AYLAIt has been a few days since Slade confined me to my room. I wasn’t allowed visitors or maids. My meals were brought in, and that was the only human interaction I had seen.But instead of being upset, I used the time to learn some spells from the old books I found. I started with easy ones, like lighting a candle with just a word or lifting small things with magic. I’ve gotten good at those, so now I’m trying harder spells. Some of them can actually be used to protect myself, or fight, if I need to.Ever since I started practicing with spells, the magic in me seems to be growing stronger unpredictable. I still haven’t come to terms with being a wolfless werewolf and a witch. But I try to push the thoughts away and focus more on my practice. Today, I’m ready for something bigger. I raise my hand and speak the words from the spell, “Pa vanos.” The air around me shivers, and the window in front of me suddenly shatters, disappearing into nothingness.“Damn,” I mutter, stepping back
AYLAI looked at her, confused. “How did you know?” I asked her. Instead of responding, she took the cup from the small table beside her and sipped from it. “Tea?” she stretched it forward. I scoffed and shook my head.“No, thank you. I’m here for answers,” I said, looking at her. “What makes you think I can give them to you?” she asked me. I rolled my eyes and walked around the room. It looked different from the first time I had been here. More clean and neat.“Probably the same thing that told you I would return with questions,” I answered. She sighed and placed the cup on the table.“I’m sorry, I can’t give you what you came for,” she said, and I arched my eyebrows. “You can’t be serious,” I said to her. “I am and I know I owe you, but I can’t give you what you want, my lady,” she said. I turned around and held my head.“You don’t owe me anything. I just need answers,” I said to her. “You really are cut from the same cloth,” she whispered, and I turned around. “What’d you jus
SLADE“Ayla,” I whispered, pushing the woman in front of me away. How is she here? I had her door guarded. How did she walk past them without them knowing? This is their last day on the Job. “Leave,” I ordered the woman in front of me. She quickly put on her clothes, walked past me, not before touching me flirtatiously. She and Ayla shared a look. I don’t know what that was about.“What are you doing here?” I asked her as I put my clothes back up, trying to stop the feelings inside of me. “That’s all you are going to say?” she asked. I looked up to see the pain and disappointment in her eyes. “Especially after what we shared a few days ago.”The kiss. She is talking about the kiss. I ran my hands through my hair. Without answering her question. I opened up my cabinet and brought out the potions I had my Beta procure for me. I looked up to see Ayla having the same look she had when she looked at the woman I was with.“I thought you were better than the other Kings,” she said. “Using
AYLAIt’s been a few days, or rather weeks, since my steamy encounter with Slade after I walked in on him and Maria. I don’t know what that makes me, but I’m not proud of it either. My head keeps spinning whenever I think about it.I haven’t seen Slade since then. I don’t know if he is avoiding me or if we are avoiding each other. Kissing him, or rather telling him to kiss me, was a mistake that I don’t regret making. My eyes drifted to the mirror in front of me, my fingers went up to my lips as I applied a little gloss to them. It felt like I was back in the chambers with Slade, and I could feel his hands all over me. I can’t believe I put myself in that position to have feelings for him. Especially after everything that happened with Asher and my father. Any man who comes into my life isn't in it to protect or save me. They are in it for themselves, and Slade is just the same.My focus has to be on my training, finding out about the prophecy, and more about my mother. That’s the w
SLADEI watched as Ayla’s eyes drifted from nine and landed on Riven. She had a calm and relieved expression on her face. Not like the way she reacted when she saw me.“Riven, wh….what are you doing here?” she stammered, walking towards him. “I had him released,” I said and she turned around to look at me. “Released?” she asked. “I thought he was going back to the war. That’s what you told me,” her voice was filled with confusion and distrust.“Like you have been told before. I don’t answer to you and you don’t have the right to question my decisions,” I said to her.“Then why is he here?” she pointed at Riven who stood like the soldier he is. The one who is used to obeying instructions and doing exactly what he is told.“He is here to train you,” I said and she scoffed. Ayla stood tall, fire in her eyes. “I don’t need him to train me. I’ve done just fine on my own.”She turned to leave, heading for the door.“Don’t you dare walk out that door, Ayla!” I shouted, my voice booming th
AYLAThe sky was pale purple and gold as the sun started to rise. The air was cold and fresh, biting against my skin, but I welcomed it. The cold helped me focus. Helped me forget everything else for a while.I punched the tree in front of me again and again, feeling the pain in my knuckles through the wraps. But I didn’t stop. I needed the pain. It kept me grounded.I wasn’t swinging to train.I was swinging to forget.To forget Slade’s words.“I arranged for Riven to cross paths with you.”To forget the way Riven stood silently and watched my world shift on its axis.To forget the way it felt when my power responded to my anger, too easily, too fiercely.Slade had kept secrets from me. And Riven? He had followed me, watched me, fought me—all without telling me who he really was. My heart ached with anger and confusion.I kicked the post hard, and a piece of wood snapped off.“You’re going to break it,” someone said behind me.I didn’t need to turn to know who it was.Riven.“Then ma
AYLAI placed my hands on my chest as I tried to calm my breathing. My heart was racing, and my muscles felt sore. My sweat clung to my skin like a second layer. It felt like the sky was spinning and falling towards the earth.“Breath, Ayla, breath,” I looked up to see Riven standing in front of me. How did he get so close? I had been far from him just moments ago.Even more, how did I hear Slade speaking with someone when they were not standing beside me? Does this mean my wolf form is beginning to show? What does this all mean?As I got my breathing under control, the words came rushing back. “She doesn’t need your trust. She only needs to play her part before it’s too late.” Slade’s voice echoed in my head like a warning I couldn’t ignore. What did he mean? What part? What's too late? The other voice had to be Damon, the so-called Beta. He is the only one I saw with Slade. Why does he not trust me? He doesn’t even know me.I stood there for a moment, looking toward the path where
The Forgotten OmegaThe wind howled through the corridors of the Stormbringer Packhouse, rattling the wooden doors as if they, too, wished to escape. Ayla Stormbringer shivered, tugging her thin clothes tighter around her shoulders. The cold bit through the fabric, and her hands shaking from the numerous plates she had to wash with cold water. Her fingers were raw and red, and she couldn't help but wonder if she would ever feel warm again.“You aren’t done yet,” Ayla could hear the displeasure in her stepmother’s voice. “When you're finished with the dishes, your father's chamber needs polishing. And don't think about slacking off, or you'll face the consequences.”“That duty belongs to the maids,” Alya uttered before she could think, her voice barely above a whisper. Maybe it’s because of all the hardship and maltreatment she had to endure from her stepmother and everyone in the pack despite being the alpha’s daughter. Her words hung in the air, a spark of challenge that she regret
AYLAI placed my hands on my chest as I tried to calm my breathing. My heart was racing, and my muscles felt sore. My sweat clung to my skin like a second layer. It felt like the sky was spinning and falling towards the earth.“Breath, Ayla, breath,” I looked up to see Riven standing in front of me. How did he get so close? I had been far from him just moments ago.Even more, how did I hear Slade speaking with someone when they were not standing beside me? Does this mean my wolf form is beginning to show? What does this all mean?As I got my breathing under control, the words came rushing back. “She doesn’t need your trust. She only needs to play her part before it’s too late.” Slade’s voice echoed in my head like a warning I couldn’t ignore. What did he mean? What part? What's too late? The other voice had to be Damon, the so-called Beta. He is the only one I saw with Slade. Why does he not trust me? He doesn’t even know me.I stood there for a moment, looking toward the path where
AYLAThe sky was pale purple and gold as the sun started to rise. The air was cold and fresh, biting against my skin, but I welcomed it. The cold helped me focus. Helped me forget everything else for a while.I punched the tree in front of me again and again, feeling the pain in my knuckles through the wraps. But I didn’t stop. I needed the pain. It kept me grounded.I wasn’t swinging to train.I was swinging to forget.To forget Slade’s words.“I arranged for Riven to cross paths with you.”To forget the way Riven stood silently and watched my world shift on its axis.To forget the way it felt when my power responded to my anger, too easily, too fiercely.Slade had kept secrets from me. And Riven? He had followed me, watched me, fought me—all without telling me who he really was. My heart ached with anger and confusion.I kicked the post hard, and a piece of wood snapped off.“You’re going to break it,” someone said behind me.I didn’t need to turn to know who it was.Riven.“Then ma
SLADEI watched as Ayla’s eyes drifted from nine and landed on Riven. She had a calm and relieved expression on her face. Not like the way she reacted when she saw me.“Riven, wh….what are you doing here?” she stammered, walking towards him. “I had him released,” I said and she turned around to look at me. “Released?” she asked. “I thought he was going back to the war. That’s what you told me,” her voice was filled with confusion and distrust.“Like you have been told before. I don’t answer to you and you don’t have the right to question my decisions,” I said to her.“Then why is he here?” she pointed at Riven who stood like the soldier he is. The one who is used to obeying instructions and doing exactly what he is told.“He is here to train you,” I said and she scoffed. Ayla stood tall, fire in her eyes. “I don’t need him to train me. I’ve done just fine on my own.”She turned to leave, heading for the door.“Don’t you dare walk out that door, Ayla!” I shouted, my voice booming th
AYLAIt’s been a few days, or rather weeks, since my steamy encounter with Slade after I walked in on him and Maria. I don’t know what that makes me, but I’m not proud of it either. My head keeps spinning whenever I think about it.I haven’t seen Slade since then. I don’t know if he is avoiding me or if we are avoiding each other. Kissing him, or rather telling him to kiss me, was a mistake that I don’t regret making. My eyes drifted to the mirror in front of me, my fingers went up to my lips as I applied a little gloss to them. It felt like I was back in the chambers with Slade, and I could feel his hands all over me. I can’t believe I put myself in that position to have feelings for him. Especially after everything that happened with Asher and my father. Any man who comes into my life isn't in it to protect or save me. They are in it for themselves, and Slade is just the same.My focus has to be on my training, finding out about the prophecy, and more about my mother. That’s the w
SLADE“Ayla,” I whispered, pushing the woman in front of me away. How is she here? I had her door guarded. How did she walk past them without them knowing? This is their last day on the Job. “Leave,” I ordered the woman in front of me. She quickly put on her clothes, walked past me, not before touching me flirtatiously. She and Ayla shared a look. I don’t know what that was about.“What are you doing here?” I asked her as I put my clothes back up, trying to stop the feelings inside of me. “That’s all you are going to say?” she asked. I looked up to see the pain and disappointment in her eyes. “Especially after what we shared a few days ago.”The kiss. She is talking about the kiss. I ran my hands through my hair. Without answering her question. I opened up my cabinet and brought out the potions I had my Beta procure for me. I looked up to see Ayla having the same look she had when she looked at the woman I was with.“I thought you were better than the other Kings,” she said. “Using
AYLAI looked at her, confused. “How did you know?” I asked her. Instead of responding, she took the cup from the small table beside her and sipped from it. “Tea?” she stretched it forward. I scoffed and shook my head.“No, thank you. I’m here for answers,” I said, looking at her. “What makes you think I can give them to you?” she asked me. I rolled my eyes and walked around the room. It looked different from the first time I had been here. More clean and neat.“Probably the same thing that told you I would return with questions,” I answered. She sighed and placed the cup on the table.“I’m sorry, I can’t give you what you came for,” she said, and I arched my eyebrows. “You can’t be serious,” I said to her. “I am and I know I owe you, but I can’t give you what you want, my lady,” she said. I turned around and held my head.“You don’t owe me anything. I just need answers,” I said to her. “You really are cut from the same cloth,” she whispered, and I turned around. “What’d you jus
AYLAIt has been a few days since Slade confined me to my room. I wasn’t allowed visitors or maids. My meals were brought in, and that was the only human interaction I had seen.But instead of being upset, I used the time to learn some spells from the old books I found. I started with easy ones, like lighting a candle with just a word or lifting small things with magic. I’ve gotten good at those, so now I’m trying harder spells. Some of them can actually be used to protect myself, or fight, if I need to.Ever since I started practicing with spells, the magic in me seems to be growing stronger unpredictable. I still haven’t come to terms with being a wolfless werewolf and a witch. But I try to push the thoughts away and focus more on my practice. Today, I’m ready for something bigger. I raise my hand and speak the words from the spell, “Pa vanos.” The air around me shivers, and the window in front of me suddenly shatters, disappearing into nothingness.“Damn,” I mutter, stepping back
AYLAI roamed my fingers around the letters of my mother’s pack, Seraphina Nightshade. I remember her telling me stories about it. She used to say how beautiful it was, and everyone loved each other like family. The thought or act of conflict wasn’t heard or seen in Seraphina Nightshade. I begged her numerous times to take me there, but she always had the same answer for me back then. “I’m no longer a nightshade, Ayla. I’m a Stormbringer,” remembering those words now, I could hear the fear in her voice. Like she thought returning to her home wouldn’t bring peace, but war.I opened up the pages, and as I read each line, it sounded like my mother’s voice in the back of my ears. I could feel her breath like she was behind me. What I read were exactly the stories she told me back when she was alive. I flipped the pages when I saw another title that peaked at me.“The Prophecy,” I read out loud. It stated that it begins in the Nightshade pack about a werewolf who is also a witch. This wer
AYLA“That’s a lie,” I said to Maria. “You knew I’d make it,” I said to her. Her smirk turned to anger. “What were you thinking, leaving the palace?” she asked. I exhaled and walked away from her. “I was thinking someone needed my help, and there was no way, I’m not going to give it.” I placed my hands on the walls of the building. “That’s just great, you are both stupid and righteous,” I took my hands from the wall and looked at her.“If saving a woman’s life means I’m righteous. Then I’m all for it,” I turned to her fully. Standing right in her face. “Are we going to get this over with or not?” I asked her.“We should come back another time. The palace is too hot right now,” she said, and I scoffed. “You are afraid of getting caught?” I asked her, with a bit of cockness in my voice. She didn’t say a word, but her silence was all the answer I needed. “Might I remind you, I have something that can destroy you and your place in the palace,” I said to her. “You could lose everythin