wolves. The balance between worlds and where the council resides.”

I laugh, a sharp, broken sound. “Right. And I’m supposed to believe that?”

He doesn’t answer. Instead, the car slows, gliding to a stop before what looks like a palace carved from ancient stones. Jagged towers pierce the night sky, each one humming faintly, like it’s alive.

The door opens, and cold air floods in.

Two guards—definitely not human—wait outside. Their eyes gleam gold in the dim light, and their armor seems to pulse like it’s breathing. One of them grips my arm, not roughly, but firmly enough that I know struggling is useless.

The tall man steps out first, adjusting his gloves. “Do not speak unless spoken to,” he warns. “Do not look any of the rulers in the eye. If you value your life.”

One of the guards sneer. “She'll die anyway. Might as well piss Kaelen off.”

Barely three hours ago, I was at work, having a casual and boring day, as usual. Now here I am, about to face a certain council, who from all indications wants me dead.

Great! Best birthday ever.

The man gestures for me to follow. My legs feel like jelly as I step onto the black stone steps leading up to the palace. The deeper we go, the more oppressive the air becomes—thick with power, with ancient magic that hums beneath my skin.

The great doors open on their own.

Inside, the hall is vast—pillars of crystal and flame lining the sides, leading to a raised dais where three figures sit upon thrones that couldn’t be more different.

To the left, a man with eyes like liquid fire and an aura of control that screams Alpha. To the right, a creature too beautiful to be real with long white hair, sharp ears, and an otherworldly glow. Between them, lounging carelessly on his throne, is a man looking like the vampires in movies – pale translucent skin, dark hair falling across red eyes that meet mine with lazy curiosity.

The moment I step inside, the air shifts.

It’s subtle at first—a pull in my chest, like something inside me recognizes them. My pulse quickens. The same energy that always hums under my skin starts to burn hotter, hungrier.

The tall man bows deeply. “My Lords, my Prince, per the elders’ command, and as tradition demands, the girl has been brought before you. “

The Vampire Lord stares at me with curious intent, his voice smooth as silk. “So… this is the one who lost control in the human realm.” His gaze trails down my body, lingering. His red eyes start to morph into a pale crimson. He shakes his head and leans back . “She doesn’t look like much.”

“Looks deceive, Valrik” the white haired man murmurs, his tone like wind through glass. His eyes narrow slightly as he studies me. “There’s… something ancient in her blood.”

“All hybrids have something ancient in their blood." The vampire responds, tone lazy. It's almost as if he'd rather be somewhere else.

“On your knees before the rulers, hybrid!" A guard yells, pushing me down so my knees hit the floor. My fingers tingle and I clench my fists

“You are before, the wolf Alpha, the fae prince, and the vampire lord," a guard informs me, gesturing towards each men.

Wolf alpha, vampire, fae? I must be loosing my sanity. But then again I have Nyme who's my wolf. Does that make me a wolf?

The Alpha stands then, towering and broad, his scent of earth and storm filling the room. “What is your name, girl?”

“Liora,” I say, trying to keep the anger out of my voice. “And I'll have you know I'm not a girl "

The Fae Prince tilts his head, intrigued. “Ah! I see she's not all submissive like her predecessors .”

The Vampire Lord smirks. “Most of them don't survive the examination, talk less of meeting us. She's brave, I'll give her that “

I glance between them, heart pounding. “What are you talking about?”

None of them answer me. Instead, the Alpha turns to the tall man who brought me. “You’ve done well. Leave us.”

As the man bows and backs away, the doors slam shut behind him.

And suddenly, I’m alone with the three rulers—their gazes burning holes through me.

The silence stretches, heavy and suffocating, until the Fae Prince finally speaks.

“She’s not like the rest of them.”

The Vampire Lord’s lips curl into a dangerous smile. “No. She’s something far more interesting. She's got some fire in her, just how I like it.”

And as their eyes meet mine, the pull between us snaps tight—an invisible thread, ancient and electric, binding us all together.

The air crackles, my vision blurs, and in my head comes Nyme's unmistakable whisper.

“Mate.”