NevaehAs soon as I walk through my front door, I frown. The foyer is empty. I look around the living room and kitchen, but Jez’ not there either.  “Jez, I’m here; where are you?” I call out as I make my way back to the foyer, but there’s still no response.She’s probably looking at her hair in the bathroom or something. I think to myself as I make my way up the stairs. Once I reach my room, I nearly jump out of my skin when I spot a figure on my bed. Unfortunately, it’s not Jez.“Ponyboy, what are you doing here? Are you with Jez?” I ask nervously.  What the hell is Ponyboy doing on my bed? Aaron tosses something around with his hands as he sits up from his seat. I look around in hopes that Jez is here, but she’s nowhere in sight. “Where’s Jez?” I ask firmly.Ponyboy snickers in reply as he makes his way to me. Something about his expression makes me

NevaehI wake up in a great deal of pain. My back hurts, and so does my stomach. As I gaze down at my torn and bloodied dress, I can’t believe that Henry and Aaron tried to kill me. Images of what happened rush through my mind. I remember Henry stabbing me in the stomach with his claws and falling down the stairs. My hand shakes as I pull my dress up to inspect the damage. My left ankle is swollen, and my legs are bruised, but there are no stab wounds in my stomach, and my leg isn’t broken. How is that possible? Moving my hand up, I trace the skin around my stomach. There’s not even a scar. Relief and fear war inside of me. Is this a dream? Am I really alive, or am I lying dead in my house?Swallowing hard, I gaze around the cold dark room. The soiled brick walls are barren, with only a single lightbulb hanging from the ceiling. The light casts an eerie glow around the room, and there are no windows. I search the shadows until my eye

Chapter 35 - The challengeNevaehMikhail’s eyes are the last thing I see before the door closes behind me. Just then, a bright light bursts from the bottom of the door. I rattle the doorknob and try to get back in the room, but the door is shut tight.              “It’s not going to work, Nevaeh,” Azazel mutters helplessly.I turn and face him, surprised to see that Alex, Rowan, Carrick, Kell, and another man are also standing there.Seeing my despair, Azazel pulls me into his arms. “We need to go in there and help Mikhail.” I cry out mournfully. “Please.”Azazel shakes his head. “We can’t, luv. Mikhail and Luka have enacted the Macto Benficium duellum Sanguis.” My brow furrows with confusion. “I don’t understand. What does that mean?”The handsome man who was standing

Chapter 37 - New hopeNevaehI nod my head and gaze into Mathias's eye as he takes a seat next to me. He shifts in place and runs his fingers through his hair uncomfortably, which somehow puts me more at ease.“What did you want to talk about?” I ask softly.Scenarios of what he might want to discuss run through my head. What if he’s going to reject me? Better yet, what if he’s taking pity on me and is giving me a half-hearted apology. God, I am so pathetic. Here is my real dad, and he doesn’t want me.Mathias rubs his hands together. “I know that you're angry right now, and I don’t blame you, Nevaeh. But I want you to understand that I had lost the woman I loved before I met your mother. I was so lost and heartbroken. I had no one. Then, to find out that I am no longer alone. That I have a daughter.” He hesitantly reaches for my hand and enfolds it in his larger one. I look at our hands in amazement.

Chapter 39 - Epilogue“You better hurry, Princess, or we won’t make it on time.”                                                     Nevaeh runs down the stairs looking flustered, one shoe on her foot and the other in her hand. “You know we wouldn’t be late if you hadn’t distracted me in bed.”I give her a pleased smile. “If you didn’t like it, you should have said so.”She shakes her head. “You are such a bad boy, babe.”I kiss her lips and take her hand. “We better go before your father, and the others have my head,”I’m not joking either. Today is our graduation, and Mathias is coming to see Nevaeh and my b